RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHITE RACIAL IDENTITY ATTITUDES AND SELF-REPORTED MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING COMPETENCES

This research tested a multicultural competency training model's hypot hesis that counseling students' White racial identity development stro ngly influences their attainment of multicultural counseling competenc ies (H. B. Sabnani, J. G. Ponterotto, & L. G. Borodovsky, 1991). White counseling graduate students (N = 128) completed measures of White ra cial identity development and self-reported multicultural counseling c ompetencies. Students' White racial identity development, educational level, and clinical experience demonstrated moderate correlations with multicultural competencies. Regression analyses indicated that racial identity attitudes explained variability in competencies beyond that accounted for by demographic, educational, and clinical variables. Res ults suggest that racial identity attitude development should be consi dered an integral component in the planning of multicultural counselin g training.