AMERICAN-INDIAN AND WHITE COLLEGE-STUDENT PREFERENCES FOR COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS

In this study, 73 American-Indian (27 male and 46 female) and 81 White (32 male and 49 female) college students were surveyed to determine their preferences for various counselor characteristics when facing academic or personal problems. The methodology used extends that introduced by Atkinson, Furlong, and Poston (1986) in their study of Black preferences. Results indicated that both White and American Indian students most preferred a counselor with similar attitudes and values. Similar ethnicity appeared to be more important to American-Indian than to White students, particularly those with a stronger sense of involvement with American Indian culture. Significant differences were found in both American Indian and White preferences for counselor characteristics according to problem type. Dissimilar characteristics were consistently more preferred for academic problems, whereas the reverse was true for personal problems.