Dimensions of psychotherapists' activity: A replication and extension of earlier findings.

Attempted to replicate the 5 dimensions of therapists' activity (personal distance, activity, flexibility, therapist distance, and preference for goal-limited therapy) found by M. S. Wallach and H. H. Strupp (see record 1964-02091-001). Questionnaire responses (the Therapeutic Attitudes, Skills, and Techniques Scale) from 136 therapists were factor analyzed. Significant differences were found on 5 subscales (constructed to represent each of the 5 factors), due to characteristics of the therapist, including sex, having had personal psychotherapy, involvement in research, frequency of patient visits, and length of time spent working with a typical patient. Although there were some changes in endorsement of "preferred theoretical orientation" which reflected advances in the field in the intervening 16 yrs, findings indicate that the dimensions of therapist activity identified in the original study represent enduring issues a therapist of any persuasion must confront. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)