Effectiveness of a group counseling procedure in changing work values of college students

Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to determine the effectiveness of a group counseling procedure in changing the work values of college students. Subjects in this study were 1973 Spring semester freshmen students at Texas A&M University (TAMU). The experimental group consisted of 25 males and 5 females in three sections of Educational Psychology 105: The World of Work. The control group included 22 male and 12 female English 104 students. Pre- and post-evaluation data were collected from both groups by the use of the Work Values Inventory (WVI). The treatment group was administered the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) as a part of the treatment during the first regular class period following the administration of the Work Values Inventory (WVI). One of the 12 variables from the POI was presented and discussed at each of the following regularly scheduled class periods. Members of each class were randomly assigned to one of two groups and instructions for the group counseling discussions were facilitated by tape recordings. A double classification analysis of variance was used to test for significance of difference in mean change work values (Post-Pre) of undeclared and declared students, male and female students, and treatment-sex interaction. This analysis was completed for each of the 15 scales of the Work Values Inventory (WVI). The .05 level of significance was used as an indicator of degree of confidence that differences were substantial. The results indicated that there were no overall differences in the mean change work values scores for the undeclared and declared students, male and female students, and treatment-sex interaction. Although not all of the 15 variables of the WVI were significant for each hypothesis, the Esthetics (Es) scale was significantly different between the undeclared and declared subjects (p=0.0272). The Altruism (Al) variable was significant (p=0.0362) between the sexes while the null hypothesis for treatment-sex interaction was not supported by any variable. The Management (Ma) variable approaches significance (.10>p>.05) relative to all three hypotheses while the Achievement (Ac) and Economic Return (ER) variables indicate a difference between undeclared and declared students. Also, the Esthetics (Es) variable indicates a possible treatment-sex interaction. Implications for further research were discussed.