A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Ideal and Undesirable Qualities of Crisis Line Workers

Telephone crisis line workers in two centers (Yugoslavia & the U.S.) self-assessed the ideal & undesirable peronality traits for their work. Both rated important traits as being motivated & being a good listener. Yugoslavian workers were more critical of themselves but this difference may lie in the use of professional & semi-professional counselors compared to volunteers in the U.S. Center directors were critical of their counselors on a number of the listed traits. (27 ref)