Sex Bias in Counseling: Have Things Changed?

Gender bias and individualism: Responses to case vignettes among psychologists, professors, and students

“…In contrast, healthy women were seen in stereotypically feminine terms. Additionally, some recent studies have found similar sexist stereotypes continuing among psychotherapists (Bowman, 1982;Fowers, Applegate, Tredinnick, & Slusher, 1996;O'Malley & Richardson, 1985;Robertson & Fitzgerald, 1990). The results of other studies have not confirmed sex bias among therapists (Philips, 1985;Philips & Gilroy, 1985;Poole & Tapley, 1988).…”

Counselors' Attribution of Responsibility, Etiology, and Counseling Strategy

“…A long line of research on gender bias and stereotypes indicates that gender may play an important part in attributions made by mental health professionals. Becker and Lamb (1994) ;Broverman, Broverman, Clarkson, Rosenkrantz, and Vogel (1970); O'Malley and Richardson (1985); Robertson and Fitzgerald (1990); and Swenson and Ragucci (1984) all spoke of differential evaluations made of male and female clients. Much of this research indicated that women are perceived in more negative terms than are men and that psychotherapy may function to reinforce traditional roles for women (see Abramowitz, Abramowitz, Jackson, & Gomes, 1973;American Psychological Association Task Force, 1975).…”

The influence of client characteristics on psychologists' ethical beliefs: An empirical investigation

“…Several other researchers have found that client age influences the perceptions of mental-health professionals toward clients, usually in a negative manner (Gatz & Pearson, 1988;Myers, 1998;Ray, Raciti, & Ford, 1985). Additionally, numerous other researchers have concluded that therapists tend to demonstrate bias based upon client sex (e.g., Broverman, Broverman, Clarkson, Rosenkrantz, & Vogel, 1970;O'Malley & Richardson, 1985;Seem & Johnson, 1998). Given this evidence that therapists' attitudes toward clients vary according to client characteristics, it is reasonable to hypothesize that their ethical beliefs also may vary.…”