Abstract
The effects of two styles of test interpretation, namely directive and collaborative, and clients’ perceptions of the technical status of tests, namely high and low, were compared for 32 postgraduate psychology students who served as career counseling clients. Clients who received a collaborative interpretation perceived their counselor as more attractive and trustworthy than did clients who received a directive test interpretation. Interpretation style did not have an effect on session impact. Clients’ perceptions of test status had a noticeable, but statistically non-significant effect on counselor evaluations and session impact. Implications for test-interpretation practice are discussed.
Highlights
Psychological testing of abilities, personality traits and types, and vocational interests has traditionally played an important role in the career counselling literature
For much of the 20th century, the socalled trait-and-factor approach to career counselling appeared to be the most popular approach (Sharf, 2002). The basis of this approach is that (a) individuals should know themselves in regard to their abilities, personality traits, vocational interests, and vocational values, (b) individuals should know the world of work concerning aspects such as the structure of employment, the availability of employment opportunities in a particular field, and the future prospects in a particular field, and (c) a match between a person’s attributes and specific work environments should be made so that the needs of the individual and the needs of the work environment are best met (Holland, 1997)
It is more likely that skilled career counsellors, who work from a trait-and-factor approach, will have involved their clients in some aspects of the career counselling and test interpretation process
Summary
Psychological testing of abilities, personality traits and types, and vocational interests has traditionally played an important role in the career counselling literature. The stereotypical view of this approach to career counselling is that the client consults a career counsellor who administers a battery of psychological tests and on the basis of the test results, makes a recommendation about fields of work or study most appropriate for the client. This approach to career counselling has been caricatured as “two interviews and a cloud of dust” (Brown & Krane, 2000). This implies that they are: (a) reliable and valid, (b) that the item content and norms are appropriate, and (c) that the test instructions and interpretation methods are clear (Foxcroft, 2001)
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