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Self-perceived multicultural counseling competence of licensed professional counselors

Whitney, Jennifer M

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physical Activity and Educational Services.
The present study utilized descriptive, correlational quantitative survey research to investigate the self-perceived multicultural counseling competence of 364 licensed counselors using the Multicultural Counseling Inventory (MCI; Sodowsky et al., 1994). The study aimed to explore (a) to what extent licensed counselors perceived themselves to be multiculturally competent; (b) how selected demographic factors, controlling for social desirability, contributed to self-perceived competence; (c) to what extent licensed counselors presented themselves in a multiculturally socially desirable manner with regard to multicultural competence; and (d) differences on multicultural competence and social desirability based on the race of the counselor. Respondents viewed themselves as multiculturally competent both in general (MCI Total score, M = 3.28, SD = .31) and specifically. Respondents viewed themselves as most competent in multicultural skills (M = 3.67, SD = .37) and least competent in multicultural awareness (M = 2.88, SD = .55). Univariate regression analyses were conducted to determine independent variables contributing significant variance in scores. Race, years of counseling experience, number of multicultural graduate courses taken, and number of multicultural trainings/workshops attended contributed significant variance to at least one of the MCI scales. Social desirability significantly contributed to the variance in scores on all five MCI scales. The majority of the sample presented themselves in a neutral fashion on the multicultural social desirability measure when compared to the samples’ mean (M = 18.81, SD = 3.13). Non-White counselors endorsed a slightly higher mean social desirability score (M = 20.14, SD = 3.22) than counselors White counselors (M = 18.69, SD = 3.07). Non-White counselors had statistically significantly higher MCI Total (non-White, M = 3.41, SD = .46; White, M = 3.27, SD = .28), Awareness (non-White, M = 3.26, SD = .60; White, M = 2.84, SD = .53), and Knowledge (non-White, M = 3.37, SD = .65; White, M = 3.29, SD =.40) scale scores than White counselors. Knowledge garnered from this research has direct implications for the field of counseling and for the training and development of counselors’ multicultural competence. Implications of the study’s findings, its limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Darcy Haag Granello (Advisor)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Whitney, J. M. (2006). Self-perceived multicultural counseling competence of licensed professional counselors [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163992973

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Whitney, Jennifer. Self-perceived multicultural counseling competence of licensed professional counselors. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163992973.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Whitney, Jennifer. "Self-perceived multicultural counseling competence of licensed professional counselors." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163992973

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)