Effects of Black students' racial identity on perceptions of White counselors varying in cultural sensitivity.

Abstract

It was hypothesized that Black students' racial identity would affect their perceptions of White counselors' interview behaviors. Pretesting on a developmental racial identity instrument placed 54 Black undergraduates at either the encounter stage, characterized by a strong concern with Black identity, or the internalization stage, characterized by a variety of concerns, not exclusively Black. These participants then viewed videotapes of one of two White female counselors who used either culture-sensitive or culture-blind behaviors in working with a Black male client. Culture-sensitive behaviors acknowledged and showed interest in the role of culture or race in the client's problem. Culture-blind behaviors minimized the importance of culture or race and shifted the focus to other factors. Results indicated that participants rated culture-sensitive counselors as more culturally competent than culture-blind counselors (p < .05). In addition, cultural sensitivity interacted with racial identity, with encounter participants rating culture-sensitive counselors the most expert (p < .025) and, marginally, the most culturally competent (p < .075).Participation in psychological counseling has been meager for this nation's largest minority group, Black Americans. Blacks, like members of other minority groups, make less use of counseling than Whites and in counseling are more likely than White clients to terminate prematurely, often after one session (Sue, 1977). There are several possible reasons for this lower level of participation. Some researchers have focused on race itself, suggesting that it might be more beneficial for Black clients to work with Black counselors (e.g., Griffith, 1977). Indeed, Black research participants have been found to prefer Black counselors (Atkinson, 1983). However, it is not clear whether race itself is a crucial component of a therapeutic interaction. Atkinson (1983) commented on the preference of Blacks for Black counselors and noted that racial similarity had not yet been linked to counseling effectiveness. To increase the utilization of counseling services by Black clients, it may be necessary to identify factors besides racial similarity that contribute to counseling effectiveness. Additionally, it would be useful to know how non-Black counselors can enhance their ability to work with Black clients.A number of writers have argued that it is important for counselors working with ethnic minority clients to be sensitive to each client's cultural milieu (Sue, 1977;Vontress, 1971). According to Vontress (1971), when ethnic groups exist apart from the majority culture over a period of time, different language, habits, personality characteristics, and values develop and affect behavior dramatically. Cultural differences can lead to misunderstanding between counselor and client, can interfere with establishment of rapport and trust, and can alienate the client from the source of help. These factors were cited by Sue (1977) to account for the higher termination rate among minority clients. Thus...

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