Because the original reliability study using the Self-Report Behavioral Measure for Evaluating Therapeutic Outcomes (Behavioral Checklist) used college students as subjects, and since the target population for use with this instrument is a client population, there is a need for a reliability study using clients in treatment as subjects. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of the Behavioral Checklist using a client population. The secondary objective was to revise the Behavioral Checklist, if necessary, in order to meet the standards of reliability for testing instruments. Three reliability measures were implemented in order to evaluate and revise the Behavioral Checklist. An item analysis and split-half reliability analysis were conducted after one administration of Elliott's Behavioral Checklist using a client population in treatment at a mental health center. Since these methods are measures of internal consistency, the statistical analyses were used to revise the instrument, eliminating unnecessary items and simplifying instructions based on the statistical analysis. The revised Behavioral Checklist was then administered to two subject populations (clients at a mental health center and people on probation) using the test-retest model for evaluating reliability. The test-retest analysis resulted in correlations of .889 for the subject population drawn from a mental health center and .899 for t he subject population drawn from probationers. The current study did, in fact, improve the Behavioral Checklist, making it easy to administer, and demonstrated that it is a reliable instrument for use with a client population.

Statement of the problem Psychology is currently unable to demonstrate that psychotherapy is effective because it has no reliable no-inference objective measures of behavior and behavior change. Reliable measures of therapeutic outcomes are currently nonexistent. The problem with which this study was concerned was one of reliably evaluating psychotherapy outcomes and behavioral change. Objective The objective of this study was to develop and assess new measures of behavioral change. The assessment was directed toward those distressing behaviors which cause adult clients to seek psychotherapy. Methods and procedure Development of a Behavioral Checklist which would assess the distressing behaviors which brought clients to therapy required a list of specific behaviors which may cause a client stress. A questionnaire which would measure stress required not only a list of behaviors, but also a measure of the stress caused by each behavior. A Behavioral Checklist which would measure the degree that specific behaviors were representative of the client's behavior was developed and each behavior was quantified by the S's self-report, as to degree of stress. When the degree that the behavior represents the client was multiplied times the amount of stress caused by that behavior, the result was a multiplicative measure of the behavior and the distress concomitant with that behavior which brought the client to therapy. The test-retest reliability of the Behavioral Checklist for a one week period was obtained from a University class of 21 undergraduate students. This reliability study revealed that 40 of the questionnaire's original 203 items had low test-retest reliability. After the 40 unreliable questions were deleted, the questionnaire's reliability ranged from .816 to .865 depending upon which of the first three scoring techniques were used. Following its development, the Behavioral Checklist was used to evaluate a "clinical" population to determine if it would measure change due to psychotherapy. Findings of the Study Using the therapist's ratings of improvement, the Ss were divided into an improved and an unimproved group. At test for each of the three scoring techniques used on the Behavioral Checklist revealed that Ss judged improved had significant gains on each scoring technique post therapy while Ss not so judged did not have significant gains. The Behavioral Checklists, pre less post scores, yield correlations varying from .54 to .78 when correlated with the therapist's rating of therapy outcomes. Specific Target Behaviors, which are operational definitions of the reasons clients came to therapy, were scored and evaluated in the same manner as the Behavioral Checklist. The Specific Target Behaviors yielded correlations ranging from .33 to .407 when correlated with the therapist's rating of therapy outcomes. Summary and Conclusions The current study indicates that a client's self-report of no-inference objective behaviors will measure change resulting from psychotherapy. Self-report no-inference behaviors will measure change due to psychotherapy whether they are from a prepared list of no-inference behaviors (Behavioral Checklist) or operational definitions of the client's own statements about the reasons that he came to therapy {Specific Target Behaviors). The results of the current study indicate that using no-inference, overt, quantifiable behavior is a fruitful area in which to study therapy outcomes with a clinic population.

No description available.

Therapeutic alliance and its relationship to client nonverbal behavior, specifically facial expressions, were examined. Therapist interpretation of the client nonverbal behavior, or affect, influences the therapeutic alliance and process. Based on a sample of clients from a graduate school therapy training facility, results suggest therapist training in facial expressions, and how they relate to client emotion, improve the therapeutic alliance between therapist and client. After a micro-expression training for therapists, clients reported higher life functioning on the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) and an improved therapeutic alliance on the Session Rating Scale (SRS). Overall, these findings support the benefit of incorporating micro-expression training into therapy instruction.

This study examined the impact therapeutic assessment (TA) had on participants recruited from the UNT Psychology Clinic's waiting list. Using a pretest-posttest design, participants completed measures prior to and following their assessment. UNT Psychology Clinic archive data was used to compare this sample to clients who received traditional information gathering assessments with implicit measures, those receiving assessments relying on only self-report measures, and those who did not receive an assessment before beginning psychotherapy. The findings of this study vary based on the criteria being examined. Due to the small sample in the experimental group, no statistical significance was found through null hypothesis testing. However, the TA group's scores on the Outcome Questionnaire – 45 (OQ) and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) indicated better outcomes than those without a TA, with large effect sizes. Furthermore, those who received a TA were more likely than those without a TA to score below the clinically significant cutoff levels on the OQ. The study raises issues for consideration in what is deemed "effective" in therapeutic efficacy research.

