Accuracy of Counselor Age Estimates and Satisfaction With Counseling Among Younger and Older Women

Abstract

Ninety-one younger (M = 26 years) and 91 older (M = 69 years) women serving as pseudoclients in a larger study were asked to estimate the counselor's age in age-similar and age-dissimilar counselor-client dyads. Analyses revealed that although both age groups estimated the ages of younger counselors with similar accuracy, older counselors were inaccurately judged to be substantially older than they really were by the younger pseudoclients. This was not true for older pseudoclients. These findings suggest that the perception of the chronological age of the counselor does vary systematically by client age. In light of the relationship between accuracy of estimated age and both perceived counselor characteristics and satisfaction with counseling, these findings also suggest that a client's estimate of a counselor's age may influence her satisfaction with help, particularly when the client is younger and the counselor is older.