Abstract:
The Expectation About Counseling-Brief (EAC-B) form is becoming increasingly important in
counseling expectation studies across the world. A variety of factor analysis and validation
investigations have been conducted in many cultures since the inception of the EAC-B (H. E. A.
Tinsley, 1982). Because of a growing need for mental health research, the goal of this study was
to translate the instrument into Bangla and validate it in Bangladeshi culture. The study included
326 participants (85 clients and 241 non-clients; 217 females and 109 males). Exploratory factor
analysis (EFA) with principal axis factoring revealed a three-factor solution of the EAC-B with
34 items. Consistent with the previous research, the three factors were labeled, Client
Involvement, Facilitative Conditions, and Counselor Expertise and these factors together
explained 60.93% of the total variance. In comparison to non-clients, clients had lower
expectations about counseling in ‘Counselor Expertise’ and greater expectations in the other two
factors. In comparison to females, males had lower expectations for ‘Client Involvement’ and
higher expectations for the other two factors. EFA was also performed using the EAC-B’s
17 scales, yielding a two-factor structure: Client Role and Counselor Role. Both the 34-item and
53-item EAC-B, as well as their factors, had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .97 for
the 53-item EAC-B, Cronbach’s α = .96 for the 34-item EAC-B and .89–.96 for its factors), as
well as strong convergent, discriminant, and know-group validity. As a result, both the 34-item
and 53-item Bangla versions of the EAC-B appear to be valid and reliable, and may be utilized in
future research on counseling expectations in the country.
