메타버스 플랫폼을 활용한 대학생 진로집단상담과 대면 진로집단상담의 효과성과 작업동맹 비교 연구

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the effectiveness and practical feasibility of metaverse-based group counseling by conducting career group counseling for university students in both metaverse-based and face-to-face formats and comparing the counseling effectiveness and levels of working alliance between the two modalities. Seventeen undergraduate students from a university in Seoul were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a metaverse-based group counseling (experimental group), a face-to-face group counseling (comparison group), and a no-treatment control group. The program consisted of eight sessions, and pre-, post-, and follow-up assessments were conducted to measure career decision-making self-efficacy and ego- identity. The working alliance was measured immediately after sessions 2, 5, and 8. The results indicated that both the metaverse and face-to-face groups showed significant improvements and large effect sizes in career decision-making self-efficacy. With respect to ego-identity, the metaverse group demonstrated significant improvements in the total score and future certainty, whereas the face-to-face group showed improvements only in self-acceptance and initiative, with no significant group differences observed in the total score. No significant differences in working alliance scores were found between the two intervention groups, suggesting that a therapeutic relationship of comparable quality can be formed in metaverse environments. Notably, the anonymity and immersive qualities of the metaverse environment facilitated self-disclosure in the early sessions of group counseling among university students. Finally, this study discussed the potential utility of metaverse counseling environments in group counseling and proposed directions for future improvement and research.