Some myths of psychotherapy research and the search for a paradigm.

3 myths prevalent in psychotherapy research are considered and refuted. These include the uniformity assumptions, spontaneous remission of psychoneurosis, and the belief that present theoretical formulations provide adequate paradigms. Several other confusions are listed and clarified including the process-outcome distinction, the classification problem, and the expectation of the definitive study in therapy research. Finally, an attempt is made to delineate the minimal requirements of any psychotherapy research paradigm by incorporating present empirical evidence as well as by specifying common sources of confounding vis-a-vis the therapy interaction. (2 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)