Perceptions of counselor self-disclosure: An analogue study.

Abstract

One hundred twenty male and 120 female subjects viewed a videotaped vignette of a simulated counseling session. Counselor self-disclosure was manipulated such that subjects were presented a counselor exhibiting no disclosure, interpersonal disclosure, or intrapersonal disclosure. Subjects rated these counselors across a variety of professional (e.g., competency) and personal (e.g., likeability) dimensions. Results reveal that disclosing counselors are evaluated significantly more favorably than counselors who do not self-disclose. There is no evidence that disclosing counselors are viewed as less competent or less "mentally healthy" as suggested in previous research. The implications of these findings for further research on counselor self-disclosure and for clinical practice are explored.The advisability of self-disclosure by counselors has been and remains a rather controversial clinical issue. Traditionally, the arguments offered for and against counselor self-revelation have been based on theoretical preferences rather than empirical investigation. Some writers, predominantly psychoanalytic theorists, have long argued that only through relative anonymity can the clinician provide a blank screen allowing transference to take place and be interpreted. Other writers have more recently been supportive of counselors being more transparent and genuine, advocating the sharing of more personal information with the client. The most vocal advocates of counselor selfrevelation have been Rogers (1961, 1970), Jourard (196.4, 1971b, and others of the humanistic movement within clinical and counseling psychology. These theorists have argued that a more personal, transparent style of intervention by counselors produces a variety of beneficial effects upon both the process and outcome of counseling. Among the potential benefits they suggest

A Test of Two Competing Explanations for the Attraction‐Enhancing Effects of Counselor Self‐Disclosure

“…T here has been controversy about the appropriateness of counselor self-disclosure, and results of the abundant research on this topic have been equivocal (e.g., Cash & Salzbach, 1978;Curtis, 1981;McCarthy, 1982;Merluzzi, Banikiotes, & Missbach, 1978). Although the effects of a counselor's disclosure on a client's actual behavior remain to be demonstrated, several investigations have indicated that disclosures tend to enhance the client's attraction to the counselor (Hoffman-Graff, 1977;Murphy & Strong, 1972;Nilsson, Strassberg, & Bannon, 1979). We tested two competing explanations for the attraction-enhancing effects of counselor self-disclosure: the similarity hypothesis and the social exchange hypothesis.…”

“…In most of the relevant studies, the counselor's disclosures reflect similarity to or agreement with the client (Bundza & Simonson, 1973;Giannandria & Murphy, 1973;Mann & Murphy, 1975;Nilsson et al, 1979). In the social influence model of counseling, interventions based on similarity enhance a client's attraction to the counselor (Strong & Matross, 1973).…”

Transparency and Self‐Disclosure1 in Family Therapy: Dangers and Possibilities

“…There is an existing body of research on self-disclosure by therapists working with individuals (Fox, Strum, & Walters, 1984;Mahrer, Fellers, Durak, Gervaize, & Brown, 1981;Mathews, 1988;Nilsson, Strassberg, & Bannon, 1979;Robitschek & McCarthy, 1991;Rosie, 1980). There is an existing body of research on self-disclosure by therapists working with individuals (Fox, Strum, & Walters, 1984;Mahrer, Fellers, Durak, Gervaize, & Brown, 1981;Mathews, 1988;Nilsson, Strassberg, & Bannon, 1979;Robitschek & McCarthy, 1991;Rosie, 1980).…”

The Invisible Client

“…Internal Factors. The following internal factors have been associated with clients who prematurely depart from counseling: high counselor ethnocentricity (Yamamoto, James, Bloombaum, & Hatter, 1967); counselor disinterest in client's concern (McNair, Lorr, & Callahan, 1963); counselor dislike for client (Caracena, 1965); counselor's expectations of client improvement (Goldstein, 1960); counselors' behavioral style such as appearing interested, organized, attentive, leaning forward, head nodding, and eye contact (Dell & Schmidt, 1976;Lacrosse, 1975;Schmidt & Strong, 1970); and counselors' degree of self-disclosures (Hoffman-Graff, 1977;Merluzzi, Banikiotes;& Missbach, 1978;Nilsson, Straussberg, & Bannon, 1979).…”