Perceived change processes in emotionally focused couples therapy.

Investigated reports from 21 couples (Ss aged 24–50 yrs) of critical change incidents in their marital therapy experience. These reports, which were sorted into 5 categories of change processes, were collected 4 mo after the completion of 8 sessions of therapy. The reports revealed 5 major change processes: expression of underlying feelings by one of the partners leading to change in interpersonal perception, expressing feelings and needs, acquiring understanding, taking responsibility for experience, and finally receiving validation. These empirically derived processes were compared with the theoretically derived processes. Findings demonstrate the importance of studying what clients say about change to enrich the understanding of change processes in marital therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The hidden preattentive processes.

In the context of detection, attention, and filtering processes and how they affect responses to information, a number of recent experiments are discussed which show that incoming stimuli are segregated into regions, so that it is easier for attention to select a complete region. There is also evidence showing that semantic effects from context, word frequency, or emotionality have different loci in the perceptual system. These results suggest an early, passive, and global analysis of information with a later, active, and more detailed stage. Tests of personal bias or motive in perception will need to consider these different levels. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The processes of causal attribution.

Presents a summary and synthesis of the author's work on attribution theory concerning the mechanisms involved in the process of causal explanations. The attribution theory is related to studies of social perception, self-perception, and psychological epistemology. Two systematic statements of attribution theory are described, discussed, and illustrated with empirical data: the covariation and the configuration concepts. Some problems for attribution theory are considered, including the interplay between preconceptions and new information, simple vs. complex schemata, attribution of covariation among causes, and illusions in attributions. The role of attribution in decision making and behavior is discussed. (56 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Monitoring two boys' processes through the stages of child-centered play therapy.

This article describes two boys' actions in child-centered play therapy (CCPT) through the lens of the typical stages in CCPT as described by Nordling and Guerney (1999). Both boys were referred for severe attention and aggression problems that had persisted for more than one school year at age six. While each boy engaged in CCPT in unique ways, the authors were able to clearly discern the stages in each boy's play. The authors assert for the value of play therapists' ability to discern stages in children's therapeutic play to monitor progress and determine readiness to end from an internal to the child gauge, as well as through the external gauges of behavior change reports from parents and teachers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On parallel processes in therapy and teaching

Using the format of a continuous case conference, the authors demonstrate that the therapist-presenter develops unconscious identifications with the patient which are especially intense when difficulties (resistances) arise which he cannot resolve. The presenter then enacts these identifications in the seminar giving rise to responses from the seminar members which repeat the difficulties of the therapy. These parallel processes can be made explicit by eliciting the empathic responses of the seminar participants. By interpreting these parallelisms the authors have evolved a teaching methodology which, like therapy itself, provides an emotionally based learning experience for the participants.     

The language of therapy.

Discusses studies of language illuminating the theory and practice of psychotherapy from 3 perspectives: (1) the language used to describe therapy in theoretical terms, (2) the language of therapists engaging with clients, and (3) linguistic research into therapy. It is concluded that although interest is continuing in the use of paralinguistic variables in psychotherapy, not much research into therapy could be regarded as linguistically based. The most notable of the broadly linguistic analyses of therapy have been led by C. E. Hill (e.g., see record 1979-22606-001). It is suggested that the rigor of her research, its proximity to practice, and her careful use of ordinary language may lead to her client and therapist response system becoming part of a true lingua franca for psychotherapy. The authors doubt the relevance to therapy of elaborate linguistic analyses. However, applying to therapy such measures as rules of discourse, stylistic complexity, and semantic relations advances scientific knowledge because elements of the process are revealed that could not otherwise be inspected. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Communication processes in structural family therapy: Case study of an anorexic family.

In examining the process of change in structural family therapy, interpersonal control patterns were observed within and across 15 sessions of inpatient treatment of a chronic anorexic family. Results showed that the primary therapist maintained a consistently active, dominant, and central position in the therapeutic system. As predicted, complementarity (Therapist one-up/Family Member one-down) was the predominant relational control pattern; with the anorexic daughter, complementarity was observed more frequently in the early and late phases of treatment than in the middle, restructuring phase. Although several hypotheses could not be adequately tested because of an unexpected low frequency of within-family interaction, there was some evidence that the therapist challenged family behaviors indicative of enmeshment and intergenerational coalitions and that changes in the family's rigid communication style may have occurred over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Purposes, processes and products of the task force on empirically supported therapy relationships.

This article introduces the special issue of Psychotherapy devoted to evidence based therapy relationships. It explicates the purposes, summarizes the processes, and introduces the products of the Division of Psychotherapy's Task Force on Empirically Supported Therapy Relationships. The dual aims of the Division 29 Task Force were to identify elements of effective therapy relationships and to determine efficacious methods of customizing or tailoring therapy to the individual patient. This article concludes by featuring the limitations of the task force's work and by responding to frequently asked questions about its objectives and conclusions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Combating destructive thought processes: Voice therapy and separation theory.

Reviews the book, Combating destructive thought processes: Voice therapy and separation theory by Robert W. Firestone (see record 1997-97377-000). This book presents a persuasive and highly integrative approach, not only to the practice of psychotherapy, but also to the human dilemma. The author combines psychodynamic and cognitive models, and makes an innovative advancement by adding an existential framework. the book comprises 18 chapters, divided into five sections covering topics such as the roots of psychopathology; voice therapy in comparison to psychoanalysis and cognitive therapy; the application of voice therapy; the nature of guilt and addiction; death anxiety; and broader social concerns. The reviewer found the organization of this book somewhat problematic, both in terms of the sequence of chapters and the topics covered. He also found that many generalizations were stated as fact and many issues deserved further elaboration. However, he contends that readers may find that the information presented in this book will clarify complex psychotherapeutic issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of inhibitory processes in part-list cuing.

