Investigation of counseling self-efficacy of counselor trainees in terms of humor styles and supervision experience

The purpose of this study to investigate of humor styles and supervision experience in determining counselor trainees' counseling self-efficacy levels. It was examined whether counselor trainees' counseling self-efficacy levels differ according to number of counseling sessions, satisfaction level of supervision both in terms of quality and quantity, psychological counseling experience as a client, personal and career development, gender and academic achievement (GPA). In addition whether counselor trainees' humor styles levels differ according to gender and GPA. The predictive role of humor styles, number of counseling sessions, satisfaction level of supervision both in terms of quality and quantity, psychological counseling experience as a client, personal and career development, gender and GPA in counseling self-efficacy was also examined. The sample of this study was the 285 voluntary senior counselor trainees enrolled in final year students of Department of Guidance and Counseling at seven universities in 2013-2014 academic year in Turkey. Participants were administered a Counselor Activity Self Efficacy Scale, Humor Styles Inventory and Personal Information Form. Data analysis was carried out by descriptive statistics, Two-way ANOVA, One-way ANOVA and independent sample t-test. Before applying statistical techniques, the assumptions of these techniques were investigated. The data were also analyzed by correlation and stepwise regression. According to results of this study it was determined that counseling self-efficacy of humor with a high level of counselor trainees is significantly higher than the humor with a low level of counselor trainees. It was found that counseling self-efficacy of counselor trainees who has more counseling sessions is significantly higher than the counselor trainees who have few counseling sessions. It was also found counseling self-efficacy of counselor trainees who has higher level of satisfaction with quantity is significantly higher than the counselor trainees who have fewer level of satisfaction with quantity. At the same time counseling self-efficacy of counselor trainees who has higher level of satisfaction with quality is significantly higher than the counselor trainees who have fewer level of satisfaction with quality. It was seen that counseling self-efficacy of counselor trainees significantly with personal and career development. It was determined counseling self-efficacy of counselor trainees do not very significantly in terms of psychological counseling experience as a client, gender and GPA. It was found that aggressive humor style of male students is significantly higher than female students. Further, results indicated that there is no significant difference in affiliative, self-enhancing and self-defeating humor styles of counselor trainees in terms of gender and GPA. According the stepwise regression analysis results, satisfaction with quantity of supervision explained %8 of the total variance of counseling self-efficacy scores of the counselor trainees. Self-enhancing humor was found as the most important predictor of counseling self-efficacy, explaining %5 of the total variance of counseling self-efficacy scores of the total variance. Personal and career development predictor of counselor self-efficacy, explaining %2. On the other hand, number of counseling sessions, satisfaction with quality of supervision, psychological counseling experience as a client, gender and GPA were not found to be significant predictors of counseling self-efficacy.