The influence of performance feedback and causal attributions upon ratings of counseling self-efficacy

This study assessed the effects of bogus performance feedback upon causal attributions and ratings of counseling self-efficacy. Forty-five students in counseling and related graduate programs from four mid-western universities volunteered. Thirty-nine (87%) of the participants were women and six (13%) were men. In addition, 37 (83%) self-identified as Caucasian, six (13%) as African-American, and two (4%) as international students. The average participant had less than one semester of supervised practicum experience. This study made use of a two-group randomized pretest-posttest design. The independent variable was performance feedback, with two levels (positive and negative). The dependent variables included post-test scores on the Counseling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE; Larson et al., 1992) and Effort and Ability attribution scores from the Revised Causal Dimension Scale (CDSII; McAuley, Duncan, & Russell, 1992). State anxiety was also assessed with the state scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S; Spielberger, 1982). After completing pretest measures, participants conducted a ten-minute mock counseling session. Participants then rated their performance and filled out the pretest STAI-S. The researcher then provided random, bogus success or failure feedback. Participants then filled out post-test measures. Finally, participants received an extensive debriefing. Three hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that positive feedback would enhance, while negative feedback would diminish post-test counseling self-efficacy. It was further predicted that pretest counseling self-efficacy, post-test anxiety, and performance estimations would enhance this relationship. Results support this hypothesis. Second, it was hypothesized that people who judge themselves as having high counseling self-efficacy versus those who judge themselves as having low counseling self-efficacy will make differential attributions of ability and effort under success and failure feedback conditions. Results failed to support this second hypothesis. Finally, it was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between ratings of counseling self-efficacy and scores on the internal locus of causality scale. This hypothesis was not supported by the results of the study