Responding to Resistance Does counselor self-efficacy predict autonomy-supportive responses to resistant adolescents with aggression-related problems?
Summary
The goal of this study was to determine whether client-specific counselor self-efficacy predicted autonomy-supportive responses to resistant adolescents with aggression-related problems. A cross-sectional study with 48 participants (Mage = 35.45, SD = 10.43) was performed, in which the participants’ autonomy-supportive responses were measured by means of a video vignette, which displayed a counseling session with a resistant adolescent. The participants’ responses to this vignette were coded by trained graduate students. Counselor self-efficacy was measured using the client-specific Counselor Activity SelfEfficacy Scales (CASES-S). A bootstrapped linear regression analysis showed that counselor self-efficacy did not significantly predict autonomy-supportive responding in reaction to adolescents with aggression-related problems. Nevertheless, this study makes an important contribution to current research as it showed that counselors do respond very differently to resistant adolescents with aggression-related problems, in terms of autonomy-support. This conclusion could form an interesting starting point for future research to develop from.