Individualism, collectivism, and client expression of different emotions: their relations to perceived counselor effectiveness

Abstract

This study examined how individualism, collectivism, and counselor emphasis of different client emotions were related to perceived counselor effectiveness. Data were collected from 192 (122 women and 70 men) Korean students attending a large university in South Korea and from 170 (115 women and 55 men) American students attending a large Midwestern university in the United States. Participants read a counseling script in which a counselor emphasized client expression of either ego-focused emotions (e.g., anger) or other-focused emotions (e.g., guilt). Results from a hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that South Korean students who were more individualistic showed more positive perceptions of counselor effectiveness when the counselor emphasized the expression of the client’s ego-focused emotions, whereas more individualistic American students perceived the counselor as less effective when the counselor emphasized the expression of the client’s other-focused emotions. Also, the results demonstrated that participants who were high collectivist and low individualistic showed more positive perceptions of counselor effectiveness when the counselor emphasized the expression of the client’s other-focused emotions, when compared to those who were high collectivist and high individualistic. Implications for counseling practice and future studies are discussed.