Training Undergraduate Students to Use Insight Skills

Abstract

We compare the results of a series of studies (Chui et al., Jackson et al., and Spangler et al.) investigating the effects of training undergraduate students in helping skills courses to use insight skills (immediacy, challenges, interpretation) after they had learned exploration skills. A comparison of students and instructors indicated similarity across the samples. Increases in self-efficacy for the target skill were found across all studies. In addition, all components (reading, lecture, video modeling, practice, and feedback) were found to be effective, but students found practice and lecture to be particularly effective in all three studies. Higher initial self-efficacy for the target skill and higher prior helping experiences were associated with higher final levels of self-efficacy; lower self-efficacy for the target skill and higher prior helping experiences were associated with greater gains in self-efficacy over the course of training in two studies. Limitations and implications across all three studies are discussed.

Helping Skills Training for Undergraduate Students

“…Thus, empathy, collaboration, flexibility, clinical intuition, ethics, self-awareness, awareness of client reactions, and case conceptualization are heavily emphasized in training, in addition to building individual skills. Research has shown that instruction, modeling, practice, and feedback are all important components of the training process (Hill, Spangler, Jackson, & Chui, 2014).…”

A follow-up of undergraduate students five years after helping skills training.

“…A clue to the reason for its salience comes from the finding that so many cited the labs and the practice as helpful and memorable. Similarly, Hill, Spangler, Jackson, and Chui (2014) found that practice was the most helpful component of insight skills training. We suspect that practicing and interacting with others in the lab setting is helpful because working with personal concerns is so emotionally salient, and because students give and receive feedback in a safe, supportive setting and can immediately apply the skills to other relationships in their daily life.…”

“…The main implication of these results for training is the need for continued practice of helping skills. Actually practicing the skills in counseling-related courses, beyond basic reading about the skills and watching others model the skills, is one of the most helpful components of training (see also Hill et al, 2014). We note that mastering the skills takes a lifetime, and these data suggest that the helping skills course is just a beginning step to get students started on a path of becoming an effective helpers.…”

Deliberate practice for immediacy: Skill use and client outcome.

“…Many of the components of DP training are not new; for example, Hill et al (2014) used reading, lecture, video modeling, practice, and feedback to train undergraduates to use immediacy, challenge, and interpretation skills. All these components were effective; however, practice and lecture were especially effective.…”