Corrigan, J. D. (1978). Salient attributes of two types of helpers: Friends and mental health professionals. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25(6), 588-590.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.25.6.588
Asked 211 undergraduates to rate the importance of expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness for a friend and a mental health professional from whom they might seek help. Three levels of perceived attributes and 2 levels of type of helper were manipulated. Results indicate the salient attributes of a professional were perceived expertness and trustworthiness, whereas the salient attributes of a friend were perceived attractiveness and trustworthiness. The findings are discussed in terms of help-seeking behavior and the perceived credibility of helpers. It is suggested that the perceived credibility of helpers may be dependent upon the perception of trustworthiness in conjunction with the perception of either expertness or attractiveness. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)