Tested anchoring and publicity effects in clinicians' (N=46) successive judgments of detailed interview notes. Results indicated significant anchoring in one case suggesting a clinical bias. Public justification was related neither to subjects' ratings, to reported confidence in their ratings, nor differentially by case. (JAC)

Examined expectations of psychotherapists (N=68) using specific response modes to short written transcripts of therapy sessions under conditions of either high or low self-awareness. Analyses showed no difference between high and low self-awareness group and no significant relationships between self-rating of subjects and ratings of peers, or any…

Examined whether therapist's level of competence in conducting interpersonal psychotherapy of depression was associated with patient improvement. Used data from 35 depressed outpatients receiving interpersonal psychotherapy. Results showed that measures of therapist performance contributed significantly to prediction of patient-rated change and…

Describes role of inadequate construct definition in the current problems involving measurement of counseling performance and suggests potential responses for improving measurement capability. Identifies primary task at hand to be deciding upon and describing constructs to measure. (Author/NB)

Investigates whether counselors delayed their diagnostic decisions in a setting that allowed them the option of doing so. Clinical records from a counselor training center were selected and coded for delayed diagnostic decision making. Results indicate that delayed diagnostic decision making occurred to a greater extent than immediate diagnostic…

The present study examined the client's perspective on what helps form and strengthen the counselling alliance and aims to provide a preliminary catalogue of concrete client-identified alliance-building factors. Nine participants (four males, five females) currently or previously in counselling were interviewed using the Critical Incident…

Although informed consent has been incorporated into psychologists' ethical standards, it has been suggested that significant variation exists among therapists' practices and beliefs. To assess the current state of informed consent among therapists, American Psychological Association members (N=189) were surveyed. Counselors indicated their…

Investigates relationship between the personal preferences of beginning counselor education students and the sociometric choices of their peers. Data revealed that students with higher sociometric ratings demonstrated greater manifest needs for dominance, change, succorance, order, nurturance, and achievement. (Author)

Counselor education, through its formal organization (ACES), is in the process of examining its standards for program accreditation used for the past decade. This discussion examines current educational forces, as a basis for a new look at the standards for counselor preparation. Outcomes of counselor education should be considered in performance…

In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, each profession is reviewing its ethical practices. This paper assists in this renewal by citing the code of ethical standards of APGA; reviewing the laws of the State of Nevada regarding privileged communications; and covering the legal aspects which relate to counseling situations. (Author)

This research explores possible connections between supervisory activity and the quality of the supervisory relationship. An effort was made to answer the following three questions: (1) What is the nature of the perceived interview behavior between supervisor and trainee? (2) What is the nature of the perceived supervisory relationship between…

A brief description of standard procedures used in training counselors is presented, and their net effect explained. The author feels that when the student counselor begins practicum, he is burdened with semi-crippling expectations of how he is supposed to do counseling according to a rigidly held, inadequately known theoretical counseling model.…

This is one of a series which focuses on innovations in the training and supervision of counselors. It discusses co-counseling by providing: (1) a definition of the procedure; (2) a description of models of practice; (3) a discussion of the effects of using co-counseling; (4) suggestions for possible applications of the procedure; and (5) steps to…

Results of the application of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to a counseling context revealed that more favorable attitudes toward counseling occurred as subjects' ego involvement increased and as intervention quality improved. Counselor credibility affected the degree to which subjects' attitudes reflected argument quality differences.…

Examined the effects of counselor self-disclosure and paradoxical homework directives on perceived counselor social influence. Results indicated that paradoxical directives were not damaging to perceptions of counselor social influence and that counselor self-disclosure did not affect perceptions of counselor social influence. (Author/BL)