Expectations about counseling in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

The purpose of this study was to add to the conceptual framework for a "Mexican psychology" through an investigation of expectations about counseling. The study was conducted under a grant from the Organization of American States in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

An instrument previously used to measure expectations about counseling in the United States, the Expectations About Counseling Questionnaire (Brief Form), was translated into Spanish and statistical information obtained as to its reliability in that language. It was then administered to 488 residents of Merida across several sociocultural groups. A factor analysis of the EAC-B (Spanish) was performed, following which analysis of variance procedures were employed to test for gender, age and prior counseling effects on expressed expectations. Expectations about counseling in the present sample were compared with those of a previous investigation employing students from other countries attending a northern United States university.

The EAC-B (Spanish) was found to possess a factor structure similar to that of the EAC in English. Significant gender, age and counseling experience influences on expressed expectations were found, and the expectations of counseling in this study differed significantly from those in a previous "cross-cultural investigation." The results of the study are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.