Testing self-focused attention theory in clinical supervision: Effects of supervisee anxiety and performance

Audio- or videotaping and one-way mirrors are often used in clinical supervision. Yet, the effects of audio- or videotaping on supervisees have yielded equivocal results. Some studies suggest that audio- or videotaping increases trainee anxiety and hinders performance, whereas other studies suggest negligible effects. The authors present 2 studies in which they tested self-focused attention theory (e.g., C. S. Carver & M. F. Scheier, 1982; S. Duval & R. A. Wicklund, 1972) to explain the equivocal findings. In each study, trainees were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 awareness conditions (private or public self-awareness, or subjective awareness) and conducted initial counseling sessions. Analyses of supervisee anxiety and performance found no significant differences due to self-awareness condition in either study. The results suggest that a mirror and audio- or videotaping elicit trivial aversive effects on supervisees.