Similarity of Values and Warmth Effects on Clients' Trust and Perceived Therapist's Effectiveness

The effects of (a) similarity of clients' and therapist's values and (b) therapist's nonpossessive warmth on clients' trust for the therapist's and clients' attribution of therapist's effectiveness were investigated using a simulation design. Ratings from 80 undergraduate participants demonstrated main effects and interactions of similarity of value and warmth on student-clients' trust. When either similarity of value or warmth was low, the high condition of the other variable elicited higher trust ratings than the low condition. When either value similarity or warmth was high, the addition of the other variable did not contribute further to the student-clients' trust. In regard to clients' attribution of therapist's effectiveness, main effects of both similarity of value and warmth were demonstrated, with high conditions eliciting higher ratings on effectiveness than lower conditions. The data were viewed within (1) an interpersonal attraction model mediated via similarity, (2) a social exchange model where one's partner was likely to define rewards and costs in a similar and more predictable fashion, and (3) the therapist's warmth-clients' trust model of Giffin (1974).