CLIENT 1: A Computer Simulation for Use in Counselor Education and Research

Abstract

CLIENT 1 is an interactive program that was designed to simulate client behavior in an initial interview and to provide a standardized environment for training and research on counselor problem-solving strategies. Through interaction with the computerized client, counselors attempt to facilitate client movement toward the goal of verbalizing a specific problem statement. Client movement is a function of the appropriateness and accuracy of counselor statements, the threat value associated with both client and counselor statements, the strength of the relationship between the counselor and client, and an index of counselor expertise. The uses of the simulation in counselor education and research are discussed.People are confronted with problems when they want something and do not know immediately what series of actions they can and should take to get it (Newel1 & Simon, 1972). Within the broad framework of counseling, the concept of a problem takes on a hierarchy of meanings. At the first level of meaning, clients can be seen as having problems-they are confronted with personal, social, educational, and vocational dilemmas for which solutions are desired but for which steps toward the solution are unclear. At the next level of meaning, counselors have problemsspecifically, they are confronted with the problem of determining the appropriate series of actions through which they can help their clients resolve the problems they present. Finally, as counselor educators and supervisors, we may be seen as being confronted with the problem of James W .

Competency assessment models.

“…Computer simulations (Hummel, Lichtenberg, & Shaffer, 1975; Lichtenberg, Hummel, & Shaffer, 1984) for assessment purposes permit examinees to reason through difficult clinical problems not possible to evaluate in another manner (e.g., decision making in life-threatening situations) with minimum cuing. The methodology has been used to assess clinical reasoning, diagnostic planning, and treatment in a variety of clinical disciplines and health care professions.…”

Computers in Counselor Education: Four Years After a Special Issue

“…Wagman and Kerber (1984) described two computer programs designed to function as therapists, thus providing therapeutic role models. Similarly, Lichtenberg, Hummel, and Shaffer (1984) described the CLIENT 1 program, which was designed to act as a client during an initial counseling session and thus provide beginning counseling students with practice in interviewing. The third article (Froehle, 1984) described three applications for use in association with practicum courses.…”

Contributions and Limitations in the Use of Computers in Counselor Training

“…The second area in which a computer may be used to facilitate skill development is through the use of simulation. A computer may be programmed to simulate human interaction from a client's perspective (e.g., Lichtenberg, Hummel, & Shaffer, 1984) or from a counselor's perspective (e.g., Wagman, 1980;Wagman 8c Kerber, 1984). Simulation as a method for skill development has received considerable use in the practice of counselor educators.…”

“…A second issue stems from the fact that in order to make the simulation as accurate as possible even in the verbal domain, it is incumbent upon trainers to supply the decision rules that guide a complex simulation. In the example of a simulated first interview described by Lichtenberg et al (1984), it was necessary to specify decision rules that provide consistent, concrete, and programmable directions about what kind of client reaction can be expected from a given counselor response under specified relationship conditions. Imagine the complexity of the needed directions-r decision rules-if such a simulation were to extend over several interviews.…”