Structural Family Versus Psychodynamic Child Therapy for Problematic Hispanic Boysdoi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.571pmid: N/A
Structural family therapy, psychodynamic child therapy, and a recreational control condition were compared for 69 six- to-twelve-year-old Hispanic boys who presented with behavioral and emotional problems. The results suggest that the control condition was significantly less effective in retaining cases than the two treatment conditions, which were apparently equivalent in reducing behavioral and emotional problems as well as in improving psychodynamic ratings of child functioning. Structural family therapy was more effective than psychodynamic child therapy in protecting the integrity of the family at 1-year follow-up. Finally, the results did not support basic assumptions of structural family systems therapy regarding the mechanisms mediating symptom reduction.
Structural Family Versus Psychodynamic Child Therapy for Problematic Hispanic BoysSzapocznik, José; Rio, Arturo; Murray, Edward; Cohen, Raquel; Scopetta, Mercedes; Rivas-Vazquez, Ana; Hervis, Olga; Posada, Vivian; Kurtines, William
doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.571pmid: N/A
Structural family therapy, psychodynamic child therapy, and a recreational control condition were compared for 69 six- to-twelve-year-old Hispanic boys who presented with behavioral and emotional problems. The results suggest that the control condition was significantly less effective in retaining cases than the two treatment conditions, which were apparently equivalent in reducing behavioral and emotional problems as well as in improving psychodynamic ratings of child functioning. Structural family therapy was more effective than psychodynamic child therapy in protecting the integrity of the family at 1-year follow-up. Finally, the results did not support basic assumptions of structural family systems therapy regarding the mechanisms mediating symptom reduction.
Psychological Aggression Predicts Physical Aggression in Early Marriagedoi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.579pmid: N/A
Psychological aggression by self and partner, physical aggression by the partner, and marital dissatisfaction were examined as longitudinal predictors of first instances of physical aggression during marriage. Subjects who were not physically aggressive at a premarital assessment were selected from a sample of 393 engaged couples. Couples participated in three subsequent assessments over the first 30 months of marriage. As hypothesized, individuals' own psychological aggression predicted their initial incidents of physical aggression in marriage. Psychological aggression by their partners also predicted initial incidents of physical aggression. Prior physical aggression by their partners was inconsistently associated with first instances of physical aggression. Contrary to our hypothesis, previous levels of marital dissatisfaction did not predict initial incidents of physical aggression. These findings were consistent across sexes. The results underscore the progression from psychological to physical abuse and have clear implications for understanding the development and prevention of interspousal aggression.
Psychological Aggression Predicts Physical Aggression in Early MarriageMurphy, Christopher M.; O'Leary, K. Daniel
doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.579pmid: N/A
Psychological aggression by self and partner, physical aggression by the partner, and marital dissatisfaction were examined as longitudinal predictors of first instances of physical aggression during marriage. Subjects who were not physically aggressive at a premarital assessment were selected from a sample of 393 engaged couples. Couples participated in three subsequent assessments over the first 30 months of marriage. As hypothesized, individuals' own psychological aggression predicted their initial incidents of physical aggression in marriage. Psychological aggression by their partners also predicted initial incidents of physical aggression. Prior physical aggression by their partners was inconsistently associated with first instances of physical aggression. Contrary to our hypothesis, previous levels of marital dissatisfaction did not predict initial incidents of physical aggression. These findings were consistent across sexes. The results underscore the progression from psychological to physical abuse and have clear implications for understanding the development and prevention of interspousal aggression.
The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Program for Young Urban ChildrenAlpert-Gillis, Linda J.; Pedro-Carroll, JoAnne L.; Cowen, Emory L.
doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.583pmid: N/A
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 16-week preventive intervention for 52 second- and third-grade urban children of divorce. The program extended the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP), a school-based program originally developed for fourth-sixth- grade suburban children. CODIP'S main goal is to mitigate the behavioral and emotional problems that occur in the wake of divorce. The program promotes support, helps children identify and express divorce-related feelings, clarifies divorce-related concepts and misconceptions, and develops relevant coping skills as well as positive self- and family perceptions. Participants were compared with 52 divorce controls and 81 demographically matched children from intact families on child, parent, and teacher measures of adjustment. The experimental group improved significantly more than nonprogram groups from multiple perspectives, suggesting that the intervention enhanced children's ability to cope with the stressful experiences often associated with parental divorce.
