The Relationship Between Gender of Consultant and Social Power Perceptions Within School Consultation

Abstract

This study's focus was on school psychologists' perceived effectiveness of 11 social power bases (Raven, 1993) that may be drawn upon when consulting with initially resistant teachers. Specifically, the relationship between consultant gender and perceptions of power base effectiveness was examined. The Interpersonal Power Inventory-Form CT (Erchul, Raven, & Ray, 2001) was mailed to a national sample of school psychologists. Results indicated female school psychologists rated both “soft” bases (i.e., information, expert, legitimate dependency, personal reward, referent) and “hard” bases (i.e., impersonal reward, impersonal coercion, personal coercion, legitimate position, legitimate reciprocity, legitimate equity) as more effective than did male school psychologists. Effect size analysis, however, revealed that only soft power bases distinguished the groups. Findings are discussed in light of gender differences in communication and leadership styles.