Psych 401 Psychotherapy Research by Mark Aveline

Psychotherapy as an Experiment

All psychotherapy is an experiment influenced by feedback and judged against markers of progress like enhanced alliance, deepened empathy, better understanding, problem resolution, and satisfaction.

Efficacy vs

Efficacy focuses on demonstrating the relationship between treatment and outcome with high internal validity, while effectiveness emphasizes external validity in clinical settings.

Study Design Concepts

Randomized Controlled Trials control variables to establish causation, Quasi Experimental Designs assess covariation, and Case Studies can be confirmatory or exploratory.

Cautionary Points

Caution against reductionism, nonrepresentativeness, mistaking what is studied for what is important, false positives, emphasis on mental disorders, comorbidity exclusion, and the non-linearity of therapeutic change.

Ethical Considerations

Research must be ethical with approval from an Ethical Committee, randomized subjects in equipoise, minimizing harm, ensuring consent, and oversight by regulatory bodies.

History of the Field

The history of psychotherapy research is marked by phases focused on establishing a role for scientific research, searching for scientific rigor, organizational growth, and fundamental doubts leading to reformulation.