The Influence of Training Group Member's Group Leader Self-Efficacy on Session Evaluation: Mediating Effect of Working Alliance moderated by Group Member-perceived Group Leaders’ Characteristics

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of group counseling working alliance on the relationship between training group member's group leader self-efficacy and session evaluation of group counseling, as well as examine whether this path is moderated by group member-perceived group leader characteristics. Methods For this purpose, an on-line survey was conducted on the experiences of participating training group as a group member for counselors working across the country. Data from 285 participants were collected and analyzed by using SPSS 25.0 and Process Macro Program. First, the causal steps approach and bootstrapping were used to verify the mediating effect. Second, a hierarchical regression analysis and verification of conditional indirect effect were performed to verify moderating effect. Third, bootstrapping and Jonson-Neyman technique were applied to verify moderated mediating effect. Results The major results are as follows: First, a group counseling working alliance was found to partially mediate the relationship between group members' group leader self-efficacy and group counseling session evaluation. Second, the group leaders’ characteristics perceived by group members were found to moderate the relationship between group members' group leader self-efficacy and group counseling working alliance. Third, the moderated mediating effect was confirmed that group counseling working alliance mediated the path of group members’ group leader self-efficacy to group counseling session evaluation, and the group member-perceived group counselor characteristics moderated the relationship between group members’ group leader self-efficacy and working alliance of group counseling. Conclusions These results showed that the group member-perceived group leaders’ characteristics and the group counseling working alliance were significant in the process that the training group members’ group leader self-efficacy affected the group counseling session evaluation. Based on the study results, study Implications and limitations were discussed.