Personality Traits and Socio-Demographic Variables as Correlates of Counselling Effectiveness of Counsellors in Enugu State, Nigeria

Quality personality traits and socio-demographic variables are essential elements of effective counselling. This correlational study investigated personality traits and socio-demographic variables as predictors of counselling effectiveness of counsellors in Enugu State. The instruments for data collection were Personality Traits Assessment Scale and Counselling Effectiveness Inventory. These instruments were validated by three experts in Counselling Psychology. The reliability coefficients of Personality Traits Assessment Scale and Counselling Effectiveness Inventory as established by test-retest method and Pearson product moment correlation technique were 0.78 and 0.83 respectively. A sample of 309 registered and practising counsellors participated in the study. Four research questions and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Research questions 1 and 3 were answered using the coefficient of regression (r), while research questions 2 and 4 were answered using the beta values associated with multiple regression analysis. Hypotheses 1 and 3 were tested at 0.05 probability level using analysis of variance associated with multiple regression analysis while hypotheses 2 and 4 were tested at 0.05 probability level using independent sample t-test associated with multiple regression analysis. Some major findings of this study revealed that there was a positive and significant joint relationship between personality traits and counselling effectiveness; extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness each had a positive relationship with counselling effectiveness of counsellors while neurotism had a negative relationship with the counselling effectiveness; socio-demographic variables had a positive and significant joint relationship with counselling effectiveness. It was therefore recommended that for effective counselling to take place, the counsellors should endeavour to manifest only the personality traits that relate positively with counselling effectiveness so as to produce effective counselling. Keywords: Personality traits, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, extraversion, socio-demographic variables and counselling effectiveness