Psychotherapy Developments 1970s-1980s

A period in psychotherapy research marked by an emphasis on process studies, particularly by client-centered researchers, aiming to confirm Rogers' essential ingredients for therapeutic change.

A theory arguing that scientific knowledge should be based on empirical evidence and logical reasoning.

Studies that investigate the process of therapy, looking at how therapy unfolds and what factors contribute to change.

Rogers' belief that specific factors, like empathy and unconditional positive regard, are crucial for therapeutic change.

A common criticism of logical positivism in psychotherapy research, arguing that it overlooks the subjective experiences and complexities of therapy.

A group of individuals who do not receive the treatment being studied, serving as a baseline for comparison.

The overall effectiveness of psychotherapy in producing positive outcomes.

The process of examining evidence to determine the validity and reliability of research findings.

Early psychotherapy research relied heavily on single-case studies to evaluate treatments, but the emphasis shifted towards controlled experiments, aiming to prove the effectiveness of interventions compared to control groups.

A type of research design prevalent in early psychotherapy studies that used groups without randomization, often relying on pre- and post-treatment comparisons. It's a less rigorous approach compared to true experimental designs.

This research approach uses simplified, controlled settings to study psychological phenomena. While cost-effective and ethical, it can face criticism for lacking generalizability to real-life clinical situations.

Research focused on examining the processes and mechanisms within therapy, exploring how therapy unfolds and what factors contribute to change. It's a crucial aspect of understanding the effectiveness of therapy.

The development of objective measurements, such as questionnaires and standardized tests, was crucial in advancing psychotherapy research. It helped establish more reliable and quantifiable ways to assess therapeutic outcomes.

A type of research that focuses on comparing groups of people to understand the effectiveness of treatments or interventions. It aims to achieve generalizability and provide statistically significant data.

The role of the observer is to remain objective and unbiased in their observations.

The second phase focused on demonstrating the efficacy of psychotherapy through rigorous research methods.

A series of conferences organized by the APA to evaluate the state of psychotherapy research and stimulate new research.

The rise of behavioral therapy in the 1960s created a divide within the field of psychotherapy.

The Society of Psychotherapy Research (SPR) was founded to promote and advance research in traditional forms of psychotherapy.

The Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) was founded to promote and advance research in behavioral therapy.

Outcome research in this phase was primarily motivated by the need to provide evidence against Eysenck's skepticism about psychotherapy's effectiveness.

The phase of psychotherapy research focused on expanding and refining methodological approaches to examine treatment processes and outcomes.

A statistical tool used to synthesize the results of multiple studies, providing a more robust estimate of the effectiveness of a treatment.

The concern that psychotherapy might have unintended negative consequences on clients.

The responsibility of therapists to demonstrate that their treatments are effective and beneficial to clients.

The emergence of multiple therapeutic models and the use of controlled trials to compare their effectiveness.

Research designs using random assignment of participants to different treatment groups to compare their outcomes.

A collaborative research program focused on studying the treatment of depression.

The preference towards quantitative approaches continues despite the growing acknowledgement of qualitative methods in psychotherapy research.

A research approach that emphasizes measuring and quantifying data, often using statistical analysis.

A research approach that explores experiences, perspectives, and meaning through in-depth analysis of non-numerical data, such as interviews or observations.

The debate around the importance of statistical significance, which indicates a statistically reliable outcome, compared to clinical significance, which focuses on practical and meaningful changes for individuals.

A measure used to assess clinical significance by comparing the changes made after treatment to the expected variability of the outcome.

Shifting the focus from diagnoses, which categorize people by their symptoms, to understanding the underlying psychological processes that contribute to their difficulties.

Research methods that analyze the patterns of change over time during therapy sessions, providing a more dynamic understanding of the therapeutic process.

Quantitative analytical methods that focus on session patterns and longitudinal perspectives, including growth curve analysis, dynamic factor analyses, and multivariate time series analyses.

This research method investigates the process of therapy by analyzing specific events occurring within sessions and identifying markers of client and therapist behavior.

This approach emphasizes focusing on specific change events during sessions rather than general group effects.

This research approach involves using qualitative change interviews and post-session questionnaires to analyze client experiences and identify helpful aspects of therapy.

This stage of psychotherapy research is characterized by deeper exploration of therapeutic processes and outcomes.

The quality of the relationship between therapist and client, considered a significant factor influencing therapeutic outcomes.

This approach analyzes the interplay of client and therapist behavior during sessions.

This methodology uses detailed analysis of in-session interactions to understand the complexity of therapeutic processes.

This is a research design that focuses on the development of recovery curves, helping to understand how treatment progresses over time.

A statistical method used to combine results from multiple studies, providing a more reliable estimate of a treatment's effectiveness.

The overall effectiveness of psychotherapy in producing positive outcomes, demonstrating that therapy is generally helpful.

This research phase focused on proving therapy works through rigorous methods, challenging skeptics like Hans Eysenck.

The second phase of psychotherapy research emphasized demonstrating the efficacy of psychotherapy using rigorous research methods.

This approach involves studying psychotherapy by analyzing specific events within therapy sessions, focusing on what happens during the interactions.

A research approach that systematically gathers and analyzes all relevant evidence to answer a specific research question.

These are studies designed to examine the relationship between specific factors, like therapist empathy, and therapeutic outcomes.

Research that focuses on the process of therapy, exploring how therapy unfolds and what factors contribute to change. It aims to understand the mechanisms behind therapeutic effectiveness.