Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

6394

Date

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Psychology

Concentration

Clinical Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Berman

Committee Member

Robert Neimeyer

Committee Member

Robert Cohen

Abstract

Common factors, elements of therapy not related to a specific theoretical orientation, are often measured through observer ratings of video-recorded therapy sessions that vary in length. Researchers have shown that judgments based on short interactions—called "thin slices"—are highly predictive of judgments based on longer or the entirety of these interactions. This study investigated the amount of a psychotherapy interaction observers must view to judge psychotherapy constructs—therapeutic alliance, empathy, and treatment expectations—and the semantic dimensions of evaluation, potency, and activity. Subjects included 48 therapists, each observed in a therapy session with a unique client. Observers rated the therapist after viewing either a 1-min, 5-min, 15-min, or full-session video-recorded segment of the treatment session. Results revealed that observers were able to judge therapist qualities reliably after viewing brief interactions, but these ratings based on brief interactions did not predict ratings of longer therapy interactions.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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