Construction of Psychological Instrument for Measuring Counselors' Characteristics

CONSTRUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING COUNSELORS' CHARACTERISTICS

Shinta Mayasari from University of Lampung

as Presenter in International Teacher Education Conference 2013

at University of Lampung (Unila), South Sumatera-Indonesia

Abstract

Qualified counselor will determine the success of counseling process. Quality counselors include characteristics (psychological), technical knowledge, and skills in counseling. Client-centered counseling theory reveals that counselors use themselves as an instrument of change for the client. Three characteristics that are necessary and sufficient, namely (1) congruence (genuiness), (2) unconditional positive regard (acceptance), and (3) empathy. 60 samples consist of two groups drawn from several institutions in Bandar Lampung. Items constructed by using a controversial statement which tends to be approved by 50% of people and is not approved by the other 50% with summated-rating approach by Likert. The reliability of each dimension and the total is high, and the validity of each dimension and the total obtained mean of counselor group was significantly higher than the mean of the non counselor. Based on the analysis of the items, each item has a high correlation with the score of the dimensions and the total score, and the norms appropriate to test the characteristics of this counselor is percentile. The larger number of samples needed to make norms more stable, developing a short form tests and empirically tested also needed.

Key words: psychological instrument, measurement of counselor characteristics, guidance and counseling.

INTRODUCTION

Professional education is higher education after degree program that prepares students to have jobs with specific skill requirements who has the talent and interest to be a professional teacher in accordance with national standards and certified educators. Teacher competency includes pedagogical, personality, social, and professional acquired through professional education.

Guidance and Counseling major in The Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences, University of Lampung (FKIP Unila) need to prepare a developing measurement tools that can explore interests and talents of prospective students. Prospective students in Guidance and Counseling major generally are those who have a talent and interest in becoming a teacher, specifically who have a talent and interest in becoming a professional counselor in the field of education.

The main activities of a counselor is doing the counseling process as a form of relationship help. Assistance provided here is not just helpful, but involves effort, time, thought, and feeling the "helper" (counselor). Ideally counselors are people who did get to do the counseling and education through the certification process and must obtain a license to conduct counseling (Gladding, in Lesmana, 2005), and he is expected to provide assistance in a professional manner.

Qualified counselor will determine the success of counseling (Lesmana, 2005). Quality counselors include characteristics (psychological), technical knowledge, and skills in counseling. A number of studies (in Lesmana, 2005; Rogers, 1961) concluded that among these three qualities, characteristics more counselors who influence the effectiveness of counseling. The review of the literature found that the number one counseling theory is discussed in depth the characteristics of an effective counselor is client-centered counseling (person-centered counseling) pioneered by Rogers. This theory is then applied to approach many groups, families, communities, and individual (Lesmana, 2005).

Client-centered counseling theory reveals that counselors use themselves as an instrument of change for the client. Three characteristics that are necessary and sufficient to have counselors to facilitate client change, namely (1) congruence (genuiness), (2) unconditional positive regard (acceptance), and (3) empathy (Rogers, 1961). Each characteristic has a close relationship with each other (Corsini, 1984). The third characteristic of counselors Rogers proposed a requirement that is critical for the individuals who run the profession as a counselor.

Based on the description above, the researchers conducted a study to formulate a development of tests to measure the characteristics of the counselor. This test will be expected to be used as one measure of selection candidates counselors who will be students in the study program as well as a number of other measuring devices used in the process of recruitment, selection, and competency exam candidates. This test will be given to a group of adults with minimal education level S1 of the group did not conduct counseling activities (expected to produce a minimum score) to groups who often do counseling (to produce the maximum score).

Counselor Characteristics Theory

Counseling is part of the helping relationship (relationship help). Helping relationship is a form of relationship that provides the conditions for individuals to be able to meet the need for a meaningful life, having a sense of security, the need to love and respect, self-esteem, can make decisions and self-actualization (Lesmana, 2005).
Rogers (in Lesmana, 2005), one of the major figures in the field of counseling, defines counseling as a relationship in which at least one of the parties concerned has the objective to improve the growth, development, maturity, and also increased function and the ability to face life better than the other party.

