An investigation of counselor trainees' adoption and transracial adoption perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and skills

dc.contributor.authorCate, Emilie Elizabeth
dc.date.accessioned2011-05-04T00:28:17Z
dc.date.available2011-05-04T00:28:17Z
dc.date.issued2010-09
dc.descriptionxiv, 204 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.en_US
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this study was to examine counselor trainees' perceptions of adopted clients and explore how trainee perceptions may vary according to counselor trainees' adoption-related knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills. This study extends the limited body of research examining mental health professionals' potential bias related to adopted clients in their approach to treatment and case conceptualization. Counselor trainees (N = 430) read one of six client case study vignettes that were identical except for variations on client adoption status (adopted, transracially adopted, nonadopted) and client sex (male or female), resulting in six different stimuli conditions. Group differences were examined for two independent variables (client adoption status and client sex) and dependent variables measuring counselor trainees' perceptions of clients in four areas: (a) seriousness of treatment plan and prognosis, (b) assignment of favorable or unfavorable adjectives to clients, (c) counselor trainees' assessment of client level of functioning, and (d) diagnosis behavior. Preexisting counselor adoption knowledge, attitudes, and skills were assessed by the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Skills of Adoption Survey (KASAS) that was created and validated specifically for this study. Results of exploratory factor analyses on the KASAS revealed a cogent, three-factor structure for the measure with high factor internal consistency. The main study research questions were then addressed within the context of several univariate general linear models. Findings demonstrated that counselor trainees perceive adopted clients generally more negatively than nonadopted clients. Participants rated same-race adopted clients as lower functioning than nonadopted clients, reported having greater overall concern for adopted clients (both same-race and transracially adopted) in comparison with nonadopted clients, and rated adopted clients' problems as more severe than those of nonadopted clients despite being presented with otherwise identical presenting issues. Descriptive data revealed that 64% of trainees reported lack of preparation to deal with or no knowledge about adoption, and 89% reported wanting additional clinical training about adoption Implications for future research and practice are presented.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipCommittee in charge: Benedict McWhirter, Chairperson, Counseling Psychology and Human Services; Deanna Linville-Knobelspiesse, Member, Counseling Psychology and Human Services; Paul Yovanoff, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership; Ellen Herman, Outside Member, Historyen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/11142
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregonen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesUniversity of Oregon theses, Dept. of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, Ph. D., 2010;
dc.subjectAdoptionen_US
dc.subjectCounselor traineesen_US
dc.subjectInterracial adoptionen_US
dc.subjectAdopteesen_US
dc.subjectCounseling psychologyen_US
dc.subjectHigher educationen_US
dc.titleAn investigation of counselor trainees' adoption and transracial adoption perceptions, attitudes, knowledge, and skillsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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