Counselor Characteristics and Effectiveness in Serving Economically Disadvantaged and Advantaged Males

Abstract

This study compared the personality characteristics, determined by the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16 PF), of practicing junior and senior high school counselors serving economically disadvantaged and economically advantaged males. A Counseling Evaluation Inventory (CEI) composite client‐rating score, derived from seven male clients and determined for each counselor, was the effectiveness criterion. Male clients from both economic populations perceived as effective those male counselors who expressed characteristics associated with the popular American masculine stereotype and those female counselors who showed characteristics associated with the popular American feminine stereotype. The IPAT specification equations, one for each sex applied to the results of the 16 PF, provide a practical screening device for predicting counselor effectiveness with both economically disadvantaged and advantaged male clients.

The Relationship of Counselor Characteristics and Counseling Effectiveness

“…However, neither this study nor Myrick, Kelly, and Wittmer (1972) found the substantial discrepancies in the traits of effective male and female counselors reported by McClain (1968). Shelton (1973) used a composite client-rating on the Counseling Evaluation Inventory (CEI) as the criterion of counselor effectiveness. A comparison of the 16PF scores of those rated more effective with those rated less effective produced the stereotypic masculine and feminine profiles earlier noted by McClain (1968) for the effective male and female subjects.…”

“…While the scores on the GRE were unrelated to the CERS, a significant correlation (.41) was found between supervisor ratings on this scale and an index of predicted counseling effectiveness derived from the 16PF specification equation (McClain, 1968). Although, to the best of our knowledge, this combination of predictors from the 16PF has not been crossvalidated, this has not deterred its use in subsequent studies reported below (Shelton, 1973;Wehr & Wittmer, 1973). Myrick, Kelly, and Wittmer (1972) compared the 16PF scores of 40 student counselors who had been rated as either effective or ineffective by supervisors using the CERS.…”

“…In addition, Shelton reported a high correlation (.87) between the criterion and the 16PF specification equation. Myrick, Kelly, and Wittmer (1972) and Shelton (1973) call for the use of the 16PF as an instrument to be used in the selection of individuals as counselor trainees. This suggestion seems premature for several reasons.…”

Evaluation of Counselor Effectiveness

“…Male and female school counselors displaying characteristics consistent with traditional sexual stereotypes tend to be more effective (Shelton, 1973). The same is true of effective students and effective paraprofessionals (Wittmer & Wehr, 1972).…”