Exploration of Appropriate and Inappropriate E-Disclosure: a Qualitative Investigation of the Decision-Making Process of Counselors in Training
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University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 2016 Exploration Of Appropriate And Inappropriate E- Disclosure: A Qualitative Investigation Of The Decision-Making Process Of Counselors In Training Katherine H. DeWitt University of South Carolina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Counselor Education Commons Recommended Citation DeWitt, K. H.(2016). Exploration Of Appropriate And Inappropriate E-Disclosure: A Qualitative Investigation Of The Decision-Making Process Of Counselors In Training. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3967 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXPLORATION OF APPROPRIATE AND INAPPROPRIATE E-DISCLOSURE: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS OF COUNSELORS IN TRAINING. by Katherine H. DeWitt Bachelor of Science Stephen F. Austin State University, 2004 Master of Education Lamar University, 2011 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education College of Education University of South Carolina 2016 Accepted by: Joshua Gold, Major Professor Moody Crews, Committee Member Dodie Limberg, Committee Member Christine Blake, Committee Member Cheryl L. Addy, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School © Copyright by Katherine H. DeWitt, 2016 All Rights Reserved. ii DEDICATION Dedicated in loving memory to… My Grandparents: Dr. & Mrs. Richard O. Cannon II and Mr. & Mrs. Jacob H. DeWitt You gave me roots to know who I am and where I am from, and branches that I may see and know the world. My Aunt: Mary Connor Cannon My forever inspiration of unlimited compassion and adventure My Counselor: Rev. George Herbert Richardson Forever a few steps behind, a true example of unconditional positive regard Dedicated in honor of… My Godchildren: Caroline & Trip Roberts My Honorary Nieces and Nephews: Anna & Ryan Esbenshade, Cason & Will Cornell, Hilary Jane Leong, Theodore Ethan Howard Brown, and Henry Radford Leach… You are all a great joy in my life. And to my family: My parents Tom & Anne, my sister, and brother Andi & Curt… Thank you for your love, faith, and constant belief… You are the reasons I made it and the reasons I had the courage to try! I love you all, with all my heart! Thank you! iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is a journey you cannot make alone, and yet to list all who have contributed love and support would surpass the space I am allotted. To those not named, blame Carolina… Thank you, Dr. Josh Gold, my chair, for your guidance, patience, and mentorship in this process, I would not have been successful without your care and confidence. Dr. Moody Crews, for your mentorship and counsel. In addition to being a phenomenal teacher, you have been a great mentor and sounding board. Drs. Christine Blake & Dodie Limberg, for serving on my committee and challenging me, I am a better scholar because of both of you. Drs. Kathy Evans, Ryan Carlson, Michael Walsh, Michelle Bryan, Allison Anders, & the rest of my faculty at Carolina for the pleasure of learning from you and with you. My TRiO Family, Dr. Beasley, Ms. Althea Counts, Ms. Geneva Curry for your support. Mrs. Melissa Kupfer & the McNair faculty for your encouragement. My McNairs (’13, ’14, & ’15) - you inspire me. Drs. Sherry Wells, Brenda Nichols, & Aubrey Sejuit for your unwavering support. The Leong’s & Cornell’s for being my family, my anchor points, & my escapes. The Leach’s for your friendship, food, football, & Beer! Drs. Abel, Bullock, Collier, Lambert, Malpass, Pennington, Peters, Sides, Tkacik, & Vanderleeuw- My favorite teachers, I hope I can inspire as you have inspired me. And Sarah Talbott Brown, my friend, my cheerleader, my vault, and my conscience… I could not have asked for a better partner in crime. iv ABSTRACT This study explored how counseling students in CACREP accredited counselor education program made meaning of and categorize appropriate and inappropriate self- disclosure in the digital age. In particular, how do future counselors consider and apply ethical codes to personal behavior on social media? Utilizing a qualitative design, the researcher explored student decision making and understanding of ethical considerations in the personal use of social media. A vital component to the professionalism of counseling is the constancy of the presentation-of-self in all identities (public, private, in- person, or online) of the counselor. The researcher asserts that there is an ethical obligation of all counselors to consider the observations and interpretations for “client welfare” when engaging in online environments. The researcher discovered a lack of transcendence of ethical considerations between in-person and online disclosure. This awareness awakened a need for guidance from faculty and a yearning for discussion of appropriate use and ethical considerations. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iv ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................v CHAPTER 1: EXPLORATION OF APPROPRIATE AND INAPPROPRIATE E-DISCLOSURE: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF THE DECISION- MAKING PROCESS OF COUNSELORS IN TRAINING …………………………………………………………………………...……..1 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT ..................................................................................................................................12 1.2 NATURE OF STUDY ..............................................................................................13 1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY .............................................................................................17 1.4 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS ................................................................................17 1.5 ASSUMPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS ........................................................................19 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY .....................................................................................21 1.7 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY ............................................................................23 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .................................................................................25 2.1 COUNSELING ETHICS ..........................................................................................26 2.2 ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING ...............................................................................48 2.3 SELF-DISCLOSURE ...............................................................................................56 2.4 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................64 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................66 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN ..............................................................................................67 3.2 ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER .................................................................................69 vi 3.3 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY .....................................................................................71 3.4 MEASURES FOR ETHICAL PROTECTION ................................................................72 3.5 DATA ...................................................................................................................74 3.6 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................82 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS ..........................................................................................................83 4.1 PROCESS ..............................................................................................................84 4.2 SYSTEMS FOR TRACKING DATA ............................................................................86 4.3 EVIDENCE OF QUALITY .......................................................................................87 4.4 FINDINGS .............................................................................................................89 4.5 SUMMARY .........................................................................................................116 CHAPTER: 5 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................117 5.1 INTERPRETATION OF FINDINGS ..........................................................................118 5.2 IMPLICATIONS ...................................................................................................137 5.3 LIMITATIONS .....................................................................................................143 5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ………………………………145 5.5 REFLECTIONS AND CONCLUSION .......................................................................148 REFERENCES .....................................................................................................................151 APPENDIX A – LETTER TO PROGRAM COORDINATORS ......................................................161 APPENDIX B – INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDY