Female Counselor-Client Dyads: Effects of Counselor Age, Client Marital Status, and Intimacy Level of Presenting Problem on Perceptions of Counselors

This analogue explored the impact of counselor age, level of intimacy of clients' presenting problems, and client marital status on perception of counselors and the counseling relationship. Forty-eight married and 48 unmarried women viewed a series of three videotapes, counterbalanced for level of intimacy of client's presenting problems and depicting initial interviews between young female clients and either younger or older female counselors. After viewing each individual vignette, participants completed the Counselor Rating Form-Short, the Client Satisfaction Form, and manipulation checks for presenting problem intimacy and counselor age. Overall, differences in presenting problems and counselor age were perceived as intended. Subjects' marital status was unrelated to any measures. Counselors were judged as most expert, attractive, and trustworthy when dealing with presenting problems that were least intimate. Subjects anticipated greater satisfaction with younger rather than older counselors only for the least intimate presenting problem. Implications for counseling practice were discussed.