This report evaluates preference for counselor gender and perceived credibility of counselor in relation to the type of client concern. Four videotaped interview scripts, in which a male and a female portrayed counselors interacting with a client in two interview scripts each (vocational concern, child-rearing concern), were shown to 262 secondary school students who assessed counselor credibility. Although a strong Counselor Gender preference X Client Concern was evident, there was no significant difference in the perceived credibility of the counselor regardless of gender or of the two client concerns presented. Implications of these findings for research on counselor gender effects are discussed.

This investigation examined the effect of client reinforcement on counselor behavior within the interview as well as on selected attitudinal judgments of the counselor about the client. Thirty counselor-trainees interviewed a standard client for one 20-minute interview. Following a 10-minute baseline period, the client reinforced the counselor's reflection of feeling (RF) statements with either (a) a verbal response; (b) a verbal plus nonverbal response; or (c) a noncontingent verbal plus nonverbal response. Counselors then completed a postinterview questionnaire measuring attraction to, and clinical impression of, the client. Results showed that (a) counselors in verbal and verbal plus nonverbal conditions showed significant increases in RF statements while noncontingent controls showed no significant gains, and (b) differences in counselor attraction and clinical impression of the client were minimal. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of skill acquisition in counselor training.