Perceptions of counsellor effectiveness: A study of two country groups

The perceptions of United States' (US) and Singaporean college students on directive and nondirective counselling approaches were examined. A total of 103 Singaporean students, studying in Canada and the US, and 108 US students participated in the study. Simulated counselling interviews of the two approaches were presented to students through videotapes. After watching the counselling sessions, students rated the counsellor with the Counsellor Effectiveness Rating Scale; they also were asked to write comments about the counselling session. A multivariate analysis yielded a two-way interaction effect by country of origin. Counsellor expertise was rated significantly higher by Singaporean students observing the nondirective style, while US students rated the directive style higher. Qualitative responses from students were also examined. Implications are discussed.