Attachment Styles, Self-Construal, Sociodemographic Variables and Discriminatory Attitudes in Turkish Counselor Candidates

Abstract

In this study, relationship of counselor candidates’ discriminatory attitudes to religiosity, political ideology, academic achievement, self-construal and attachment styles was examined. Differences in discriminatory attitudes in terms of gender and class level variables were also investigated. The study was carried out with 383 counseling students from a state university which located in northeast of Turkey. The data were collected with Sociodemographic Data Form, Discriminatory Attitudes Scale, Relational, Individual and Collective Self-Aspects Scale and Relationship Scales Questionnaire. Discriminatory attitudes were found as significantly related with religiosity, political ideology, academic achievement, self-construal and attachment styles. Besides, religiosity, political ideology, academic achievement, individualistic and collectivist self-construal emerged as significant predictors of discriminatory attitudes. In terms of gender, male students were found as having stronger discriminatory attitudes than female students to homosexuals, women, different races-ethnicities and religions and in total. There were no significant differences by class-level except discrimination against women. By discussing these findings, suggestions for counselor education and further studies were presented.

Keywords: Counseling, discriminatory attitudes, education.