The present study identified which counselor types (male professional, female professional, male peer, female peer) were preferred by male and female college students for various problems (Vocational Choice, College Routine, Adjustment to Self and Others, Drug-Related, and Sex-Related Concerns). It also determined the effect of information on those preferences by exposing the treatment group in the sample to an audio tape with information about counselors and their roles.

Warman's (1960) Counseling Appropriateness Check List was revised in order to serve as the questionnaire which determined respondents' preferences for the counselor types. The sample consisted of 351 students, representative by sex and college enrollment of the freshman class at a middle-sized university. A cross tabulation approach was utilized to descriptively define the data and a multivariate analysis of variance design was utilized to determine the effect on respondents' preferences of their sex and their exposure to the information.

The following is a summary of the major results established from this study: (1.) Sex of respondents was significant (at the .01 level) in preferences for all four counselor types. (2.) There was an evident pattern of respondents preferring same sex counselors. However, more females chose males than vice versa. Males preferred counselors of their own sex for all problem areas while females chose same sex counselors on all categories but Vocational Choice Concerns. (3.) Both male and female students expressed an overall preference for the professional counselors as compared to the peer counselors. Vocational Choice Concerns, College Routine Concerns and Sex-Related Concerns reflected definite preference for professionals. Drug-Related Concerns was the one category in which more preference existed for peer counselors. Adjustment to Self and Others Concerns reflected equal preference for both counselor types. (4.) Treatment was significant in increasing preference for the peer counselors (at the .05 level for the male peer counselor and at the .10 level for the female peer counselor). Treatment was significant (at the .05 level) in reducing preference for the female professional counselor. (5.) There was no significant interaction effect between treatment and the sex of the respondents, indicating that there was no difference in the way the two sexes responded on preferences when in the treatment group as opposed to the control group.

There are implications from these findings for the employment and placement of counselors in terms of their sex and their status as peers or professionals. Matching clients to preferred counselors might be attempted. When preferred counselors are unavailable, information attempts might be made to alter those preferences.