Personality of Counselors and Administrators

Abstract

The Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire was administered to 41 counselors and 41 administrators enrolled in graduate courses at Auburn University. The scores were compared in terms of individual factors and profiles. A discriminate analysis of scores correctly identified counselors in 31 out of 40 cases while principals were classified correctly in 34 out of 41 cases. Five factors found to be significantly different (P < .05) between counselors and administrators were: Factor C (Emotional vs Mature, Calm), Factor G (Expedient vs Conscientious), Factor I (Tough‐Minded vs Tender‐Minded), Factor L (Trusting vs Suspicious), and Factor N (Forthright vs Shrewd).

Counselor Personality Needs as a Determinant of Functional Specialty Preference

“…The largest percentage of subjects correctly classified was 72.6 percent for administrators (Step 2) and 69.8 percent for practitioners (Step 6). While these figures are slightly smaller than those Donnan and Harlan (1968) obtained for classifying principals (82 percent) and counselors (77 percent), it seems appropriate to point out that the present study involved a comparison of counselors who preferred the administrator with those who preferred the practitioner functional specialty. Furthermore, it seems logical that a group of counselors would be more homogeneous with respect to certain personality variables than a group of counselors compared with a group of principals; viewed in this light, the results of the present study appear to take on added relevance.…”

“…A number of investigations have used personality variables to discriminate between counselors and administrators or other professional groups (Chenault & Seegars 1962;Smith 1964;Polmantier 1966;Alcorn & Erb 1967;Willower, Hoy & Eidell 1967;Donnan & Harlan 1968), with varying degrees of success. Counselor and administrator research notwithstanding, the possibility exists that there are as many personality differences among counselors as there are between counselors and other professional groups (Patterson 1967;Whiteley 1967).…”

Personality needs as predictors of functional specialty of counseling psychologists.

“…The largest percentage of subjects correctly classified for each group were as follows: administrator, 63% (Step 5); practitioner, 58% (Step 6); and other, 54% (Step 5). Although these figures are somewhat smaller than Randolph (1973) obtained for administrators (72%) and practitioners (69%) and those that Donnan and Harlan (1968) obtained for classifying school principals (82%) and counselors (77%), it should be noted that the above studies were cross-sectional, whereas the present study was of a longitudinal nature. Further, Donnan and Harlan used a more heterogeneous sample (principals compared to counselors), whereas the present study used a homogeneous sample (within-counseling psychology).…”

Integrating the Spiritual Dimension Into Traditional Counselor Education Programs

“…Critics of the wounded healer model as a philosophical foundation for counselor education cite research that counseling students are no different than other graduate students or the general population on the following dimensions of mental health: anxiety (Graham, 1987), self-esteem and depression (Fouad, Hains, & Davis, 1990), social interest (Brooks, 1973;Felker & Brown, 1970, Graham, 1987Kuehnl, 1974;Patterson, 1962;White, 1989), and mental health problems (Hornbuckle, 1992). They also point to research indicating that therapists are healthier than normative groups according to various criteria such as the following: relationship to family of origin (Lawson & Gaushell, 1991);nurturance (Brooks, 1973);calmness, expediency, sensitivity, trust, and forthrightness (Donnan & Harlan, 1968); and self-actualization, openmindedness, and lack of dogmatism (Kuehnl, 1974).…”