Examining the Personality Factor and the Relationship with Selection of Counselling Theory among Counsellors in Selangor

• Main Authors: Hazrul Hizam Karim, Fatimah Yusooff, Mohd Tajudin Md Ninggal, Wong Huey Siew
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Subjects: LB2300 Higher Education; LC5800 Distance education
• Online Access: http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/1408/1/library-document-1408.pdf; http://library.oum.edu.my/repository/1408/
• Institution: Open University Malaysia

Theories are crucial for counsellors in helping them build relationships with clients, and to help clients conceptualise, identify, and solve their issues and problems. Currently, there are more than 400 types of theories that seek to understand human problems through various perspectives. As not all of these theories are suitable in all contexts, it is of utmost importance for counsellors to be able to choose the most appropriate ones that they are comfortable with. The purpose of this paper is to examine the personality factor that contributes to the selection of theoretical orientation among the counsellors in Selangor. This quantitative study was conducted on a hundred and twenty-two (n = 122) registered counsellors in Selangor by using the Big Five Inventory as a questionnaire instrument to examine the personality of respondents. Descriptive statistics and reliability analysis were used in the data analysis. According to the Pearson’s r statistical correlation used, there were significant correlations between most of the personality factors in the Big Five Inventory and the eight counselling theoretical orientations. This study also gives implications to other researchers to explore the use of inventory that is more suitable for demographics in Malaysia in particular, besides exposing the trend of theoretical orientation by the counsellors.