An evaluation of empathic listening in telephone counseling.

Abstract

Two counseling-analogue studies compared empathic-listening and active advice-giving styles of telephone counseling with college undergraduate participants. Nonsignificant trends of preference for the advice-giving style in Study 1 led to the comparison in Study 2 of these same styles with a third, combined counselor role. Results consistently indicated significant participant preference for active advice giving on overall call evaluation and on the two major factors (Helpfulness of Call and Helper Likability) of the evaluation questionnaire. Implications of the findings for paraprofessional training and outcome evaluation of ongoing telephone-counseling services are discussed.

The Relative Effectiveness of Active Listening in Initial Interactions

“…Although active listening resulted in greater conversational satisfaction and social attraction than simple acknowledgements, active listening and advice giving produced statistically equivalent levels. These findings bear some similarity to other studies comparing active listening and advice (e.g., Libow & Doty, 1976;Scholl, 2002). Given the similarity in results for hypotheses 2 and 3, taken together, research is beginning to suggest that people respond to listeners' overall level of responsiveness regardless of the form it takes.…”

“…Besides contradictory studies in the marital research (see below), two studies contradict D'Augelli and Levy's (1978) study comparing active listening and advice. In one study, volunteer telephone crisis counselors offering advice were rated more helpful and likeable than counselors responding with empathic (or active) listening (Libow & Doty, 1976). In a second study, Scholl (2002) reports college academic counseling clients preferred receiving advice rather than active listening responses early in counselor-client relationships.…”

“…To date, only four studies directly compare participants' judgments of interaction outcomes following confederates deployment of active listening versus another type of listening response. Three studies compare active listening to giving advice (i.e., D'Augelli & Levy, 1978;Libow & Doty, 1976;Scholl, 2002). One limitation of these studies is that participants were seeking out professional or volunteer counselors, so the reception of advice may have been a more goal-relevant outcome than validation communicated through active listening.…”

The impact of politeness and relationship on perceived quality of advice about a problem

“…Advice may provide information (Barbee & Cunningham, 1995;Cutrona & Russell, 1990), enhance perceived control (Albrecht, Adelman, & Associates, 1987), and convey caring (Goldsmith & Fitch, 1997), but it can also be seen as critical or controlling (Goldsmith & Fitch, 1997), and can convey that the speaker wishes to solve the hearer's problem and move on to other topics (Pearlin & McCall, 1990). Not surprisingly, there are conflicting results of research on recipients' reactions to advice about a problem: Some studies find recipients expect and appreciate advice (Barnett & Harris, 1984;Libow & Doty, 1976;Reisman & Yamokoski, 1974), whereas other studies report negative reactions to advice (Dunkel-Schetter, Blasband, Feinstein, & Herbert, 1992;Lehman, Ellard, & Wortman, 1986;Notarius & Herrick, 1988;Pearlin & McCall, 1990).…”

Peer counselors and friends: Expected and preferred responses.

“…Peer counseling has increasingly become a vital part of the human service delivery system (Giddan & Austin, 1982;Pietrofesa, Hoffman, Splete, & Pinto, 1978). Investigations of the communication among peers discussing personal problems have typically indicated that empathic responses are viewed by college students as less desirable than more instrumental modes of response, such as active advice giving (e.g., Libow & Doty, 1976;Reisman & Yamokoski, 1974; for an exception to this finding, see Venzor, Gillis, & Beal, 1976). For example, Libow and Doty (1976) reported that analogue clients of a telephone counseling hotline preferred peer counselors who provided' direct advice to those who either offered nondirective empathic responses or a combination of advice giving and empathic responses.…”