Relationships among tolerance for ambiguity, need for order, process ambiguity and counselor performance

Kenneth Lee Miller, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify relationships among counselor cognitive structure (i.e., ambiguity intolerance), need for order, process ambiguity and counselor performance. Process ambiguity is a heretofore unstudied counseling variable and is defined by the author as in-session ambiguity generated either by ambiguous counselor/client communications or by vague/unclear conceptualizations of client problems. Process ambiguity was measured by the Miller Index of Counseling Ambiguity (MICA). A secondary goal of this study was to determine relationships of counselor sex, age and level of counseling experience to counselor performance. At a major midwestern university, forty master's degree-level counselor trainees completed the Personality Research Form--Form E (Jackson, 1984) and conducted one-half hour counseling interviews with undergraduate student volunteers who presented issues of personal concern. The interviews were videotaped and then rated by three counselor education doctoral candidates for counselor performance and process ambiguity ratings. Correlational analyses revealed a statistically significant, negative correlation (r = $-$.63, p $<$.001) between process ambiguity and counselor performance as measured by the Counselor Evaluation Rating Scale (CERS, Myrick & Kelly, 1971). A significant, negative correlation (r = $-$.32, p $<$.05) between CERS and order scores indicated that counselors who exhibited high needs for order received significantly lower counselor performance ratings than counselors who exhibited low needs for order. Although the negative correlation (r = $-$.22) between CERS and cognitive structure scores was nonsignificant, the relationship was in the direction predicted. Years of full-time counseling experience correlated positively (r =.33, p $<$.05) with CERS scores. Sex, age and number of counseling practica completed were unrelated to CERS scores. Subsequent stepwise regression analyses revealed that process ambiguity was the only significant predictor (F Change = 25.53, p $<$.001) of CERS scores. Low inter-rater reliability coefficients for CERS (r =.56) and MICA (r =.45) ratings constitute a significant methodological flaw that makes interpretation of results difficult and necessitates a replication of the study. Considering these limitations, a tentative interpretation of findings indicates that tolerance for ambiguity and need for order are of limited utility as predictors of counselor performance. However, the process ambiguity variable demonstrates promise as a useful predictor of performance that warrants additional study.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Shertzer, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Academic guidance counseling|Personality|Educational psychology

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