Religious Values and their Effect on the Perception of a Therapist in a Psychotherapy Analogue

Abstract

The purpose of the study was, first, to determine whether labeling a taped therapist in terms of the therapist's religious value orientation (Christian/non-Christian) and interpersonal style (warm/cold) would change religious subjects’ perceptions of the relationship. Second, it was to determine whether the strength of attraction of the religious value orientation was greater than the interpersonal style. Seventy-one Christian evangelical undergraduates were randomly assigned to five groups. Four groups were given different information with regard to a therapist's warmth and Christianity. The fifth group acted as a control. Following structuring, all subjects listened to the same tape of a simulated therapy session. At the conclusion, the subjects rated the tape using scales to measure the dependent variables of attraction, receptivity, persuasibility, and willingness to meet. A two by two and one by five analysis of covariance and analysis of variance were computed. The only significant results found were that the control group evidenced more persuasibility than the Christian/cold and non-Christian/cold groups. Examination of group means showed a trend in the direction hypothesized for attraction and receptivity. A Pearson correlation was computed to determine the relationship between perception of the therapist's religious orientation and the dependent variables and perception of the therapist's interpersonal style and the dependent variables. There was a positive correlation between rating the therapist as Christian and the dependent variables of attraction and receptivity, p<.05. There was also a positive correlation between rating the therapist as warm and attraction and receptivity, p<.05.