The purpose of this study was to research the therapeutic outcomes achieved by a five year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome (AS), by means of non-directive processes of child centred play therapy (CCP) and sand tray play therapy (STP). In this investigative-descriptive qualitative research design, a saturated, holistic, intrinsic single case study was used as research method. The therapeutic process, events and outcomes of a unique single case within the context of AS, non-directive play therapy and the interactional-pattern analysis (IPA), are described. This study was motivated by the fact that the researcher disposed of data for a unique single case study that could contribute meaningfully to the need for a research database that describes effective therapeutic interventions and outcomes with children with AS. From the perspective of Rogerian person-centred theory (RPT), the literature study focused on an integrated discussion of AS, CCP and STP by means of 17 interpersonal variables of the interactional-pattern analysis (IPA). The following data sources was investigated: interviews with parents and teachers; CCP-sessions of J recorded on video; photos of some of J’s STP-sessions and the therapists’ process notes. Triangulation was used to evaluate the various categories of therapeutic outcomes from different viewpoints and to give meaning to them. The conclusions indicated that this boy with AS had used the non-directive processes of CCP and STP to achieve various therapeutic outcomes in the areas of: imaginary play; dramatic play; social interaction with the therapist, parents, family, teachers, his peer group and with strangers; traumatic experiences during visits to the doctor and bath times; identification, expressing and regulating emotions; and minimising acting out behaviour. Therapeutic outcomes have been demonstrated in 8 IPA-variables, namely: empathy, defining of relationships, potential to evoke acceptance or rejection, sincere interest and congruent conduct, control, emotional distance, problem solving and aspects relating to the presenting problem. The conclusion was reached that the conduct of the boy with AS as well as his mother and the therapist, played a mutual role in achieving his therapeutic outcomes within the 17 IPA-variables. The unstructured process of the non-directive play (CCP and STP) was utilised by a young child with AS to achieve therapeutic outcomes that relate to his everyday existence. A final conclusion is that involving the boy’s mother in his therapy and utilising an adapted Filial play program, enabled the mother to make emotional contact with her son and to diminish conflict between them. Guidelines for therapists are suggested with regard to non-directive responding in therapeutic contexts as found in this study. Furthermore, the contribution of this research to Psychology as science and discipline, is presented. Limitations of this study are indicated and recommendations for further research are made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psigologie))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

The purpose of this study was to research the therapeutic outcomes achieved by a five year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome (AS), by means of non-directive processes of child centred play therapy (CCP) and sand tray play therapy (STP). In this investigative-descriptive qualitative research design, a saturated, holistic, intrinsic single case study was used as research method. The therapeutic process, events and outcomes of a unique single case within the context of AS, non-directive play therapy and the interactional-pattern analysis (IPA), are described. This study was motivated by the fact that the researcher disposed of data for a unique single case study that could contribute meaningfully to the need for a research database that describes effective therapeutic interventions and outcomes with children with AS. From the perspective of Rogerian person-centred theory (RPT), the literature study focused on an integrated discussion of AS, CCP and STP by means of 17 interpersonal variables of the interactional-pattern analysis (IPA). The following data sources was investigated: interviews with parents and teachers; CCP-sessions of J recorded on video; photos of some of J’s STP-sessions and the therapists’ process notes. Triangulation was used to evaluate the various categories of therapeutic outcomes from different viewpoints and to give meaning to them. The conclusions indicated that this boy with AS had used the non-directive processes of CCP and STP to achieve various therapeutic outcomes in the areas of: imaginary play; dramatic play; social interaction with the therapist, parents, family, teachers, his peer group and with strangers; traumatic experiences during visits to the doctor and bath times; identification, expressing and regulating emotions; and minimising acting out behaviour. Therapeutic outcomes have been demonstrated in 8 IPA-variables, namely: empathy, defining of relationships, potential to evoke acceptance or rejection, sincere interest and congruent conduct, control, emotional distance, problem solving and aspects relating to the presenting problem. The conclusion was reached that the conduct of the boy with AS as well as his mother and the therapist, played a mutual role in achieving his therapeutic outcomes within the 17 IPA-variables. The unstructured process of the non-directive play (CCP and STP) was utilised by a young child with AS to achieve therapeutic outcomes that relate to his everyday existence. A final conclusion is that involving the boy’s mother in his therapy and utilising an adapted Filial play program, enabled the mother to make emotional contact with her son and to diminish conflict between them. Guidelines for therapists are suggested with regard to non-directive responding in therapeutic contexts as found in this study. Furthermore, the contribution of this research to Psychology as science and discipline, is presented. Limitations of this study are indicated and recommendations for further research are made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psigologie))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013