Client perceptions in an initial interview as a function of therapist sex and expertness.

Therapy has been construed as a interpersonal influence process (Johnson & Matross, 1977; Strong, 1978). Consistent with that framework the present study investigated the effects of therapist sex and level of expertness on the perceptions of Ss in an initial interview. Male and female interviewers who were introduced as expert or nonexpert met individually for a 15-minute period of time with 60 male undergraduates. The Ss then rated the interviewers on perceived expertness, attractiveness, trustworthiness, persuasiveness, and their liking for the interviewer. Results indicated that male experts were rated lower in social attractiveness; however, introductions did not affect either perceived expertness or trustworthiness. The results suggest that reasonably competent therapist behavior may result in neutralizing sources of differential expertness. However, the degree of expertness may be used as a source of differential social or interpersonal attraction.