Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

First Advisor

Marilyn Patterson

Second Advisor

Pamela Nickels

Third Advisor

Edward R. Doerr

Abstract

This analogue study reexamines the work of Guinee and Tracey ( 1997), repeating the interaction between pre-counseling information, religiosity, and problem type and its subsequent effect on counselor ratings of social influence and willingness to seek help. The author assessed members of a large rural county in the Mid-west using an inventory of Christian beliefs. After providing a presenting problem and reading self-descriptions of secular (nonreligious), spiritually empathic, or Christian counselors, participants responded to the Counselor Rating Form-Short and Willingness to Seek Help scale. Based on a paired sample t test, the interactions between participant religiosity and counselor description is presented. The results of the responses based on presenting problem type are considered. Prediction of counselor social influence and willingness to seek help ratings with respect to the Christian counselor self-description are presented. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

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