Demographic correlates of multicultural counseling competencies and the role of multicultural training

This study explored how demographic characteristics relate to the cultural competencies of counselor candidates and assessed whether multicultural training moderated these relationships. Earlier research primarily focused on a limited set of variables, such as gender, race/ethnicity, and involvement in multicultural education and training. On the other hand, other demographic features have received little attention in multicultural counseling research. Various factors linked to cultural competence in the general population, such as bilingualism, having a diverse family background, and international experience, may also enhance counselors' cultural competence. This study broadens the scope of prior work by including both examined variables, investigating new demographic features, and examining the moderation effect of multicultural training. The research was conducted as a descriptive cross-sectional study based on a quantitative research approach. Three hundred and forty-one counseling students participated in the present study (M_age = 22.46, SD = 2.51, 80.6% female). The Demographic Information Form and the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale-Short Form served as data collection tools. Data analysis included multiple regression and moderation techniques using SPSS and the R package. Among the demographic factors of counselor candidates, gender, academic level, peer diversity, and political views were consistently linked to aspects of their universality-diversity orientation. Additionally, multicultural training moderated some of the relationships between these demographic variables and universality-diversity orientation. These findings provide insight into which demographic characteristics are linked to counselor candidates' cultural competencies, how these competencies evolve through training programs, and their implications for counseling practice.