An ongoing therapeutic concern has been effectiveness of treatment (success and satisfaction). Mahalik and Kivlighan (1988) suggested that by examining the fit between type of counseling environment and personality type, reasons for satisfaction or dissatisfaction can be better understood. Research in this area, however, is limited. The present study examined the congruence between an individual's personality and the counseling environment, using Holland's model of personenvironment interaction to examine this relationship. This study also explored the underutilization of and dissatisfaction with counseling by certain Holland personality types and the congruence of clientcounselor environment interaction as an explanation of male underutilization of counseling.Ninety four students from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, participated in this study. Participants observed a videotape illustrating a particular counseling environment and completed four questionnaires: 1) the Self-Directed Search; 2) the Expectations About Counseling-Brief Form; 3) the Attitudes Toward Counseling; and 4) the Perception of Counseling Environment. The following hypotheses were tested: (hypothesis 1) Scores on Holland's typology will predict group membership (male and female). a) Artistic and Social scores will relate positively to female group membership. b) Realistic, Investigative, and Enterprising scores will relate positively to male group membership. (hypothesis 2) Scores on Holland's typology and gender will predict attitudes toward counseling. a) Realistic, Investigative, and Conventional scores will relate negatively to more favorable attitudes toward counseling. b) Social and Artistic scores will relate positively to more favorable attitudes toward counseling. c) Female status will relate positively to more favorable attitudes toward counseling. (hypothesis 3) Scores on Holland's typology and gender will predict perception of counseling environment. a) Realistic, Investigative, and Conventional scores and male status will relate positively to a more favorable perception of the Self-Help (more structured, less personally interactive) type counseling environment. b) Social and Artistic scores and female status will relate positively to a more favorable perception of the Social/Interactive (more abstract, more personally interactive) type counseling environment. Analyses included stepwise discriminant analysis predicting group membership, stepwise multiple regression analyses predicting gender, certain Holland types, and perception of counseling environment, and a 2 x 2 analysis of variance to analyze the interaction between gender and type of counseling environment.As expected, scores on Holland's typology predicted group membership. Results of the multiple regression analyses generally predicted attitudes toward counseling and perception of counseling environment. The interaction between gender and type of counseling environment was significant with females rating the Social/Interactive type counseling environment more positively than the Self-Help type counseling environment and males rating the Self-Help type counseling environment more positively than the Social/Interactive type of counseling environment. Implications of these findings and limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/181340 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Tanguy, Marianna |
| Contributors | Dixon, David N. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | xi, 142 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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