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Examining Reasoning Skill Differences Between Expert and Novice Counselors
Author(s) -
HILLERBRAND ERIC,
CLAIBORN CHARLES D.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of counseling and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.805
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1556-6676
pISSN - 0748-9633
DOI - 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1990.tb01437.x
Subject(s) - task (project management) , cognition , psychology of reasoning , psychology , cognitive psychology , verbal reasoning , applied psychology , management , neuroscience , economics
There is increasing interest in identifying the complex cognitive skills that constitute counseling expertise. Research from cognitive psychology suggests significant differences between experts and novices in their reasoning. This study examines the reasoning of expert and novice counselors engaged in a diagnostic task. Cases varied on “problem structure”—the extent to which problem‐relevant information was clear and apparent. While an expertise by problem structure interaction was hypothesized, most of the differences were found across case type. Results suggest that the structure of the diagnostic problem may be an important variable affecting reasoning. The importance of problem structure for future research and training is discussed.