Role playing and modeling are important components of counselor training. To examine gender and ordinal position effects on the role play practice of counselor trainees, 51 beginning students (35 females, 16 males) participated in role play dyads. Following classroom videotape skill training in reflection of feeling responses, subjects were randomly assigned to two levels of gender pairing and two levels of ordinal position in the dyads. During the role play practice, consisting of two 15-minute sessions, counselors focused on the emotions of the client through reflection of feelings. Counselor responses and client statements were analyzed and coded. An analysis of the results showed no differences in the subjects' ability to produce reflection of feeling prior to the role play practice. No significant differences were found for gender pairing or ordinal position on counselor performance. However, females produced more reflection of feeling responses, and their responses tended to be more accurate than those of males. Females in ordinal position two, who had a male partner in position one, outperformed those females who had a female in position one. These findings offer initial support for a prestigious-coping model hypothesis, but further research is needed to investigate sex-role orientation effects. (BL)