The term counseling is often overlap with another term that is psychotherapy. Some figures, such as Gladding (in Lesmana, 2005) revealed that counseling is used for cases of "normal", while psychotherapy for cases related to serious mental illness.
Rogers does not distinguish the terms counseling and psychotherapy. In Counseling and Psychotherapy, he revealed: These terms (Counseling and Psychotherapy) will be used more or less interchangeably .... Because they are seem to refer to the same basic method-a series of direct contacts with the individual roomates aims to offer him assistance in changing his attitudes and behavior (Rogers, 1942:1).

According to him, the term counseling and psychotherapy refer to the same basic method, which is a series of direct contact with individuals who aim to guide changes in attitude and behavior of the individual concerned.

Counseling activities can be carried out by a variety of professions. For example, social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, teachers, counselors company, and so on (Rogers, 1942). Individuals of any occupation referred to counseling as counselors.
Quality counselor is one of the critical success factors counseling. Another factor is the structure of counseling, client initiatives, physical setting, and the quality of the client (Gladding, in Lesmana, 2005). Quality counselors include characteristics (psychological), technical knowledge, and skills in counseling. Effectiveness of counseling is generally determined by the characteristics of the counselor rather than the technical knowledge and skills to be learned (Rogers, 1961).

Counselor characteristics are attributes that have a tendency counselors appear (in the form of behavior) for the success of the counseling process (Rogers, 1961). This characteristic is rooted in the values, ie the set of views, opinions, expectations, and beliefs a person, either about himself or about its environment. There is confidence in the value of a person on the advisability of doing certain things, it hurts any opinions, good or bad certain things, and so on.

Rogers (1961) cites three main characteristics of effective counselors. The third characteristic in question is congruence, unconditional positive regards, and empathy. The third characteristic is well aligned, as quoted from the idea of Rogers:
"In the first place, the therapist must Achieve a strong, accurate empathy. But such deep sensitivity to the moment-to-moment "being" of another person requires that the therapist first accept, and to some degree prize, the other person. That is to say, a sufficiently strong empathy can scarcely exist without a a considerable degree of unconditional positive regard. However, since conditions Neither of this can possibly be meaningful in the relationship unless they are real, the therapist must be, both in this respects and in others, and genuine integrated within the therapeutic encounter. "(Corsini, 1984:143).

In summary, Lesmana (2005) concluded that congruence is an understanding of himself which the thoughts, feelings and experiences should be harmonious. In congruence, one must understand the biases that exist in him, prejudices color the mind, must know the weaknesses and assets owned by his so as to make a distinction between himself and others.

While unconditional positive regards is unconditional acceptance or respect that should be shown by a counselor to his clients. He must be able to accept that the people who have faced their own values, their own needs other than those owned by him.
Regarding empathy, Lesmana (2005) stated that empathy is understanding other people from the other person's frame of mind. Empathy is felt should also be expressed, and those who do have the empathy that "strong", he should be able to get rid of their own values, but it should not be dissolved in the values ​​of others.

Keep in mind that these three characteristics are presented Rogers almost always found in other writings that discuss the characteristics of the counselor. Hackney and Cormier (in Lesmana, 2005) for example, revealed that counselors should have an awareness of self and self-understanding, good psychological health, sensitivity and understanding of the factors of racial, ethnic, and cultural openness, objectivity, competence, may trustworthy, and interpersonal attractiveness. Most of these characteristics is the translation of these three counselor characteristics according to Rogers, so the explanation can not be separated from the concept of Rogers (Lesmana, 2005).

RESEARCH METHOD

Reliability

Reliability counselor characteristics test were tested by the method of Coefficient Alpha. With this method, administrating tests done once, using a single test form. This method is suitable for measuring interitem consistency (consistency of responses to all items in the test) on the items that were scored in doubles (Anastasi and Urbina, 1997).

