Effects of Involving Conduct Problem Adolescents in the Setting of Counseling Goals

Effects of involving conduct problem adolescents in the setting of individual counseling goals were examined. Four levels of goal setting involvement were copmared with high school pupils referred for behavioral counseling in an urban public high school. The four levels were: Level 1-a pupil was directly invovled with a counselor in the goal setting process. Level 2-a pupil was informed that goals were being set by a counselor but pupil did not participate in the process. Level 3-goals were set by a counselor and pupil was neither informed nor involved. Level 4-no explicit counseling goal was set. Three school counselors employed a different level of goal setting for individual behavioral counseling with a different set of pupils during each quarter of the school year. Direct involvement of pupils in goal setting (Level 1) and knowledge that goals were being set for them (Level 2) led to greater amounts of goal attainment than was the case when pupils were not informed of goals (level 3) or when no explicit goal was set (Level 4). Direct involvement in goal setting was associated with highest degrees of pupil satisfaction with counseling. Results are discussed within the context of an increased concern among public school educators for development of effective means to assist the high school pupil with conduct problems. Directions for additional investigations are briefly noted.