Case Type,Anchoring Errors,and Counselor Education

The presence of anchoring errors within a counseling education student sample was investigated using three sets of case material. After reading information that was “good,” “bad,” and “neutral,” participants were asked to rate the mental health of the three hypothetical clients varying in severity. Case type and order of presentation of the pieces of information were randomized across participants. Results indicated that anchoring errors were present for all three cases regardless of severity, but that the presence of anchoring errors was restricted to those made as a result of reading “bad” material. Implications for alerting students in counselor educator programs to the presence of anchoring errors and the need to avoid them are discussed.