The relationship between clients' perceptions of therapist–parent similarity with respect to empathy, regard, and unconditionality and therapists' rating of client transference.

The authors studied the similarity between clients' perceptions of their therapists and their perceptions of their parents (or early parental figures) in terms of the relationship qualities of empathy, positive regard, and unconditionality of regard and how those perceptions compared with their therapists' ratings of transference. Participants were 62 actual therapy dyads. The results failed to support a hypothesized positive association between the similarity of the therapist and parents or parental figures on the relationship dimensions of empathy, regard, and unconditionality and therapist ratings of transference. Instead, the clients' relationship ratings of their parents and therapists suggested that therapists' perceptions of transference may more accurately reflect perceptions of their clients' nontransferential (i.e., real relationship) reactions to the therapist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept and self-esteem as moderators of client transference.

Operationalized transference as (a) the similarity of clients' perceptions of their therapist and their perceptions of their parents and (b) therapists' ratings on a transference scale, Therapy Session Check Sheet (TSCS; H. Graff and L. Luborsky, 1977), and examined the moderating role of self-esteem and ego development on client transference. Ss were 62 clients (aged 19–63 yrs) who were already involved in therapy, and 29 therapists (aged 25–61 yrs). The Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (G. T. Barrett Lennard, 1962, 1973) measured the facilitative conditions (regard, empathy, and unconditionality) and therapist–parent similarity and the TSCS measured the therapists' perceptions of transference. Additional measures were the Ego Identity Scale (A. L. Tan, et al, 1977) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (M. Rosenberg, 1979). Results support the idea that self-esteem and ego development impact a client's view of the therapist and parental figures and are associated with therapists' views of transference. Persons with low ego identity and low self-esteem tended to see their therapists and parental figures more dissimilarly; and the more transference that a therapist perceived, the greater the tendency for the client to have low ego identity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)