Recent challenges require demonstration of independence of effects of therapy procedures from nonspecifics. Logical tautology precludes demonstration of independence from some nonspecifics. Role of client outcome-expectancy as an interpretive artifact is questionable. The following three articles constitute an interchange of differing perspectives…

Current theoretical approaches to understanding emotional difficulties are dominated by the medical model of mental illness, which assumes that emotional dysfunction can be viewed the same way as physical dysfunction. To examine the relationship between psychotherapy clients' beliefs about the medical model of psychotherapy and their behavior…

The present study eliminated many confounds by systematically manipulating the specific client sex role related variables of case history and symptomatology and presenting them to practicing mental health professionals in a setting that approximated their working environment. Little support was found for many of the widely held assumptions about…

Examined relationships between therapists' preferences and expectations with regard to their own and their clients' role behaviors. Results revealed that therapists' preferences differed from their expectations, especially with regard to clients' behaviors. Although preferences and expectations changed over time in therapy, the…

Examined influences on therapists' expectancies of four variables. Counselors at three training levels completed the Therapist Expectancy Inventory. Significant differences were found for therapist gender, professional affiliation, and level of training; client gender effect was not significant. Concluded therapists' judgments about clients are a…

Looks at relationship between recovery (symptom reduction) from serious psychiatric disorder and patient-held and therapist-held expectations for recovery. Objective measures of prognostic expectations were taken from patients upon hospital admission and from therapists shortly thereafter. Found that therapists', but not patients', expectations…

Research has indicated that premature termination of therapy is sometimes due to a conflict in goal and outcome expectations between therapists and family members of clients. The present study requested both therapists and parents of child clients to complete questionnaires to determine if there is congruence between therapist and parental…

Incest is an issue that generates strong emotional reactions in psychotherapists as well as laypeople. Clinicians may not be immune to the tendancy to overreact by predicting poor outcomes for incest victims or by denying its importance altogether. To assess the effect of incest on the evaluations of female clients by therapists, 124 clinicians…