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Measuring counsellor theoreticalorientationJoseph J. Poznanski a & Jim McLennan aa School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Swimburne University ofTechnlogy , AustraliaPublished online: 27 Sep 2007.

To cite this article: Joseph J. Poznanski & Jim McLennan (1999) Measuring counsellor theoreticalorientation, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 12:4, 327-334, DOI: 10.1080/09515079908254103

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Counselling Psychology Quarterly, VoL 12, No. 4, pp. 327-334 327

THEORY AND PRACTICE

Measuring counsellor theoretical orientation

JOSEPH J. POZNANSKI & JIM McLENNAN School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Swimbume University of Technology, Australia

ABSTRACT Previous studies of counsellors’ and psychotherapists’ theoretical orientations have suggested the importance of two superordinate dimensions of beliefs about therapeutic practice: an analytical-experiential dimension and an objective-subjective dimension. A 40-item measure was developed which tapped both these. A study involving 132 counsellors found evidence that the Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale is a reliable and valid measure of important aspects of theoretical orientation to counselling practice.

Introduction

Despite claims that counselling and psychotherapeutic practice shows increasing evidence of integrative eclecticism (Arnkoff & Glass, 1992; Norcross & Arkowitz, 1992), four major competing theoretical perspectives on counselling continue to influence approaches to counsellor training, supervision, and practice: Cognitive- Behavioural, Psychodynamic, ExperientiaVPhenomenological, and Family-Sys- temic. These four perspectives (a) present alternative conceptual accounts of both psychopathological and psychotherapeutic processes, and (b) prescribe distinctive kinds of therapeutic intervention techniques (Goldfried, et al., 1990; Ivey et al. 1994).

A recent review of research into conceptualising and measuring counsellor theoretical orientation (Poznanski & McLennan, 1995a) concluded that simply asking a counsellor to state her or his theoretical orientation may give an incomplete or misleading picture of a counsellor’s beliefs about counselling practice. Poznanski and McLennan examined the psychometric properties of 15 multi-item measures of counsellor and therapist theoretical orientation and noted that only Sundland & Barker’s (1962) Therapist Orientation Questionnaire (TOQ) and Coan’s (1979) Theoretical Orientation Survey (TOS) demonstrated evidence of reliability and validity. Sundland & Barker concluded that an analytical versus experiential dimen-

Correspondence to: Joseph J. Poznanski, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Swinbume University of Technology, William Street, Hawthorn, Victoria 3 122, Australia.

0951-5070/99/040327-08 0 Taylor & Francis Ltd

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328 Joseph J. Poznanski &Jim McLennan

sion was a significant aspect of therapist theoretical orientation, while Coan con- cluded that a major characteristic of theoretical orientation was an objective versus subjective dimension. Other researchers have confirmed the fundamental nature these two dimensions of theoretical orientation to counselling and psychotherapeutic practice (Garfield & Kurtz, 1976; McNeilly & Howard, 1991; Wallach & Strupp, 1964; Wogan & Norcross, 1983, 1985). Poznanski & McLennan (1995b) concluded that these two features of theoretical orientation represent important superordinate epistemological dimensions of beliefs about counselling. The first dimension, probably most aptly described as Rational-Intuitive, is concerned with a coun- sellor’s preferred mode of knowing in terms of an emphasis either on (a) rational judgement (logical and analytical reasoning) or on (b) intuition. The second dimension, Objective-Subjective, is concerned with a counsellor’s preferred style of knowing in terms of an emphasis on a view of reality which is characterised by either (a) rationalism (reality as logical consistency) and empiricism (reality as observable events), or (b) subjective experience (reality as metaphorism and symbolism).

Inspection of the central tenets of each of the four theoretical perspectives identified previously suggests that counsellors adhering to a Cognitive-Behavioural perspective are likely to hold beliefs emphasising both rationality and objectivity (e.g. Beck, 1976); counsellors adhering to a Psychodynamic perspective are likely to hold beliefs emphasising particularly intuition as their mode of knowing (e.g. Malan, 1979); while counsellors adhering to an ExperientiaWhenomenological perspective are likely to hold beliefs emphasising primarily subjectivity and to a lesser degree intuition (e.g. Frey & Raming, 1977). Family/Systemic perspective counsellors have a tradition of pragmatic relativism and are thus likely to hold beliefs with a moderate emphasis on subjectivity and rationality (e.g. Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 1991).