Providing a subset of studied items as retrieval cues can have detrimental effects on recall of the remaining items. In 2 experiments, the authors examined such part-list cuing impairment in a repeatedtesting situation. Participants studied exemplars from several semantic categories and were given 2 successive cued-recall tests separated by a distractor task of several minutes. Part-list cues were provided in the 1st test but not the 2nd. Noncue item recall was tested with the studied category cues (same probes) in the 1st test, but novel, unstudied retrieval cues (independent probes) in the 2nd test. The authors found detrimental effects of part-list cues in both the 1st (same-probe) test and the 2nd (independent-probe) test. These results show that part-list cuing impairment can be lasting and is not eliminated with independent probes. The findings support the view that the impairment was caused by retrieval inhibition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of person-group relationships on conformity processes.

"An experiment was designed to test hypotheses derived from assuming distinctive processes called social reality and group locomotion, each of which generates forces to conform under specified conditions. Four types of person-group relations were created by experimentally varying subject's attraction to the group and acceptance as a member. A modification of Asch's line problem and experimental situation was used to test the conformity behavior of subjects. The results are in accord with hypotheses advanced about the conformity behavior of highly accepted persons, thus supplying evidence in favor of the assumptions about social reality and group locomotion processes." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development of basic auditory processes in infants.

Reviews studies of basic auditory processes (absolute and differential thresholds, masking) in infants. It is argued that autonomic and physiological responses to sounds may measure "attentional" thresholds rather than thresholds of hearing. A behavioral technique for threshold assessment involving reinforcement of a head turn to a sound source is described and used to determine thresholds for sounds in quiet and in background noise. (French abstract) (84 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of implicit motives on memory processes.

Four studies tested the hypothesis that agentic and communal motives act as a channel for new knowledge and are linked to specific ways of organizing information that facilitate its accessibility. In Study 1, agentic and communal participants read an agentic or a communal vignette consisting of differentiated and integrated statements, performed a distraction task, then completed written recall and recognition tasks. Agentics recalled and recognized more differentiation in the agentic story; communals recalled and recognized more integration in the communal story. A computerized replication with randomized recognition items (Study 2) found the same pattern of recognition results. Studies 3 and 4 used implicit motive primes and found similar results in both written and computerized recognition tasks. These ways of organizing information have powerful implications for the encoding of autobiographical knowledge and its long-term organization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of cognitive therapy.

Speculates about likely future directions for psychotherapy and the role that cognitive therapy (CGT) might play in these developments. Five predictions about psychotherapy are discussed, along with their implications for CGT. These include (1) questions of specificity vs nonspecificity; (2) greater emphasis on research and accountability; (3) cross-fertilization of different systems of psychotherapy; (4) diversification of delivery systems; and (5) pursuit of closer connections with basic psychological science. CGT appears to have attained its greatest documented achievement in treatment of unipolar depression. A better idea of its efficacy for treatment of panic disorders, eating disorders, marital distress, and personality disorders should be possible after 5–20 yrs of research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of behavior therapy.

Predicts the future of behavior therapy, focusing on theoretical development, therapeutic techniques, and empirical research. The importance of cognitive and affective processes in behavior change will attract increasing attention. Already one of the most widely adopted approaches, behavior therapy will be used to treat an expanded range of psychiatric disorders and health problems. Research will focus on comparative outcome studies and provide probes for investigating the nature of specific disorders and the mechanisms of therapeutic change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of group therapy.

Reviews literature on the current status of and trends in group psychotherapy. It is expected that group psychotherapy will continue to play a pivotal role in mental health care. Projections for the practice of group therapy include the expanding application of short-term and self-help approaches, refinements in matching treatments and patients' needs, and the more effective integration of treatment modalities. More attention will be dedicated to the refinement of the conceptual foundations for group psychotherapy research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of positive therapy.

Responds to commentary by S. J. Lopez and B. A. Kerr (see record 2006-07640-002) on the current author's original article (see record 2006-07640-001). In their commentary on strength-centered therapy (ST), Lopez and Kerr (2006) called for an open-source approach to developing positive psychological practices. In this rejoinder, the author responds to their comments, provides clarifications on ST, and discusses the future of positive therapy. Specifically, the author calls for future scholarship to address (1) the contributions of social constructionist therapies, (2) positive systemic influences in psychotherapy, and (3) diverse conceptualizations of strengths and optimal human functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of feminist therapy.

Discusses the development of feminist therapy over the past 20 yrs and its outlook for the future. Feminist therapy is characterized by shared concepts, which include egalitarianism in the therapy relationship and a recognition of the importance of environmental pressures, particularly gender roles and gender-based discrimination. Future directions for feminist therapy include the continuing development of feminist therapy theory, a movement toward a more multicultural perspective, an expansion of populations served by feminist therapists, and the development of more formal standards and training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The practice of brief therapy.

Examined therapist, patient, and system attitudinal factors in brief therapy practice. Attitudinal factors in brief and long-term therapy are contrasted, and technical treatment issues, patient selection, dangers, and future issues in brief therapy are discussed. Salient technical issues in brief psychotherapy include the maintenance of a clear and specific focus, a high level of therapist activity, flexible use of interventions, and encouragement of client activities outside therapy. Rather than presenting brief therapy as a specific school or model of treatment, an attempt is made to integrate various approaches that can make therapy beneficial within a well-planned, limited amount of time. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)