INTERACTION OF CONCEPTUAL SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURE OF INTERVIEWING TRAINING MODALITIES WITH INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS EFFECTIVENESS
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to determine whether degree of structure of interview training interacted with trainee conceptual systems functioning in affecting attainment of interpersonal communication skills. Hypotheses derived from both personality and instructional theories were tested. Degree of structure was determined by criteria established in education and in counseling. The This I Believe Test was employed to assess conceptual systems of trainees and the Scale for Rating Interpersonal Effectiveness was utilized to determine attainment of interpersonal communication skills. Five training modalities, which ranged from very structured to relatively unstructured, were employed, and were one semester's duration. In the 5 modalities, the final sample included 100 upper division undergraduate and graduate students who were previously untrained and who completed conditions of this study. The conceptual systems functioning of participants included 61 System I, 9 System II, 13 System III, and 17 System IV. The rank-ordered modalities included 18 from Training Modality Y, 15 from Training Modality V, 17 from Training Modality W, 16 from Training Modality X, and 24 from Training Modality Z. It was hypothesized that no significant difference in level of interpersonal communication skills would be attained as a function of degree of structure of the training modality or of trainees' conceptual systems. Means, standard deviations, chi-square tests, correlation coefficient, one-way analyses of variance, two-way analysis of variance, and post hoc comparisons were employed to analyze data. Results of the investigation indicated that degree of structure is a significant predictor of attainment level of interpersonal communication skills regardless of conceptual systems of trainees. More structured but flexible training was associated with greater mastery of interpersonal communications skills. Expected interaction of degree of structure with conceptual systems was not found. Conceptual and methodological issues were discussed to integrate the present findings with past findings in person-environment and counselor training research. Conclusions, drawn from past research and present findings, included increased interviewing training, more precise measures of conceptual systems, more global measures of interpersonal communication skills, assessment of trainer level of functioning, and trainer level of functioning influence on trainee achievement.
Subject Area
Academic guidance counseling
Recommended Citation
PICCIRILLO, MARTIN LOUIS, "INTERACTION OF CONCEPTUAL SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURE OF INTERVIEWING TRAINING MODALITIES WITH INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS EFFECTIVENESS" (1983). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8308490.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8308490
