Client verbal and nonverbal reinforcement of counselor behavior: Its impact on interviewing behavior and postinterview evaluation.

Abstract

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.

Nonverbal involvement and social control.

“…In addition, there was a control condition in which a noncontingent verbal-plus-nonverbal response was given. The results showed that counselors in both the verbal and verbal-plus-nonverbal conditions showed significant increases in reflection of feeling statements compared with the noncontingent controls (Lee, Hallberg, Hassard, & Haase, 1979). Although the verbalplus-nonverbal group showed an apparent superiority over the verbal group, that difference was not statistically significant.…”

What to Expect in the Intake Interview? Impression Management Tactics of Psychotherapy Patients

“…One experimental study explored patients' use of impression management strategies as a strategy to satisfy their wish to either leave or stay in a mental hospital (Braginsky, Grosse, & Ring, 1966). Some studies used trained patients who reinforced certain counselor behaviors (Dustin, 1971;Lee, Hallberg, Hassard, & Haase, 1979;McFarland et al, 2006). Friedlander and Schwartz (1985) developed a taxonomy for classifying certain patient self-presentations.…”

Toward an experimental analysis of verbal shaping in psychotherapy

“…Conversely, the client's contingent verbal and nonverbal responses may modify broadly-defined verbal behavior classes in the therapist. For example, Lee et al (1979) showed that psychotherapy trainees uttered more reflection of feeling statements when these were followed by positive verbal and nonverbal client responses.…”