University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Graduate School Professional Papers 2019 SAVING FACE: THE EXPERIENCE AND PROCESS OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT IN CLINICAL SUPERVISION Ariel Heather Goodman Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy . Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Recommended Citation Goodman, Ariel Heather, "SAVING FACE: THE EXPERIENCE AND PROCESS OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT IN CLINICAL SUPERVISION" (2019). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11353. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11353 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running head: IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION SAVING FACE: THE EXPERIENCE AND PROCESS OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT IN CLINICAL SUPERVISION By ARIEL HEATHER GOODMAN M.A. in Counseling, Johnson State College, Johnson, VT, 2015 B.A. in Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 2008 Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision The University of Montana Missoula, MT May, 2019 Approved by: Kirsten W. Murray, Ph.D., Chair Counselor Education Veronica Johnson, Ed.D. Counselor Education Sara Polanchek, Ed.D. Counselor Education John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D. Counselor Education Daisy Rooks, Ph.D. Sociology IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION Goodman, Ariel, Ph.D., Spring 2019 Counselor Education and Supervision Abstract Chairperson: Kirsten W. Murray, Ph.D. Clinical supervision plays an essential role in the training and monitoring of novice counselors. Supervisors are responsible for supporting counselor development as well as protecting the public from incompetent care. To fulfil their multiple roles, supervisors rely on supervisees to make relevant disclosures about their work with clients. This includes supervisees asking questions and disclosing mistakes and potential deficits. Supervisee impression management, defined as behavior intended to portray a desirable image of the self, therefore influences the supervision process. The following central question guided this grounded theory study: What is the experience and process of impression management in clinical supervision? Eight supervisees shared their experiences of impression management in supervision through two rounds of semi-structured interviews. They reported that desired images of self were formulated ongoingly by noticing how multiple sources, including the supervisor, the site, and the self, defined images of desirable behavior. Situational and hierarchical elements of supervision also influenced supervisee experiences of desired and dreaded images in supervision. In order to portray specific images of competence, under some conditions, participants chose to engage in non-disclosure, fabricated disclosure, and controlled disclosure of vulnerabilities in supervision. The primary process by which participants made impression management decisions was through weighing the potential risks of disclosure against the utility of exposure. Consequences of participants’ impression management decisions reinforced their behavior, generating a cycle of impression management. Knowing more about how the process of impression management can unfold for supervisees offers useful information for supervisor training, counselor training, and supervisee role induction. This research informs how supervisors can create conditions that reduce detrimental impression management behavior in service of supporting novice counselors to provide competent client care. ii IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION Acknowledgements I would like to express my deep gratitude to my mentor and chairperson, Dr. Kirsten Murray, for her guidance, commitment, and unwavering support. Kirsten has been the consummate dissertation chair. She facilitated an environment where my creativity and passion could thrive, all the while accepting nothing less than my best work. I am so thankful to have an example of leadership that is grounded in kindness, trust, and commitment to fidelity of qualitative research. I also want to thank my other committee members, Dr. Roni Johnson, Dr. Sara Polanchek, Dr. John Sommers-Flanagan, and Dr. Daisy Rooks. Each of these scholars brought their unique strengths to this project. I learned through this process that writing a dissertation can be lonely and daunting. My wish for any future doctoral candidate is to have a committee as supportive and sharp as mine. I am grateful to each participant of this study for the hours of time they spent with me and the risks they took to share their stories. I could not have completed this project without the deeply personal and rich disclosures that each participant shared. I will think of the voices of these participants as I continue to grow as a researcher, supervisors, and counselor. Finally, I want to thank my friends, cohort members, and family for their steadfast support. This project drove me to the edge of what I thought was possible in a short period of time. I am so grateful for people in my life that supported, nurtured, and challenged me to get this thing done! I hope those who have loved me through this roller coaster know how deeply thankful I am to have you. iii IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION Table of Contents CHAPTER I: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK --------------------------------------------- 4 Supervision ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Definitions and functions --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Intervention ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Hierarchy, evaluation, and gatekeeping ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Relationship over time --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Supervision dynamics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 Supervisee influences ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Supervisee anxiety ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Supervisee traits, strengths, and vulnerabilities ----------------------------------------------------------- 10 Supervisor influences -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Supervisor training -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 Discomfort with evaluation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Relational and context elements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Power and hierarchy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 16 Peer dynamics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 Social identity and cultural phenomenon ------------------------------------------------------------------ 18 Supervision summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21 Impression Management ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Definition and historical context ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 Types of impression management --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Ingratiation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Intimidation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Self-promotion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Exemplification --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 iv IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION Supplication ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 Additional motivations and conditions for impression management ----------------------------------------- 27 Goal-relevance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Identity-related characteristics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 Self-esteem protection and maintenance ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Scrutiny and/or evaluation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Impression Management and Supervision ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 30 Research on Impression Management and Supervision -------------------------------------------------------- 32 Supervisee nondisclosure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------