Chapter 11 Flashcards
Attention Only Control Group
A control group whose members meet regularly with a clinician but receive no “active” treatment
Catharsis
the release of emotion
Common Factors
A set of features that characterize many therapy orientations and that may be the source of the positive changes effected by psychological treatment
Control Group
In psychotherapy research, the group that does not receive the treatment under investigation
Depth of a Problem
The changeability of a condition or behavior. (The “deeper” the condition, the less changeable it is perceived to be.)
Effect Size
The size of the treatment effect (determined statistically.)
Effectiveness Studies
Studies that emphasize external validity and the representativeness of the treatment that is administered, A treatment is considered effective to the extent that clients report clinically significant benefit from the treatment.
Efficacy Studies
Studies that place a premium on internal validity by controlling the types of clients in the study, by standardizing the treatments, and by randomly assigning patients to treatment, and by randomly assigning patients to treatment or no treatment groups. A treatment is considered efficacious to the extent that the average person receiving the treatment in clinical trials is demonstrated to be significantly less dysfunctional than the average person not receiving any treatment (e.g. those on a waiting list for treatment)
Empirically Supported Treatments (ESTs)
Treatments for various psychological conditions that have been shown through careful empirical study to be either “well established” or “probably efficacious.” A list of ESTs is updated and published periodically by the APA’s Division of Clinical Psychology
Evidence-based Treatments (EBTs)
Treatments informed by a number of sources, including scientific evidence about the intervention, clinical expertise, and patient needs and preferences.
Evidence-based Practice (EBP)
Treatments informed by a number of cources, including scientific evidence about the intervention, clinical expertise, and patient needs and preferences.
Expert Role
The therapist’s demonstration of competence (i.e., knowledge and experience)
Insight
In the context of psychotherapy, the achievement of understanding the nature and origins of one’s problems
Interpretation
In the context of psychotherapy, the therapist’s conceptualization of the meaning behind the patient’s experiences or behaviors
Manualized Treatment
Psycho-therapeutic treatment that is presented and described in a standardized, manual format, (i.e. outlining the rationales, goals, and techniques that correspond to each phase of the treatment.
Mastery
The acquistion of a high level of knowledge or skill, One goal of psychotherapy may be for the patient to develop competence/mastery in a particular area.
Meta-analysis
A method of research in which one compiles all studies relevant to a topic or question and combines the results statistically.
Nonspecific factors
Factors that are not specific to any particular therapy orientation yet contribute to a positive treatment outcome (e.g., the expectation that one will improve)
Outcome Measures
In psychotherapy research, indicators of patient functioning following treatment, used to gauge the treatment effectiveness
Paraprofessionals
Individuals without advanced education in psychology who have been trained to assist professional mental health workers.
Patient Functioning
How well a patient is getting along across a number of domains (e.g., psychological, social/interpersonal, occupational)
Process Research
Research that investigates the specific events that occur in the course of the interaction between therapist and patient. Some therapy processes have been shown to relate to treatment outcome.
Psychological intervention
A method of inducing changes in a person’s behavior, thoughts, or feelings
Stages of Change
A series of stages that represent a given client’s rediness for change in psychotherapy. These include; precontemplation, contemplation, preparation,action, maintenance, and termination
Therapeutic Alliance
The relationship between therapist and patient. The forging of a strong therapeutic alliance is believed to be of primary importance for therapeutic change.
Treatment group
In psychotherapy research, the group that receives the treatment under investigation
Waiting List Control Group
A control group whose members receive treatment only after the study is completed
