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THE EFFECTS OF TOUCH ON DEPRESSED AND VOCATIONALLY UNDECIDED CLIENTS
Abstract
This study was an attempt to differentially assess the impact of a counselor's touch on depressed and vocationally undecided clients in an initial interview. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of the counselor's touch on the subject's appraisal of the counselor's empathy, unconditional regard, level of regard, congruence, and resistance. The counselor's touch was also evaluated for its influence on the subject's request for a second interview. One hundred and ten female undergraduate volunteers were given the Beck Depression Inventory and the Career Decision Scale to establish two separate and mutually exclusive groups, one of depressed and the other of career-confused subjects. Forty subjects were then randomly assigned either control or treatment groups forming a total of four groups: (1) touched/depressed, (2) untouched/depressed, (3) touched/vocationally-undecided, and (4) untouched/vocationally-undecided. Five doctoral level male counselors were trained to administer Social/Polite touches (handshakes), an instrumental touch (a touch on the upper back while guiding the subject into her chair), and an affective touch (a touch on the arm or leg during client self-disclosure). All counselors saw a total of eight subjects, two from each of the four experimental groups. Results of the experimental manipulations showed that none of the six research hypotheses were substantiated. There were no significant differences among the four groups on judgments of the counselors or in requests for a second interview. Significant differences, however, were found among the groups' comfort with the touch, e.g. the vocationally-undecided subjects were far more comfortable with the touch than the depressed subjects. Possible reasons for these unforeseen results were discussed and implications for future research were outlined.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy
Recommended Citation
BACORN, CHRISTOPHER NORTH, "THE EFFECTS OF TOUCH ON DEPRESSED AND VOCATIONALLY UNDECIDED CLIENTS" (1982). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8217512.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8217512