INFLUENCE OF THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES ON COLLEGE STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THERAPISTS

USED AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALOG TO COMPARE COLLEGE STUDENTS' RELATIONSHIP INVENTORY (RI) PERCEPTIONS OF THERAPISTS AS A FUNCTION OF DIRECTIVE/NONDIRECTIVE THERAPIST BEHAVIOR. RESULTS SUPPORTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT NONDIRECTIVE THERAPIST BEHAVIOR ELICITS MORE FAVORABLE PERCEPTIONS BY COLLEGE STUDENTS IN TERMS OF EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING, LEVEL OF REGARD, AND UNCONDITIONALITY OF REGARD. NO DIFFERENCES WERE OBTAINED ON CONGRUENCY, THE DIMENSION WHICH SOME CLIENT CENTERED THERAPISTS CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT. THE 2ND THERAPIST OBSERVED WAS RATED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE 1ST, INDICATING THAT ORDER EFFECTS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN EVALUATING PATIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THERAPISTS WHEN REPEATED MEASURES ARE USED. A SEX EFFECT WAS OBTAINED ON 3 RI DIMENSIONS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT FEMALES MAY BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ORDER EFFECT THAN MALES. (15 REF.)