Poznanski & McLennan (1995a,b) noted that no single measure of counsellor theoretical orientation incorporated both these dimensions and no study had inves- tigated both dimensions of theoretical orientation jointly. The rest of this paper (a) describes the construction of a measure of counsellor theoretical orientation in terms of both a Rational-Intuitive dimension and an Objective-Subjective dimension, and (b) presents evidence of the reliability and validity of the measure.

Method

Construction of the Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale (CTPS’

The items making up the Analytical-Experiential scale of Sundland and Barker’s (1962) TOQ and the Objective-Subjective scale of Coan’s (1979) TOS were inspected. Items which were too narrowly related to very specific therapeutic techniques were discarded. Sixteen items from the TOQ and one item from the TOS were retained. A hrther six items were written, derived directly from writings by others who had described commonalities and differences across various approaches to counselling and psychotherapy: Mahoney and Lyddon

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Theoretical orientation 329

(1988), O’Hanlon (1994), and Wallach and Strupp (1964). Seventeen addi- tional items were then prepared by the authors which expressed Family-Systemic concepts and Cognitive-Behavioural concepts not addressed by older theoretical orientation measures. Two 20-item subscales resulted: Rational-Intuitive and Objective-Subjective. The items are shown in Table 1. The instructions to respondents were:

The following statements represent a range of theoretical and procedural views expressed by counsellors and therapists. Please indicate the extent of your agreement or disagreement with each statement, by circling one of: CD (completely disagree), MD (moderately disagree), SD (somewhat disagree), E (equally agree and disagree), SA (somewhat agree), MA (moderately agree), CA (completely agree).

Responses to items are made on a 7-point scale, where CD = 1 and CA = 7. Some items are reverse-scored. Responses to the items making up each subscale are totalled, and scores for both subscales can range from 20 to 140. High subscale scores indicate stronger preferences for Rational and for Objective beliefs, respect- ively.

Participants and procedure

Three hundred Members of the Australian Psychological Society were mailed a questionnaire, incorporating the CTPS and also requesting information on their primary theoretical perspective on counselling and the degree to which they adhered to the principles of (a) a Cognitive-Behavioural approach, (b) a Psychodynamic approach, (c) an ExperientiaVPhenomenological approach, and (d) a Family-Systemic approach to counselling. A reply-paid return mail envelope was supplied. Names were selected randomly from those listed in the Society’s Membership Directory as being actively involved in counselling practice. A total of 178 questionnaires were returned. Of these, 34 were returned as undeliver- able, and 12 were returned incomplete. Thus, 132 (44% of the mail out, 50% of deliveries) completed questionnaires were received. The respondents were 76 women and 56 men. Their mean age was 41.1 years (SD= 9.2). Their mean amount of counselling and psychotherapeutic experience was 15.3 years (SD = 6.9, range = 2-37 years).

Measures

As well as the CTPS described earlier, participants were also asked to report their age, sex, number of years of experience, and their main self-ascribed theoretical perspective. They were also asked to rate on a 10-point scale (1 =never, 10 = always) their frequency of adherence to the therapeutic principles of each of the four major theoretical approaches to counselling.

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330 Joseph J. Poznanski &Jim McLmnan

TABLE I. Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale items and factor loadings

Item content Factor I Factor I1

Rationap-Intuitive Subscale Items: Unconscious motives and intuitive processes should be

considered as essential aspects of psychological theory (R). Unconscious motivation is a very important aspect of human

behaviour (R). The emotional process in counselling or psychotherapy is a

vital agent of change (R). Interpretation of symbolic meaning enables illumination

of the depth of human experience (R). The concept of unconscious processes is of limited

therapeutic value. I generally prefer to practice a goal-directed approach to

counselling or psychotherapy. Understanding of a client’s childhood is crucial to

therapeutic change (R). Counselling or psychotherapy should focus on

‘here-and-now’ experiences: There is no need to focus on the client’s past.

Human beings need to know meanings rather than simply factual information (R).

It is essential to focus on feeling and meaning as communicated by a client (R).

People can learn effective coping skills without necessarily having to go into the depths of their private experience.

Introspective and intuitive methods in counselling or psychotherapy are more useful than explanations which do not go beyond observable behaviour (R).

