Sex differences in college students' preferences for an ideal psychotherapist.

Abstract

Psychotherapy inherently engages clients' preferences, which have been conceptualized as key elements of evidence-hased clinical practice. Yet, few studies have examined clients' preferences for their psychotherapist's personality characteristics, and even fewer have addressed potential variables that influence such preferences. In a unique study, Greenberg and Zeldow (1980) assessed participants' preferences for an ideal psychotherapist's personality traits, and whether these preferences differed by participant sex. Employing a comparable design, we reexamined in the present study (three decades later) college men and women's ideal psychotherapist preferences. The current participants {N = 258 undergraduates) completed the Adjective Check List (Gough & Heilbrun, 1965) to assess psychotherapist traits. Descriptive statistics are reported for preferred traits across sexes, while t tests and effect size estimates were used to examine differences between sexes. Eindings revealed that the most preferred clinician traits (e.g., personal adjustment, nurturance) were similar for male and female participants. However, Greenberg and Zeldow's primary finding was replicated in the current study: Men indicated a greater preference for a psychotherapist with historically stereotypical feminine sex-role traits, whereas women preferred a psychotherapist with historically stereotypical masculine sex-role traits. There were also several noticeable within-sex differences on stated preferences from the 1980 study to the present study. The fmdings provide psychotherapists with information on client preferences to which they might need to respond, or at least consider, at the level of staffing, client-psychotherapist matching, and/or treatment process.

The impact of accommodating client preference in psychotherapy: A meta‐analysis

“…The results of this meta‐analysis suggest that it is equally effective to accommodate preferences for male and female clients; however, previous research has indicated that males and females may hold different preferences for psychotherapy. For example, in one survey, males preferred more stereotypical feminine sex‐role traits in their therapists while females preferred more stereotypical masculine sex‐role traits (DeGeorge, Constantino, Greenberg, Swift, & Smith‐Hansen, ). Further research is needed examining gender differences in psychotherapy preferences.…”

Challenging assumptions about what men want: Examining preferences for psychotherapy among men attending outpatient mental health clinics.

“…Moreover, these authors found no overall differences between men and women concerning preferences for psychotherapy. Similarly, few differences between male and female college students in rating their preferred characteristics for a hypothetical ideal psychotherapist emerged (DeGeorge, Constantino, Greenberg, Swift, & Smith-Hansen, 2013). Although such findings indicate men's openness to psychotherapy, knowledge is limited regarding men's preferences for the type of therapy, therapist activities, and/or duration of treatment were they to consider engaging in psychotherapy.…”

Latter-Day Saint clients’ preferences for a religious match with a psychotherapist.

“…For example, one early study found that whereas female clients (n ϭ 46) preferred to work with therapists who possess stereotypical male characteristics, male clients (n ϭ 36) preferred to work with therapists who possess stereotypical female characteristics (Greenberg & Zeldow, 1980). However, a more recent replication found that therapist preferences concerning male and female clients (N ϭ 258) are currently much more similar to each other (De-George, Constantino, Greenberg, Swift, & Smith-Hansen, 2013). In another study, clients (N ϭ 235) were found to prefer a therapist who was similar in personality to a close friend or romantic partner, compared to a mother or father .…”