This test consists of three dimensions, so the interitem consistency tests performed on each dimension. The test is said to be reliable if the average correlation between items on each dimension is high or if the proportion of error variance is small. In addition, the three-dimensional theoretical construct that is rooted in the characteristics of the counselor (Rogers, 1961). It means that even though different but there are close links between the three-dimensional (Corsini, 1984). Therefore, in addition to reliability per dimension, total reliability test was also performed. Reliability testing is done by using SPSS for Windows version 11.0.

Validity

This test is intended to diagnose whether someone has the characteristics of a counselor. Therefore used Criterion-prediction procedure that can generate concurrent validation is validation that can be used to diagnose the status at this time. Measurement criteria for the validity of this test using the contrasted groups.

Tested the validity of these tests Criterion-prediction procedure. The method selected for each because the test is intended to diagnose the presence or absence of characteristics of counselors in person. Criterion-prediction procedure produces concurrent validation is validation that can be used to diagnose the current status (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997).

The criteria used to test the validity of the test is contrasted groups, because in general criteria were used to validate the personality test (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997) contrasted groups being compared are assumed to groups theoretically have extreme differences in the characteristics of the measured, with a minimum education level.

Item Analysis

The items in this test were analyzed quantitatively by correlational index of item discrimination using Pearson Product Moment Correlation formula. The calculations are performed by using SPSS for Windows version 11.0. Pearson correlation is generally used in the test items that have a range of possible scores from 1 to 4, 1 to 5, or greater than that. This formula is used to estimate the degree of correlation between the item score criterion (Crocker & Algina, 1986).

Criterion score on this test is the dimension scores. If the correlation between an item with high dimensional scores, the subjects with a very high level of agreement on favorable items and the approval rate is very low on items unfavorable to obtain high-dimensional score, and vice versa. That is, items that have a high correlation with the score of the dimensions will be able to distinguish the level of ownership of the subject on the relevant dimension.

In addition, another criterion score on this test is the total score. Thus the total item analysis was also carried out, by looking at the correlation between each item with the total score. Items that have a high correlation with the total score will be able to distinguish the level of ownership of the subject constructs counselor characteristics.

Norm

This test uses the norm in the group, which is a way of interpreting the test scores to compare performance between subjects who take the test. Assessment is done by looking at the distribution of scores in the subject position of the group (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997). This test does not use because it does not indicate a developmental norms regarding one's level of development.

Method used to determine the norms in the group on this test is the percentile. Percentile norms were made for each dimension and in total. This method is chosen because as a single test, the test is not intended to compare the test results with the results of other tests in the battery. Percentile scores revealed the percentage of people in the subject of standardization under certain raw score. Percentiles can be seen as a ranking on a group of 100 (percentile ranks), but rank is calculated from the base. The lower the percentile, the Evil the position or rank of the person in the group (Anastasi & Urbina, 1997).

According to Anastasi and Urbina (1997), the excess percentile is the ease of computation. In addition, the percentile is also easily understood by the layman and can be used universally for all types of tests and all of the subject groups. The drawback is the lack of similarity of units used, especially at the extremes of the score distribution. This is due to the percentile ranks are non-linear transformation of the raw scores, percentile ranks so that distribution is different from the distribution of raw scores (Crocker & Algina, 1987). This test norms were made for each dimension and in total, while the calculation is carried out using SPSS for Windows version 11.0.

Population and Sample Selection

The population in this test are all adults with minimal education Bachelor Degree level. With this educational background would allow them to understand the items in this test. Due to cost and time considerations, the researchers selected a sample of a limited number (60 people) are estimated to be able to display the minimum and maximum scores range wide. For this purpose, used purposive sampling techniques, which deliberately chose a sample of the group did not conduct counseling activities (expected to produce a minimum score) to groups who often do counseling (to produce the maximum score) with a minimum education level of Bachelor Degree. Number of samples 60, drawn from several institutions in Bandar Lampung.

