Why Do and Don’t People Change? The Therapeutic Process of Change

Process of Change Key elements? –Affect? –Cognition? –Behaviors? Therapeutic change? –Effectiveness & process? –Power of suggestion? ‘mesmerization’ & placebo

Psychotherapy Affective change central Gestalt - ‘free your self’, Scream therapy Psychoanalysis –Recall of early memories, anxiety, trauma –Cathartic abreaction (reduce anxiety) Modern studies suggest this does not work –Transference & emotional insight ‘…corrective emotional experience.’ (Alexander, 1956)

Psychotherapy Rogerian Therapy –Integrate feelings into self-concept –Being true to oneself and one’s feelings –Central is therapeutic climate Unconditional positive regard Empathy for client Congruence between self and expression

Behavior Change Pathology = learned maladaptive behavior –Change behaviors not feelings –Reinforcers & punishers

Activity 15: Cognitive Change In groups of 3-4 address these issues: –According to this approach what is central to therapeutic change? Describe RET. How does this work? Do you think this would result in change for most people? Of all three types of therapy which do you think would be most effective? Explain. PLEASE TURN THESE IN AFTER CLASS!

Day 2

Does Psychotherapy work? Complicated issue –What type of change? Clinical problems, personality, basic functioning –How to measure it? Patient reports, therapist reports, behavioral observations?

Does Psychotherapy work? Yes! –Most forms studied work about the same –Wampold, et al. (1997) –Seligman (1995) Dodo bird effect Why?

Common Therapeutic Ingredients Hope Climate Self-efficacy Disclosure –Finding meaning –Self-concept & regulation –Social ties

Specific Therapeutic Ingredients Little supportive evidence

Why Don’t People Change? Poor therapy Environments maintain pattern of BTFs Irrational beliefs linger Self-verification theory Resistance

Big Picture Qs What is personality? –Motives, cognitions & life stories, traits How does personality develop? –Biology, genes, evolution –Environment Does personality change? –Yes and no - it all depends