Predictors of Client Resistance in the Counseling Interaction

This counseling process study examines the first order relationship between therapist directive behavior as antecedent and client resistance as consequent for a single midtreatment session of 18 counseling dyads. Further considered are two proposed sources of variance (psychological reactance and satisfaction) for the association between therapist directive behavior and client resistance. Speaking turns were coded and finally represented according to dichotomous categories for therapist and client behavior, and 18 (one for each dyad) first order 2 x 2 behavior transition matrices. Analyses of these tables reveals an overall trend with therapist directive behavior slightly increasing the probability of client resistance across dyads. Considerable variation between dyads, on this relationship, was found to be related to both client reactance level and satisfaction. The predicted relation for reactance level and resistance was found to hold for satisfied, but not less satisfied clients. For satisfied clients, increases in reactance level corresponded to higher probabilities for resistance following directives. Less satisfied clients had consistently high probabilities for resistance following directives. Some support for an interaction effect was found with satisfaction explaining more variance for low reactance level clients then high reactance level clients. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to research and practice. In particular, the findings suggest a need to consider resistance in an interactional and relational context.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

1997

Author dc:creator

• Bischoff, Mary Margaret

Contributors dc:contributor

• Terence J.G.Tracey

• Education, Guidance and Counseling

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9737053

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/80162