The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Program for Young Urban Childrendoi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.583pmid: N/A
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 16-week preventive intervention for 52 second- and third-grade urban children of divorce. The program extended the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP), a school-based program originally developed for fourth-sixth- grade suburban children. CODIP'S main goal is to mitigate the behavioral and emotional problems that occur in the wake of divorce. The program promotes support, helps children identify and express divorce-related feelings, clarifies divorce-related concepts and misconceptions, and develops relevant coping skills as well as positive self- and family perceptions. Participants were compared with 52 divorce controls and 81 demographically matched children from intact families on child, parent, and teacher measures of adjustment. The experimental group improved significantly more than nonprogram groups from multiple perspectives, suggesting that the intervention enhanced children's ability to cope with the stressful experiences often associated with parental divorce.
You're Changed if You Do and Changed if You Don't: Mechanisms Underlying Paradoxical InterventionsShoham-Salomon, Varda; Avner, Ruth; Neeman, Rivka
doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.590pmid: N/A
We examined 2 mechanisms of change under paradoxical interventions: reactance and increased sense of self-efficacy. Procrastinating college students were randomly assigned to either paradoxical or self-control interventions. Effective study time and perceived self-efficacy were measured before and after treatment. In Study 1 nonverbal measure of initial reactance was employed. In Study 2 reactance was experimentally manipulated. Under paradoxical interventions, Ss higher on initial reactance benefited more from therapy than did Ss with low reactance; nonreactant Ss did not increase their effective study time, but they did improve in perceived efficacy to control their procrastination: increased study time was negatively correlated with increased self-efficacy. In self-control treatment, increased study time was accompanied by increased self-efficacy. Paradoxical interventions seem to reduce procrastination through the mechanism of reactance in some clients, whereas in others they lead to a cognitive change, possibly mediating a subsequent behavior change.
You're Changed if You Do and Changed if You Don't: Mechanisms Underlying Paradoxical Interventionsdoi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.590pmid: N/A
We examined 2 mechanisms of change under paradoxical interventions: reactance and increased sense of self-efficacy. Procrastinating college students were randomly assigned to either paradoxical or self-control interventions. Effective study time and perceived self-efficacy were measured before and after treatment. In Study 1 nonverbal measure of initial reactance was employed. In Study 2 reactance was experimentally manipulated. Under paradoxical interventions, Ss higher on initial reactance benefited more from therapy than did Ss with low reactance; nonreactant Ss did not increase their effective study time, but they did improve in perceived efficacy to control their procrastination: increased study time was negatively correlated with increased self-efficacy. In self-control treatment, increased study time was accompanied by increased self-efficacy. Paradoxical interventions seem to reduce procrastination through the mechanism of reactance in some clients, whereas in others they lead to a cognitive change, possibly mediating a subsequent behavior change.
Psychodynamic Formulation, Consensual Response Method, and Interpersonal ProblemsHorowitz, Leonard M.; Rosenberg, Saul E.; Ureño, Gilbert; Kalehzan, B. Michelle; O'Halloran, Patrick
doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.599pmid: N/A
We describe a new method for aggregating psychodynamic formulations of independent clinicians. 15 patients (10 female and 5 male, aged 23–41) were interviewed before they began brief dynamic psychotherapy. Different panels of 8 formulators (drawn from a pool of 72 psychodynamic clinicians with 10–38 years of clinical experience) observed each videotaped interview and wrote individual formulations. The text of each formulation was divided into thought-units, and thought-units that occurred 3 or more times were combined into a final consensual formulation. (One case was formulated twice to demonstrate the replicability of the method.) Other clinical raters then read each consensual formulation and judged, for a list of interpersonal problems, whether each problem was apt to be distressing for that patient. The raters were very successful in predicting which problems were later discussed in treatment. Predictions were best for formulations with a high proportion of interpersonal content.
Psychodynamic Formulation, Consensual Response Method, and Interpersonal Problemsdoi: 10.1037/0022-006X.57.5.599pmid: N/A
We describe a new method for aggregating psychodynamic formulations of independent clinicians. 15 patients (10 female and 5 male, aged 23–41) were interviewed before they began brief dynamic psychotherapy. Different panels of 8 formulators (drawn from a pool of 72 psychodynamic clinicians with 10–38 years of clinical experience) observed each videotaped interview and wrote individual formulations. The text of each formulation was divided into thought-units, and thought-units that occurred 3 or more times were combined into a final consensual formulation. (One case was formulated twice to demonstrate the replicability of the method.) Other clinical raters then read each consensual formulation and judged, for a list of interpersonal problems, whether each problem was apt to be distressing for that patient. The raters were very successful in predicting which problems were later discussed in treatment. Predictions were best for formulations with a high proportion of interpersonal content.