Stephen R. Wester

To seek help or not to seek help: The risks of self-disclosure

Investigations into the reasons why people seek counseling have, for the most part, focused on approach factors, those variables that are associated with a potential clients increased likelihood of seeking psychological services. The purpose of this research, however, is to explore the role of avoidance factors, those factors that are associated with a potential clients decreased likelihood of seeking services. Across 2 studies of primarily Caucasian college students (ns = 209 and 268, respectively), the results of simultaneous multiple regression analyses demonstrated that avoidance factors predict negative attitudes toward counseling as well as decreased intentions to seek counseling. Overall, results demonstrate that avoidance factors account for at least as much help-seeking variance as traditionally studied approach factors.

The Role of Outcome Expectations and Attitudes on Decisions to Seek Professional Help.

Two studies examined the predictors of seeking psychological services. Study 1 examined the role of attitudes in mediating the relationship between 11 psychological factors and intent to seek help for 3 psychological problems. The results demonstrated that (a) the psychological factors and attitudes predicted 62% of the variance in intent to seek help for interpersonal problems and 18% of the variance for drug problems and (b) attitudes toward counseling mediated most of the relationships between the different psychological factors and help-seeking intent. Study 2, in turn, demonstrated that (a) anticipated outcomes of talking with a counselor were associated with the use of psychological services and (b) anticipated risks of disclosing emotions were salient for those having experienced a distressing event.

Sex Differences in Emotion A Critical Review of the Literature and Implications for Counseling Psychology

This article examines the findings of several reviews of the empirical literature on biological sex and emotion, focusing on the degree to which perceived sex differences in emotionality are, and in most cases are not, supported while at the same time addressing the implications this body of research has for counseling psychologists. This article also explores potential explanations, such as gender role socialization or situational influences, for the profession’s continued acceptance of large innate sex-based affective differences. Finally, the third section discusses several concerns this continued acceptance raises for the practice of counseling, whereas the last section offers a research agenda building on the review presented herein.

Confirming Gender Stereotypes: A Social Role Perspective

In this research we examined whether emotional vulnerability leads women and men to confirm gender stereotypes. Emotional vulnerability is a state where one is open to having ones feelings hurt or to experiencing rejection. Drawing on the tenets of social role theory and research related to normative expectations, we propose that emotional vulnerability leads to stereotype confirmation, as normative expectations are less risky and easier to enact than nonnormative behavior. Fifty-nine dating couples were randomly assigned to a high emotional vulnerability or low emotional vulnerability discussion with their partners. When the degree of emotional vulnerability was high men confirmed gender-stereotypes. Womens behavior, on the other hand, was not significantly affected by condition. We discuss these findings in terms of the domain in which gender-typed behaviors occur and the social pressures to act in accordance with gender norms.

The Influence of Sexually Violent Rap Music on Attitudes of Men with Little Prior Exposure

This article is among the first to focus on commercially available, sexually violent rap music, so-called “gangsta” rap (GR) and its influence on attitudes toward women. Collegiate males with little experience with GR were exposed to GR music, lyrics, both, or neither. Thus the effect of GR music and lyrics were isolated from each other and from acculturation to GR. Collapsing across all attitude measures, neither lyrics alone nor lyrics with music resulted in significantly more negative attitudes toward women than music-only or no-treatment control conditions. Participants in the lyrics conditions had significantly greater adversarial sexual beliefs than no-lyrics participants, however.

Male Gender Role Conflict and Multiculturalism Implications for Counseling Psychology

The new multicultural guidelines reemphasized the importance of developing knowledge of, and skills in working with, individuals outside of the majority group. In this article, the author will detail recent advances in understanding how identified consequences of male gender role socialization, specifically male gender role conflict (GRC), intersect with other aspects of race, cultures, and sexual orientations. The literature surrounding male gender role conflict will be briefly summarized. Next, the multicultural competencies framework of beliefs and attitudes, knowledge, and skills, will be used to outline how GRC might apply to some men of color and offer suggestions for counseling practice. After synthesizing what this might offer counseling psychologists, the general implications for research and theory will be explored.

Supporting the Thin Blue Line: Gender-Sensitive Therapy With Male Police Officers.

Why might psychologists wish to incorporate an understanding of the male gender role into their work with male police officers? The answer to this question lies in understanding the paradox presented to male police officers by the differing demands of their chosen career and their interpersonal lives. In detailing this, the authors review the body of literature on the consequences of traditional male socialization- specifically, male gender role conflict-and explore how it can be used to understand the types of distress typically experienced by male police officers. The authors then provide suggestions for making the progression of psychotherapy more palatable to members of this population and discuss the practice, research, and professional implications of their work.

Male Gender Role Conflict, Gay Men, and Same-Sex Romantic Relationships

Some theorists have suggested that the traditionally socialized male reluctance to express intimacy is compounded within gay men’s same-sex romantic relationships. In both Study 1 and Study 2, analysis-of-variance comparisons between single gay men and gay men in a same-sex relationship failed to confirm this assertion. At the same time, hierarchical regression results demonstrated a small negative relationship between the traditionally socialized male discomfort for expressing affection for other men and levels of gay men’s relationship satisfaction.

Dating relationships and the demand/withdraw pattern of communication

This study examines whether afemale-demand/male-withdraw pattern occurs in datingrelationships and whether this response increases duringdiscussions of difficult topics. One hundred and eightindividuals (women = 60, men = 48) currently in a datingrelationship completed the Communication PatternsQuestionnaire, Short Form (CPQSF) regarding either adifficult or nondifficult discussion. The racialcomposition of the undergraduate student population at thetime the study was conducted was 68.8% Caucasian, 8.9%Hispanic, 8.9% International, 6.0% African American,5.6% Asian American, and 1.8% Native American (data on socioeconomic status were unavailable).Results show that dating couples do employ apredominantly female-demand/male-withdraw pattern, whichincreases in response to difficult discussions. However, this study also found that many dating couplesemployed male-demand/female-withdraw or equaldemand/withdraw patterns. Post hoc tests also showedthat couples exhibiting eitherfemale-demand/male-withdraw or male-demand/female-withdraw patterns weremore ingrained in specific negative behavior patterns,employed more demand/withdraw behaviors, and exhibitedless positive behaviors than couples with an equal demand/withdraw pattern.

Multicultural Coping: Chinese Canadian Adolescents, Male Gender Role Conflict, and Psychological Distress

One hundred seventy-nine Chinese Canadian adolescents completed measures of male gender role conflict, culturally specific coping strategies, and psychological distress. Structural equation results demonstrate that Avoidance Coping and Engagement Coping mediated the relationship between all aspects of male gender role conflict, with the exception of Restricted Affectionate Behavior Between Men and psychological distress. Implications for counseling practice, further research, and the psychology of men are discussed.