Effects of matching personality types and group counseling environments on career attitude maturity

• Main Author: Arrozal, Maria Catalina Abalos
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1994
• Subjects: Counseling; Attitude (Psychology); Personality; Group counseling; Career maturity; Vocational guidance; Counseling Psychology; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1645
• Institution: De La Salle University

This is an investigation on the effectiveness of matching clients' personality types to their group counseling environments as reflected in the increased maturity of their career choice attitudes. This study featured group career counseling. It compared two contrasting interventions, namely: 1) self-directed career counseling workshop and 2) interactional career counseling workshop. The subjects' attributes were recognized as having an important role in the outcome of career intervention. The subjects of this study were identified as either having a self-directed personality type or an interactional personality type. This was done on the basis of their responses to the Vocational Preference Inventory. A third of the self-directed subjects was randomly assigned to a self-directed group career counseling environment. The other third was randomly assigned to an interactional group career environment. The remaining third was randomly assigned to an environment with no counseling at all. Effectiveness was measured in terms of career attitude maturity on the Career Exploration Inventory and the subjects' evaluation of the group experience on the Group Evaluation Form. Changes at the levels of career attitude maturity were tested using gain score analysis and the 2 x 3 analysis of covariance. The findings of this study showed that: 1. Subjects who experienced group career counseling under both self-directed and interactional workshops displayed significantly higher career attitude maturity. They were more consistent, decisive, and realistic in their career choice due to the intervention or treatment 2. The type of counseling environment had no main effect on the career attitude maturity scores of subjects and,3. The type of personality had no main effect on career attitude maturity scores. Findings of this study supported Holland's (1973) contention that an environment would be more satisfying, reinforcing, and conducive to therapeutic and teaching relationships when the environment pattern was consistent with the personality pattern. Matching client personality type and type of treatment environment increased the outcomes and enhanced the effectiveness of structured group career counseling. Clients manifested greater career attitude maturity and more positive evaluation of the structured group experience. Future research should consider and control possible factors that may affect career invitation outcomes. These include the level of vocational aspiration of subjects, nature and intensity of career needs and/or problems, vocational interests and abilities, and possible relationship to personality factors. Client attributes such as other personality types must be described and should be considered as variables that may differentially affect career intervention outcomes.