This study focused the relation among Psychology undergraduates' self-evaluation of social skills, preference and expectations when working with children or adults clientele . 67 3rd year students, from four universities, have answered the Social Skills Inventory and a form concerning their expectations and preferences. According to the preference, the sample was divided in two groups: preference for adults and for children. The results showed: (a) more students indicated preference for adults, but the preference for children was more intense ; (b) the clientele choice was associated to the student's positive aspects (competence, capacity, easiness) and to some characteristics they assigned to therapeutic process (attractiveness, difficulty, range of possible intervention), and not to clientele characteristics (importance, severity and amelioration probability); (c) preference for children group presented higher social skills scores in the Factor 2 (Self-assertion in the positive affect expression). Some practical implications of those results and suggestions for further researches are addressed.
social values; therapeutic approaches; clinical psychology
