| Abstract: | A standard criterion for judging the value of a psychotherapy process component (e.g., reflection of feeling) is the degree to which it correlates with outcome measures. It is argued that this model overlooks wide variation in client requirements for particular process components and therapist responsiveness to those requirements. Any such responsiveness tends to attenuate (and may even reverse) the process–outcome correlation. Under optimum conditions, process components covary responsively with client requirements but not with outcomes. Deviations from optimum would not improve outcomes. Thus, for expertly conducted therapy, the expected correlation of process components with outcomes approaches zero, even for components that help to cause those outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
