Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Berman

Committee Member

James P Whelan

Committee Member

Robert Cohen

Abstract

Psychotherapists have increasingly used alternate telehealth formats for providing treatment (e.g., videoconferencing, telephone, and online chat). In some modes, therapists may not be seen clearly or even at all. The current study aimed to assess visibility’s impact on observers’ perceptions of therapists’ empathy and skill. Participants were randomly assigned to evaluate vignettes of psychotherapy sessions with differing levels of visibility: a video of the session or an audio of the session. Analyses revealed that observers’ perceptions of therapists differed by visibility condition. The study found that in the non-visible condition, female presenting therapists were perceived as less skilled and empathetic. However, male presenting therapists generally had higher evaluations of skill and empathy when non-visible. These findings suggest that for female presenting psychotherapists, it may be important for therapy to be conducted in a mode where the therapist is seen by the client.

Comments

Data is provided by the student

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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