The Influence of Gender and Sex Role Orientation on the Perceived Effectiveness of Therapist Self-Disclosure

The present study examined the influence of therapist gender and subject sex role orientation on theperceived effectiveness of therapist self-disclosure. Subjects were 207 female college students who read written vignettes of a mock therapist discussing interpersonal issues in an initial therapy session. Therapist gender and disclosure level (negative versus no disclosure) were manipulated; ratings of perceived attractiveness, expertness, and trustworthiness were measured by the Counselor Rating Form (Barak & Lacrosse, 1975), and subject sex role orientation was measured by the Bern Sex Role Inventory (Bern, 1974). Results indicate that male therapists who negatively self-disclose are perceived as more trustworthy than male therapists who do not disclose, and therapists who negatively disclose are perceived as more attractive than those who do not self-disclose. Although subject sex role orientation did not predict ratings of therapist effectiveness, it was found that the relationship between a subject\u27s femininity score and perceived therapist expertness may be quadratic. Implications of the present study and directions for future research are discussed