The Selection of Items

The items in this test is constructed by using a controversial statement (controversial statement). Controversial statement is a statement which tends to be approved by 50% of people and is not approved by the other 50% (Research Team Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia, 2005). This technique is actually a combination of the use of "moral dilemma" (which was pioneered by Kolbergh and followed by Rest) with Summated-rating approach pioneered by Likert (later known as the Likert scale).

One disadvantage is the Likert scale of social desirability (the tendency of participants to provide appropriate answers to the norms of society, not an answer that actually describes herself). To counter this trend, used controversial statement. Among other controversial statements prepared by collecting a number of words that have positive connotations and words that have negative connotations of each of the dimensions you want measured and of other psychological dimensions beyond dimension to measure. These words are used as a comparison scale, then transformed into a Likert scale based inventory.

The basic assumption of the use of controversial statements is the idea that "if participant X more often (compared to participant Y) to choose the words that represent the dimensions of A than the words that represent the other dimension, then X must be more prominent in the dimension of A (over Y)."

Operationalization of Theory into Items

1. Researcher conducted a study of the literature that discusses the characteristics of an effective counselor using theory of Rogers counselor characteristics as the primary basis of making the test.
2. Researcher identifying the dimensions that exist in the construct of counselor characteristics, then establish indicators of each dimension.

Indicators of behavioral congruence dimensions:

1. Knowing a variety of needs, motivations, and values
2. Knowing your weaknesses and assets owned by his
3. Express feelings, thoughts, reactions, and attitudes toward others without pretending, impulsive, and defensive

Behavioral indicators of unconditional positive regards dimensions

1. Accept that other people have the values ​​and needs of their own, but by no means approve all forms of behavior
2. Care for others without being possessiv
3. Gives confidence to the client to choose its own development

Behavioral indicators of empathy dimension

1. Understanding other people from the corner of the frame, but did not dissolve in it
2. Expression of understanding

FINDINGS
Reliability test with a Cronbach alpha produces:

1. Cronbach alpha reliability for dimensional congruence of .8966. It means that at least 89.66% of the total variance due to true variance and the rest (10.34%) due to the error variance. The proportion of error variance is relatively small so it shows that the items on this dimension is very homogeneous.
2. Cronbach alpha reliability for unconditional positive regards dimensions of .9134. It means that at least 91.34% of the total variance due to true variance and the rest (8.66%) due to the error variance. The proportion of error variance is relatively small so it shows that the items on this dimension is very homogeneous.
3. Cronbach alpha reliability for the empathy dimension of .9284. It means that at least 92.84% of the total variance due to true variance and the rest (7.16%) due to the error variance. The proportion of error variance is relatively small so it shows that the items on this dimension is very homogeneous.
4. Cronbach alpha reliability for the constructs of counselor characteristics of .9681. It means that at least 96.81% of the total variance due to true overall variance and the rest (3.19%) due to the error variance. The proportion of error variance is relatively small so it shows that the items were overall very homogeneous

Contrasted group validity by using T-test statistical differences in the mean yields:

1. T-tests on significant dimensions in los .01 congruence of 0:00. Means on this dimension, counselor group mean (70.27) was significantly higher than the mean non counselor group (51.20). Thus, both groups had a really extreme difference in this dimension.
2. T-tests on significant dimensions of unconditional positive regards to los .01 at 0:00. Means on this dimension, counselor group mean (71.87) was significantly higher than the mean non counselor group (52.50). Thus, both groups had a really extreme difference in this dimension.
3. T-tests on significant dimensions of empathy in los .01 at 0:00. Means on this dimension, counselor group mean (75.93) was significantly higher than the mean non counselor group (56.83). Thus, both groups had a really extreme difference in this dimension.
4. T-test significant at los .01 total of 0:00. It means that in total, the mean group counselor (218.07) was significantly higher than the mean non counselor group (160.53). Thus, both groups had a really extreme difference overall.