Self-knowledge deepens our understanding of life (R). An effective counsellor or psychotherapist demonstrates

sensitivity and personal involvement towards the client (R). Careful re-examination by a client of hisiher personal history

can alter the client’s present emotional life (R). It is important for a counsellor or psychotherapist to feel

strong personal and emotional involvement with a client (R).

of human existence (R).

and desires is a beneficial therapeutic outcome in itself (R).

I believe counselling or psychotherapy is much more an art than a science (R).

As a counsellor/psychotherapist I usually take on an active role in structuring the interview.

Objectiv8-Subjective Subscale Items: Emotional stability is a product of one’s logical and consistent

Cognition is the most powerful factor in determining experience.

Search for meaning and wholeness in life is the essence

Establishing a client’s awareness of hidher own emotions

thinking behaviour.

- 70

- 68

- 67

- 62

61

61

- 60

55

- 54

- 53

52

- 49 - 47

- 45

- 45

- 42

- 40

- 40

- 37

32

01 21

06

- 07

03

20

- 21

15

21

- 14

01

10

- 03

09 06

24

09

19

- 01

- 03

17

02

58 57

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Theoretical orientation 33 1

Table I.-continued

An understanding of the reasons for one’s behaviour is

Knowledge is valid only if it is based on logic andor reason. Irrationality is the hndamentai cause of psychological

Clients need to be guided and given information in order to

Improving the client’s level of social adjustment ought to

As a counsellor/psychotherapist I maintain a detached and

crucial to behavioural change.

dysfunction.

achieve their therapeutic goals.

be the main therapeutic aim.

objective approach during counselling or psychotherapy interviews.

It is unwise for a counsellor or psychotherapist to respond to a client in a spontaneous, not thought-through manner.

Any claimed mental process can be translated into a statement describing observable behaviour.

Valid information comes only from empirical research. Nothing is true if it is illogical. The brain is the prime mover in human social development. Logical analysis and synthesis of information is crucial

Emotional involvement by a therapist defeats the purpose

Intense negative emotions are manifestations of unrealistic

It is preferable that a counsellor or psychotherapist remains

Specific training in counselling or psychotherapy techniques

Perceptions define human experience. Higher intellectual processes over-ride more primitive functions

to one’s survival.

of therapy.

and non-logical cognitions.

personally uninvolved in the therapeutic relationship.

is vital to therapeutic outcome.

of feeling and behaviour.

- 30 11

- 04

10

- 06

16

- 14

10 14 12 02

- 02

16

- 05

16

08 - 06

11

56 55

54

53

52

51

50

48 46 42 41

41

39

36

36

36 35

32

High scores correspond to this pole. (R) indicates that the item is reverse-scored

Results

Evidence of construct validity and reliability of the CTPS subscales

The CTPS item-intercorrelations were factor analysed. A scree-test of the eigenval- ues for the extracted factors indicated that a two-factor solution was appropriate. All the factor loadings were > .30, the loadings (following a varimax rotation) are shown in Table I.

The pattern of item loadings on the factors was consistent with the theoretically derived content of the items, constituting evidence of the construct validity of the CTPS. The internal consistency coefficients for the items making up the Objective- Subjective and Rational-Intuitive subscales were .87 and .8 1, respectively, indicat- ing an acceptable level of reliability.

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332 Joseph J. Poznanski &Jim McLennan

TABLE 11. Counsellor self-ascribed Primary Theoretical Perspective and mean scores on the Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale in T-score units.

Counsellor Primary Theoretical Perspective

C-B PD EP FS F(3, 118) M SD M SD M SD M SD

51.1 7.3 17.26*(b) 45.1 6.5 15.38*(c)

Ra-I 57.2 9.8 42.5 8.1 47.1 6.0 0”s 57.7 8.9 48.2 8.3 44.0 7.2

high score corresponds to this pole; *p < .05 C-B = Cognitive-Behavioural, PD = Psychodynamic, EP = Experiential/Phenomenological, FS = Family/Systemic, R-I = Rational-Intuitive Subscale, 0-S = Objective-Subjective Subscale

Planned Contrasts of Means (p < .05): (b) CB > PD, EP, FS; FS > PD, EP; EP > PD (c) CB > PD, EP, FS

