Survey research: Interpersonal Skill‐Training Research: A 12‐Year Review and Analysis

Abstract

This article is a comprehensive survey of research published over a 12-year period on skilltraining programs used to enhance the interpersonal effectiveness of counselors. It descibes, analyzes, and synthesizes significant patterns in the content and format of training programs and highlights the strengths and limitations in research methodology employed. The investigations reviewed were analyzed in relation to purpose, training models, training duration, training methods, interpersonal skill focus, and research design issues. Implications for counselor training are explored, and directions for future research are discussed.No helping profession has been more decisive than counseling in determining the content and format of interpersonal helping skill training. In her review of research on teaching and learning interpersonal skills, Matarazzo (1978) concluded that there is a burgeoning of interpersonal skill-training programs and that most are derived from either Rogers's (1957) client-centered model, Truax and Carkhuff s (1967) didactic-experiential approach, Ivey's (Ivey & Gluckstern, 1974) microtraining framework, or the behavior modification paradigm.

Video Feedback in Education and Training: Putting Learning in the Picture

“…The limitations they have identified relate to the narrow scope of the training programs and to the small-scale nature of the study designs (Alberts and Edelstein 1990;Chant et al 2002;Cegala and Broz 2002;Hill and Lent 2006;Hulsman et al 1999;Kruijver et al 2000;Kurtz et al 1985). These shortcomings are equally present in the experimental VF research that is summarized in this study.…”

Sex Role Orientation and Self‐Disclosure Flexibility in Counselor Training

“…Although the Gazda et al (1977) Global Rating Scale has specific criteria, raters still introduce error variance. These limitations are shared by skills-training research in general because of the current lack of any standardized way to assess the effectiveness of counseling (see Kurtz, Marshall, & Banspach, 1985, for a review).…”

Evaluation of an integrative approach to training paraprofessionals in counselling using the Problem Solving Inventory

“…In addition, much of the research which has evaluated microcounselling has used beginning graduate students as subjects. This has been viewed as an unrepresentative sample population for generalization to field-based counsellors (Kurtz et al, 1985). The present study has extended the variety of trainees with whom training has been evaluated.…”