Patterns of verbal behavior and judgments of satisfaction in the supervision interview

Nine staff supervisors were asked to audiotape Sessions 3, 6, and 9 of their regular weekly 1-hr supervision sessions with each of their counselor trainees ( n = 30). At the conclusion of each interview, supervisors and trainees completed instruments assessing their judgment of satisfaction with the supervisory session. Interactional analysis was used to code the interviews, and sequential analysis was employed to characterize interactional patterns. Three areas of satisfaction were assessed: supervisor's (or trainee's) evaluation of the (a) other, (b) self, and (c) level of comfort in the interview. Multiple regression was used to identify patterns of verbal behavior that predicted satisfaction in the 3 instances. Results support the claim that certain verbal behaviors are related to particular judgments made by participants in the interview; further, they indicate that some types of judgments are better predicted by interview variables than others. Findings reflect some generally held beliefs about dyadic communication and challenge some basic assumptions concerning the use of supportive communication in the supervision interview. (21 ref)