Evidence of criterion-related validity

Of the 132 participants, 34% reported their theoretical self-ascription to be Cogni- tive-Behavioural, 26% reported a Psychodynamic self-ascription, 18% reported an ExperientiaYPhenomenological self-ascription, and 15% reported a Family- Systemic self-ascription (7% did not report any self-ascribed theoretical perspective, describing themselves as Eclectic). Participants’ scores on the CTPS subscales were transformed into T-scores (resulting in an overall mean of 50, and a standard deviation of 10 for each subscale) for greater ease of interpretation. The means (in T-score units) for participants from each of the four self-ascribed theoretical per- spectives are shown in Table 11. The pattern of the means in relation to the two theoretical orientation dimensions is generally consistent with that proposed in the introduction: Counsellors who self-ascribed to a Cognitive-Behavioural perspective had the highest mean scores on both the Rational-Intuitive and Objective-Subjec- tive subscales; counsellors who self-ascribed to a Psychodynamic perspective had the lowest mean score on the Rational-Intuitive subscale; while those who self-ascribed to an Experientialh’henomenological perspective had the lowest mean score on the Objective-Subjective subscale. Counsellors who self-ascribed to a Family/Systemic perspective had intermediate mean scores on both subscales.

Correlations of scores on the two CTPS subscales with (a) self-ascribed theor- etical perspective (point-biserial correlations), and (b) ratings of degree of adher- ence to the principles of each of the four major theoretical perspectives were calculated as indices of criterion-related validity of the CTPS. The coefficients are shown in Table 111. The pattern of coefficients was generally consistent with the predictions proposed earlier: High scores on the Rational-Intuitive subscale were associated with high levels of adherence to Cognitive-Behavioural counselling prin- ciples, and low levels of adherence to Psychodynamic principles and to Experiential/ Phenomenological principles. High scores on the Objective-Subjective subscale were associated with high levels of adherence to Cognitive-Behavioural principles and low levels of adherence to ExperientiaVPhenomenological principles.

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Theoretical orientation 333

TABLE 111. Correlations between scores on the Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale and other indicators of theoretical orientation.

Rational"-Intuitive Objective"-Subjective Subscale Subscale

(a) Selfascribed prima y theoretical orientation (point-biserial correlations) ( N = 123) Cognitive-Behavioural Psychodynamic ExperientiaYPhenomenological Family/Systemic (b ) Degree of adherence to the principles of each major theoretical orientation (N = 132) Cognitive-Behavioural Psychodynamic ExperientiaVPhenomenological Family/Systemic

53*** - 15

04 04

5l*** - 63*** - 32** - 13

55*** - 14 - 31** - 23*

37*** - 09 - 20* - 14

High scores correspond to this pole; *p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .OO 1

Discussion

Following reviews of the literature concerning conceptualising and measuring coun- sellors' theoretical orientations, it was concluded that counsellors' overall theoretical conceptualisations of practice could usefully be described in terms of two superordi- nate epistemological belief dimensions: Analytical-experiential (or rational-intu- itive) and objective-subjective. It was noted that no published measure of counsellor theoretical orientation incorporated both the dimensions. The 40-item Counsellor Theoretical Position Scale (CTPS) was constructed to measure these two dimen- sions on two 20-item subscales. It is possible that other dimensions of beliefs about counselling, additional to the two proposed, may determine aspects of counselling practice. However, the two dimensions measured by the CTPS are those which have been identified most frequently in the literature.

In a study involving 132 counsellors, the CTPS was shown to be reliable and to evidence both construct- and criterion-related validity. The CTPS scales show promise of providing information additional to that resulting from simply asking counsellors to nominate their preferred theoretical perspective or to rate their consistency of adherence to the principles of each of the major theoretical ap- proaches to counselling.

The patterns of means in Table I1 and correlations in Table I11 suggest that the epistemological beliefs of counsellors following a Cognitive-Behavioural approach differ considerably from those of counsellors following any of the other three approaches, with a considerably greater emphasis on the importance of rationality and objectivity as a basis for counselling practice. The CTPS should assist coun- selling educators, supervisors, and researchers who wish to measure the superordi-

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334 Joseph J. Poznanski &Jim McLennan

nate epistemological dimensions of counsellor belief systems concerning practice. Following suggestions by Vasco, Garcia-Marques and Dryden (1993), the CTPS may be particularly useful in helping trainee counsellors to better understand the nature of their epistemological beliefs which underlie their emerging preferences for, and reactions against, particular styles of counselling and particular intervention techniques.

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