Many undergraduate psychology students assume positions as mental health paraprofessionals during or after college. The present study was a quasi-experimental evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching motivational interviewing (MI), a counseling approach that applies to many paraprofessional occupations. Results from 83 undergraduates indicated that both intensive and extended MI courses resulted in greater increases in MI knowledge, confidence, and skill than a brief MI lecture but did not differ from one another. Post-course reflective listening, summarizing sills, and ability to develop discrepancy for these two groups neared or exceeded beginning proficiency thresholds. Findings of this study suggest that even without outside practicum experience, students can achieve meaningful improvements in MI skill through undergraduate courses, which may enhance their performance as paraprofessionals.
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