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Abstract
This study was designed to assess the influence of positive multicultural priming on the therapist selection process based on demographic variables as it relates to the demographic variables of the potential client. While much research has supported the notion that clients tend toward a preference of therapists that are similar to themselves on multicultural characteristics, this study was designed to assess the effect of positive multicultural priming on the therapist selection process. Since the clients selection of a therapist precedes the existence of the therapeutic relationship, the researcher sought to investigate the cultural bias that affects this selection process and whether the cultural bias can be affected if intervention in the form of multicultural priming precedes the selection process. Two experimental groups (a multicultural priming group and a no multicultural priming group) were formed. This research study sought to quantify the effect of multicultural priming on the treatment group versus the effect of no multicultural priming for the control group to determine if a significant difference exists between the two sample groups. The population for this study consisted of 90 undergraduate students at a large southeastern university. Participants ranged in age from 18-25+, with the majority of participants aged 21 (M=21.16).