Correlational analysis of items with index of item discrimination using Pearson Product Moment Correlation formula yields:

1. At congruence dimension, the correlation between each item with a score of significant dimensions in los .01. This significance indicates that all items on this dimension (19 items) has the ability to distinguish between the people who really have no congruence with that.
2. On unconditional positive regards dimensions, the correlation between each item with a score of significant dimensions in los .01. This significance indicates that all items on this dimension (19 items) has the ability to distinguish between the people who actually have unconditional positive regards those who did not.
3. On the dimension of empathy, the correlation between each item with a score of significant dimensions in los .01. This significance indicates that all items on this dimension (20 items) has the ability to distinguish between the people who really have no empathy with that.
4. Overall, the correlation between each item with the total score was significant at .01 los. This suggests that the significance of the items (58 items) has the ability to distinguish between the people who actually have a counselor with constructs that are not characteristic.

Percentile norm table prepared for each dimension and the overall construct counselor characteristics. All possible scores should be included in the table of norms. However, retrieval of data in this test is only done once with 60 samples, so that the sample does not bring up all the possible score. Thus, all possible scores higher than the highest score in the sample were classified into percentile ranks 100. If it turns out to be on the highest score percentile ranks 100, then all the possible scores that are between these scores and the second highest score are also classified into percentile ranks 100. Furthermore all likelihood score is lower than the lowest score in the sample were classified into percentile ranks 0. All possible score that lies between the maximum and minimum sample scores are classified into the same percentile ranks with the score on it.

DISCUSSION

The range of values ​​obtained in these tests is quite extensive, both in three dimensions and in total. This broad range is possible because the samples used intentionally selected from the group of non-counselors who have never done counseling activities (expected to produce a minimum score) to group counseling counselor who often do (to produce the maximum score) with a minimum education level of Bachelor Degree. With a wide range, it is more representative sample representative of the population of adults with minimal education level of Bachelor Degree.

The use of a controversial statement as a form of test items allow for control of social desirability. This can be seen from the test results that showed that the average score on each item test subjects that do not fall at the midpoint.
At the theoretical level, Rogers (1961) stated that the three-dimensional characteristics of the counselor is sourced from the same thing, but still can be distinguished. However, empirical tests of the test characteristics of counselors, it showed an enormous overlap in all three dimensions. Overlap is inferred from the very high intercorrelations dimensions, namely congruence with unconditional positive regards .906, .849 congruence with empathy, unconditional positive regards to empathy .870. This causes the variance appears smaller, so that the information given by a dimension not enrich the information provided by the other dimension (Crocker & Algina, 1986). In other words, the use of a single dimension has actually been able to measure the level of ownership counselor characteristics.

Researcher then try to make this short form test by taking a random 8 items from each dimension. The calculations show that the short form is poorer still has a very high reliability, valid to distinguish subjects with a counselor who has characteristics that are not, and each item has a high correlation with the total score. Shortform is of course still need to be tested empirically to prove that the reduction of the items in this test can still justified its use.

CONCLUSION

1. Reliability of each dimension and the total is high. It means that the internal consistency (consistency of performance of the subjects in each work item) high. In other words, the items in the third dimension and is totally homogeneous.
2. In each dimension and the total obtained mean counselor group was significantly higher than the mean of the non counselor. Thus, both groups had a really extreme difference in all three dimensions and in total.
3. Based on the analysis of the items, each item contained in the test characteristics of the counselor has a high correlation with the score of the dimensions and the total score so that all items were able to distinguish the level of ownership of the subject counselor characteristics.
4. Norms appropriate to test the characteristics of this counselor is the norm percentile. This norm can be used to look at the ownership level counselor characteristics of individual with Bachelor Degree minimum educational background.
5. In order to enlarge the number of samples obtained from the test norms counselor characteristics become more stable. Develop a variety of short form tests in order to test the characteristics of this counselor has a number of alternate forms that dapta compared. Empirically tested the effectiveness of a variety of short-form tests counselor characteristics to improve the efficiency of test administration.

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