Relationship between selected personality characteristics and counseling skill as effected by two training approaches

This study was conducted to provide answers to the following questions: 1. Does a positive correlation exist between length of time spent in experiential learning and the ability of counselor education students to communicate empathic understanding? 2. Does a direct relationship exist between amount of time spent in experiential learning and desired changes in personality characteristics of counselor education students? 3. Does a direct relationship exist between personality characteristics of counselor education students and their ability to communicate empathic understanding? Personality characteristics and experiential learning were two factors which showed possibilities of relationship with counselor effectiveness, and which were theoretically consistent with client-centered therapy. The rating of counselor empathic understanding was chosen as the dependent variable because of its solid basis in theory and its substantiated relationship to client outcome. Three sets of variables were addressed in the present study: personality characteristics; format for experiential learning; and, one indicator of counseling effectiveness, empathic understanding. Two experiential learning formats were identified. The extended format (spanning three semesters) designated as Lab consisted of three levels: Lab I, Lab II and Lab III. The concentrated format (one semester) was designated as Prepracticum. Both the Lab sequence and Prepracticum were awarded 3 graduate credit hours. Twenty-eight counselor education students enrolled in one of three experiential learning courses, Lab I, Lab III or Prepracticum, in a large southwestern university participated in this investigation. Each student conducted a 30 minute counseling session involving the same coached client with the same interpersonal problem. The sessions were audiotaped and subsequently rated by two trained raters using the Gross Rating of Facilitative Interpersonal Functioning. Students also completed the California Psychological Inventory and the Dogmatism Scale to assess their personality characteristics. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the hypotheses concerning differences between students in Lab III and Prepracticum on the Dogmatism Scale, selected scales of the California Psychological Inventory and the rating of counseling effectiveness. The Pearson product-moment correlations were computed to obtain an index of the relationship between personality data from students in all three experiential learning courses and their ability to communicate empathic understanding. All tests of significance were conducted at the .05 level. The results indicated no significant relationship between formats for experiential learning and levels of empathic understanding. Both experiential learning formats were equally successful in decreasing dogmatism scores and increasing scores on the selected scales of the CPI. There was not a significant inverse relationship between dogmatism and level of empathic understanding, A significant relationship was found between the scales of Social Presence, Self-Acceptance, Tolerance, Intellectual efficiency and Flexibility and level of empathic understanding. Sociability did not significantly correlate with level of empathic understanding.Education, College o