Sex role orientation and expectations about counseling

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Understanding client expectations is crucial for effective counseling.
• Sex role orientation may influence perceptions of therapeutic processes.
• Previous research has not fully explored the interplay between sex roles and counseling expectations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between sex role orientation and expectations about counseling.
• To determine whether femininity, masculinity, or androgyny predict specific counseling expectations.
• To examine the differential impact of gender versus sex role orientation on counseling expectations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) to assess sex role orientation.
• Administered the Expectations About Counseling Questionnaire (EACQ) to measure client expectations.
• Employed multiple regression analyses to identify significant predictors of counseling expectations.

Main Results:

• Femininity emerged as a significant predictor for 15 out of 17 counseling expectation scales.
• Masculinity and androgyny showed limited predictive power across the measured expectations.
• Biological gender (male/female) accounted for minimal variance in counseling expectations.

Conclusions:

• Psychological constructs of sex role orientation, particularly femininity, are more influential than biological gender in shaping counseling expectations.
• Therapists should consider clients' sex role orientations when addressing expectations in counseling.
• Future research should explore these relationships across diverse populations and clinical settings.