Influence of gender in family evaluations: A comparison of trained and untrained observer perceptions of matriarchal and patriarchal family interviews.

Abstract

This research examined how training and experience, family roles, and gender of observed family leadership affect ratings of both family and individual parent functioning. Seventy experienced therapists and 70 clinically naive individuals rated 2 videotaped family interviews. One interview demonstrated a matriarchal style of family interaction and the other demonstrated a patriarchal style. Ratings from the 2 groups of observers were compared to determine the effects of training and experience. The effects of leader gender were determined by comparing ratings of the 2 family interviews. Ratings of the mother and the father from the 2 interviews were compared to determine the effects of family roles. Results suggest that experienced observers in assessments of family functioning are vulnerable to biased views of mother-led families. In assessments of parent functioning, results suggest that although training and experience may promote more critical ratings, vulnerability to biased views of women as family leaders is not significantly affected. These findings underscore the importance of both therapists and researchers examining the role of gender in family therapy.This research examined the relative vulnerabilities of trained and untrained individuals to gender bias in assessments of parent and family functioning by comparing ratings of mother-led and father-led videotaped family interviews. Despite the growing concern about gender issues and patient variable bias in the field of family therapy (Bogard, 1991;Braverman, 1988;Goodrich, 1991), little research exists pertaining to the role of training and experience. Specifically, it is not evident whether training and experience reduce the vulnerability to gender bias in family assessment and treatment. Studies examining the relationship between

What’s Wrong With These People? Clinicians’ Views of Clinical Couples

“…However, gender has been shown repeatedly to be a highly salient variable in the ways individuals are viewed by therapists. Research comparing expert and novice MFTs in their use of gender stereotypes in clinical judgment is still limited (Guanipa & Woolley, 2000; Ivey & Conoley, 1994). There is a clear need for research that evaluates experienced and novice therapists’ gender biases in working with clinical couples.…”

“…Hare-Mustin and her associate (Hare-Mustin, 1978, 1988Hare-Mustin & Marecek, 1986, 1988 have repeatedly pointed out that family therapists, intentionally or inadvertently, reinforce stereotypic gender roles that perpetuate inequality. Although almost 30 years have passed since Hare-Mustin's (1978) groundbreaking article, gender bias persists in the field of MFT (Guanipa & Woolley, 2000;Haddock, MacPhee, & Zimmerman, 2001;Ivey & Conoley, 1994;Leslie & Clossick, 1996;Rampage, 1995;Telford & Farrington, 1991;Zimmerman, 2001;Zimmerman, Holm, & Haddock, 2001), as in other therapy fields and in the larger society.…”

“…An important, but limited, line of research has used videotapes to examine gender biases in couple or family settings. Ivey and Conoley (1994) used videotapes of staged interviews that followed otherwise identical scripts. They presented experienced therapists and clinically naı¨ve observers with an interview featuring either a mother-led or father-led family.…”

“…In the Ivey and Conoley (1994) and Guanipa and Woolley (2000) studies, both experienced and inexperienced observers participated. An important finding in both studies was that the experienced observers' views of women were not significantly different than those of clinically naı¨ve observers or less experienced therapists, indicating that training did not lower their vulnerability to gender bias.…”

“…The student panel's averaged category item scores also were positively correlated with those of community wives. The negative view of the ''typical'' husband held by MFT faculty and students was unexpected, given the research literature on bias against female clients in couple therapy (Guanipa & Woolley, 2000;Haddock et al, 2001;Ivey & Conoley, 1994;Leslie & Clossick, 1996;Rampage, 1995;Telford & Farrington, 1991;Zimmerman, 2001;Zimmerman et al, 2001). Perhaps influenced by their ideas about power in couples, the faculty and student panels scoring a ''typical'' clinical husband agreed with the stance that men, with inherently more power in relationships, are somehow ''bad'' or more difficult in therapy.…”