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Client vs. rater judgments of counselor effectiveness
Author(s) -
Boroto Daniel R.,
Kalafat John D.,
Cohen Lawrence H.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(197801)34:1<188::aid-jclp2270340141>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - dismissal , vignette , psychology , inter rater reliability , crisis intervention , clinical psychology , meaning (existential) , social psychology , applied psychology , psychotherapist , rating scale , developmental psychology , political science , law
Forty‐eight crisis counseling trainees roleplayed six crisis vignettes in each of two administrations with experienced crisis counselors as “clients.” A factorial design permitted randomization of counselor X “client” vignette. Ratings of counselor effectiveness were made by the clients in two conditions: a participant condition immediately after each crisis roleplay and an observer based on a sample of tapes of the crisis roleplays. Acceptable reliability was demonstrated within each condition, yet the ratings between conditions were not related. These findings suggest that the role of rater (whether participant or observer) significantly influences the meaning of such ratings and questions the present dismissal of the client as a rating source. The methodology used in this study to estimate the reliability of client ratings seems promising for further research in the area of counselor characteristics.