Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between perceptions of facilitativeness in early most significant relationships and (1) perceptions of facilitativeness in later counseling relationships; (2) capacity to be facilitative; and (3) self-concept.Procedures. Subjects were 124 graduate and undergraduate student volunteers from a university population. Two pairs of counseling relationships were observed over a 10 week period. The first was with Masters level (ML) counselors and undergraduate clients, and the second was with undergraduate peer counselors. Client-perceived facilitativeness was measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (RI) focused on early most significant relationships and on counselors at the third and eighth sessions. Judge-rated facilitativeness was measured by the Carkhuff Index of Gross Facilitative Interpersonal Functioning. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) was administered at the beginning and end of the study to all subjects. Statistical treatment of the data included simple correlations and t-tests, analysis of variance and covariance with alpha level set at .05.Findings. (1) A Correlation between perceptions of facilitativeness of the early most significant experience and perceptions of facilitativeness in later counseling experiences was not found as hypothesized. There was a positive correlation found between perceptions of Unconditionality in the early significant and early counseling relationships. (2) It was not concluded from the findings of this study that there is a correlation between persons' being perceived as facilitative and persons' perceptions of their early most significant and later perceived facilitative experiences. (3) There is a positive correlation between perceptions of early most significant relationships and self-concept. These findings should not be generalized beyond a similar population, i.e., university students in an analogue study.Summary and Conclusions. Although the findings were inconclusive, the results suggest that perceptions of early most significant relationships are a variable related to perceptions of early counseling experiences (in Unconditionality) and self-concept. Further investigation of the relationships studied using clinical populations is recommended.