University of Twente Student Theses

Login

De rol van empathie in online counseling : Het verband tussen empathie van een online counselor en zelf-disclosure en adherentie bij deelnemers van een zelfhulp-programma met e-mailondersteuning

Spenkelink, K. (2015) De rol van empathie in online counseling : Het verband tussen empathie van een online counselor en zelf-disclosure en adherentie bij deelnemers van een zelfhulp-programma met e-mailondersteuning.

[img] PDF
656kB
Abstract:Introduction eMental Health (eMH) is the use of technology to support or improve mental health care. There are several cues in the literature that eMH interventions are more effective and the adherence is higher when an online counselor is part of the intervention. There are several advantages to online treatment, like easier accessibility and participants give more personal information (higher self-disclosure). It is not clear why the effect is better with an online counselor or why self-disclosure is better in online contact. These are the core questions of this study. It is possible that empathy has a role in it, because this is one of the most important psychological skills in face-to-face contact. Method Participants in self-help course gained weekly online feedback on their development by e-mail. Those e-mails were coded by two students, for example on empathy, self-disclosure and adherence. The correlation between empathy and self-disclosure is studied. Also studied is of adherers group got more empathic e-mails than non-adherers participants. Results There was a positive correlation between self-disclosure by the participant and empathy by the counselor (r = 0.72). The difference between the counselor’s empathy and between the adherers group and the non-adherers group was significant (F = 6.67; df =1, p = .010). Discussion There seems to be a correlation between showing the counselor’s empathy and showing the participant’s self-disclosure. It is not yet clear if empathy from the counselor causes self-disclosure or vice versa. Showing empathy also seems to play an important role by the adheres from competitors. In this study, only one psychological skill is studied. Maybe other psychological skills are also important for the quality of online counseling, like giving advise. Future research is needed for more information.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology MSc (66604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/68718
Export this item as:BibTeX
EndNote
HTML Citation
Reference Manager

 

Repository Staff Only: item control page