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Interaction of client class and gender in biasing clinical judgement
1Psychology Department.
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
|July 1, 1981
Summary
Therapist perceptions of clients are influenced by client social class and gender. For male clients, higher social class correlated with more favorable therapist attitudes, while for female clients, the opposite was observed.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Therapist perceptions significantly shape the therapeutic process and client outcomes.
- Understanding biases in therapist perceptions is crucial for equitable mental healthcare delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how client social class and gender influence psychologists' perceptions.
- To identify differential expectations based on client demographics.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 418 psychologists.
- Case history vignettes manipulated client social class (working/middle) and gender (male/female).
Main Results:
- For male clients, higher social class was associated with more favorable therapist attitudes.
- For female clients, higher social class was associated with less favorable therapist attitudes.
- Findings suggest a complex interplay between client demographics and therapist bias.
Conclusions:
- Therapist perceptions are not uniform and are demonstrably influenced by client social class and gender.
- Results align with theories on the sexual division of labor and differing societal expectations for men and women in therapy.
- Further research is needed to address and mitigate these demographic biases in clinical practice.