Influence of content relevant and irrelevant client verbalizations on interviewer affect

The hypothesis that interviewers’ affect will be influenced by the relevance of client verbalization to their expectations was studied experimentally in a treatment interview analogue. The interviewers were 64 clinical social work trainees, and the role of client was played by two trained collaborators. Interviewer affect was assessed by postinterview self-rating of affect on a 48-item adjective checklist, and by observer ratings of affect from interview transcripts on the same list. The hypothesis was supported by observer ratings, but only for the positive affect dimensions by self-ratings. Implications of the findings for assessment of affect and for the maintenance of the treatment relationship are discussed.