Most investigated counselor personality variables are not significantly related to effectiveness criteria, and variables significant in one study often show contrary results when re-investigated¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 1975 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Across reviewed studies, most investigated personality variables were not significantly related to the effectiveness criterion employed, and significant findings often failed to replicate across studies. → Rowe 1975

Evidence¶

Rowe 1975¶

Rowe, Wayne; Murphy, Harry B.; De Csipkes, Robert A. (1975). The Relationship of Counselor Characteristics and Counseling Effectiveness. Review of Educational Research, 45(2). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543045002231

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review's summary of the studies using scales and rating devices, stating that "Most variables investigated were not significantly related to the criterion employed" and that contrary results often appeared on re-investigation. No pooled effect sizes are printed.

"1. Most variables investigated were not significantly related to the criterion employed. 2. Where a variable was found to be significant once but was investigated more than once, contrary results were often shown."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Personality Traits — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Standardized test batteries are poor predictors of counselor trainee success — related
• Global-judgment criteria of counselor effectiveness lack clarity, making replication fruitless and the research unproductive — related
• 16PF-derived predicted-effectiveness indices correlate with supervisor and client ratings (.41, .87), but the review judges use of the 16PF for trainee selection premature — related
• Clients of high-facilitative counselors engage in significantly more self-exploration than clients of low-facilitative counselors — related
• Calls to use the 16PF for selecting counselor trainees are premature because findings vary and the specification equation lacks cross-validation — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Significant findings about counselor characteristics often failed to replicate, with contrary results shown on re-investigation — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Most counselor personality variables investigated since 1960 were not significantly related to the effectiveness criteria employed — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)