| Abstract: | This study investigated personal characteristics, espoused theoretical orientation, counseling response style, and tendency toward variety as related to general guidance, and counseling competence, and to home or overseas origin of 32 (16 males and 16 females) students enrolled in the Guidance Unit at the University of Reading, England. Subjects were drawn from the United Kingdom (Home students) and from 11 overseas countries (Overseas students). Instruments administered were the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS), the Porter Counseling Inventory (PCI), and the Similies Preference Inventory (SPI). The subjects' theoretical orientation was determined by the ratings of six theories of counseling. These ratings were given weighted scores for Insight and Action orientation, i.e., London's Insight-Action dichotomy. Guidance and counseling competency was based upon ratings by three professors using a 5-point scale. Results showed large differences between the groups on the EPPS and PCI, but EPPS and PCI scores were unrelated to the subjects' theoretical orientations. Competency ratings were related to theoretical preference, with Home students espousing Action approaches receiving lower ratings and Overseas students espousing Insight approaches receiving lower ratings. Results were discussed in terms of different cultural demands on counselors and with relevance to the use of the Insight-Action dichotomy in research with American counselor samples. |
