Clients' Need for Social Approval and Perceptions of Counseling Relationship and Outcomes

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between clients' need for social approval and clients' ratings of counseling process and outcomes. A group of 52 junior high, secondary school, and college student counselees anonymously completed the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale at the conclusion of a second interview with a counselor. 2 wk. after termination of counseling the clients anonymously completed the Counseling Evaluation Inventory. Clients' scores on the Social Approval Scale were used to assign them to a high approval-need group or a low approval-need group. Ratings of counseling process and outcome made by the 2 groups showed clients with high need for social approval rated their counselors as more empathic and their counseling experiences as more satisfactory. Results suggest that clients' need for social approval should be controlled in research utilizing clients' ratings.