A and B undergraduate interviews of schizophrenic and neurotic inpatients: A test of the interaction hypothesis

To clarify the personological basis of the differential compatability of A and B therapists with schizophrenic and neurotic patients, A and B (determined by the Personality Research Form and the A-B Scale) undergraduate volunteers (20 males, 20 females) conducted 20-min interviews with male state hospital inpatients (40 schizophrenics, 40 neurotics) in a 2 (interviewer A-B status) by 2 (interviewer sex) by 2 (patient type) factorial design. As expected from studies of the personality correlates of A-B status, many more B than A interviewers "looked forward" to conducting the interviews. Once in the interview situation, however, A-type interviewers elicited better self-disclosure from schizophrenic patients than did Bs, whereas the latter outperformed As with neurotic patients. Results are discussed in terms of a personological formulation that considers interviewer effectiveness to be a joint function of interviewer personality characteristics and the situational context. (16 ref)