Strong (1970) proposed that a counselor could change a client's view of self by controlling the client's information about norms, alternative actions, and personal history. These hypotheses were tested in a two-step experiment in which college students first reacted to a standard event and then reviewed their reactions in an interview in which the interviewer controlled the information the students had to evaluate their actions. A strong effect of trait labeling and analysis of alternatives was observed, but the other variables had no effects. The results confirmed that a statement of opinion by an expert can have powerful effects on an individual's thinking.
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