Document Type
Article - post-print
Publication Date
7-2024
Abstract
To understand the theoretical impact of racial and gender identities on counselor selection, an online experiment was conducted with 527 participants in which both the race and gender of a perspective counselor’s online profile were manipulated. Results showed that participants had a higher intention to seek counseling when the counselor was from the same racial and/or gender group. These preferences existed above and beyond other identity-based evaluative metrics, such as those tied to group stereotypes (e.g., warmth and competence). The results advocate for the development and evaluation of culturally tailored digital health interventions and underscore the importance of further formative research in this area to enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of healthcare resources for all.
Publisher Statement
RW, R. & Joyce, N. (2024). Impacts of racial and gender identities on individuals’ intentions to seek a counselor. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2023.0521. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2023.0521
Digital Commons @ LMU & LLS Citation
RW, Romy and Joyce, Nick, "Impacts of Racial and Gender Identities on Individuals’ Intentions to Seek a Counselor" (2024). Communication Studies Faculty Works. 169.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/comm_fac/169
