NCJ Number
60673
Journal
Journal of Community Psychology Volume: 6 Issue: 3, Dated: (1978) Pages: 222-228
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A DESCRIPTIVE EVALUATION OF THE VERBAL HELPING BEHAVIOR OF VOLUNTEER TELEPHONE COUNSELORS IS PRESENTED. THE STUDY EXAMINED A SET OF SPECIFICALLY DEFINED HELPING BEHAVIORS AND ASSESSED THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER MEASURES.
Abstract
THE SPECIFIC TELEPHONE COUNSELING AGENCY STUDIED WAS THE HELP LINE AT PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY. A UNIVERSITY-SUPPORTED TELEPHONE INFORMATION, REFERRAL, AND COUNSELING SERVICE, THE HELP LINE IS STAFFED BY VOLUNTEER STUDENT COUNSELORS WHO PROVIDE FREE SERVICES TO 30,000 STUDENTS. EXPERIENCED AND NEWLY TRAINED COUNSELORS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. A TOTAL OF 15 EXPERIENCED COUNSELORS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM THE EXISTING STAFF OF ABOUT 40 WORKERS. ALL UNDERGRADUATES AT THE UNIVERSITY, THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 10 WOMEN AND 5 MEN. AN ADDITIONAL 15 HELPERS, 9 MEN AND 6 WOMEN, WERE CHOSEN AS THE NOVICE GROUP. HELPEES SELECTED WERE 15 UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN LIVING ON THE SAME FLOOR OF A DORMITORY. THE HELPEES WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE HELPERS AND DISCUSS A PROBLEM OF REAL PERSONAL CONCERN FOR 10 MINUTES. FOLLOWING THE CONVERSATION, THE HELPEES INDIVIDUALLY COMPLETED A WRITTEN ASSESSMENT OF THE HELPERS. ALSO, AN ANALYSIS OF ACTUAL VERBAL HELPING BEHAVIOR OF ALL COUNSELORS WAS CONDUCTED. ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NOVICES AND EXPERIENCED COUNSELORS ON RATINGS OF EFFECTIVENESS AS PERCEIVED BY HELPEES ON THE COUNSELOR EFFECTIVENESS INVENTORY. HOWEVER, ONE SIGNIFICANT STATISTICAL RESULT EVIDENT WAS THAT INEXPERIENCED COUNSELORS USED SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ADVICE THAN DID EXPERIENCED COUNSELORS. ALSO, WHEN SPEAKING WITH NOVICE COUNSELORS, HELPEES SPOKE MUCH LONGER THAN THEY DID WITH THE EXPERIENCED COUNSELORS. THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY INDICATED THAT THE VERBAL HELPING BEHAVIOR OF BOTH CATEGORIES OF COUNSELORS WAS PREDOMINANTLY OF THE LEADING TYPE. WHILE GIVING LITTLE SPECIFIC ADVICE, THESE HELPERS ATTEMPTED TO INFLUENCE THEIR HELPEES AT A HIGH RATE (31 PERCENT FOR EXPERIENCED HELPERS, 23 PERCENT FOR NOVICES). A CLOSED TYPE OF QUESTIONING WAS USED MOST FREQUENTLY, WHICH USUALLY ELICITED A SPECIFIC, SHORT ANSWER TO THE HELPER'S QUESTION. THE VERBAL HELPING BEHAVIOR OF THESE HELPERS WAS ORIENTED HEAVILY TO PROBLEMSOLVING. THE STUDY DEMONSTRATED THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF CAREFUL FOCUS ON HELPER VERBAL RESPONSES. TABULAR DATA , REFERENCE NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (PRG)