In an era where the effectiveness of many forms of psychotherapy has been thoroughly examined, the focus of many researchers has shifted from investigating outcome to exploring therapeutic processes. Process studies serve to identify the active ingredients of therapy—that is, those interventions that bring about in-session changes. This process study examines the relationship between the use of enactments, a structural family therapy intervention, and in-session change as observed over the course of the session. Change was measured by the amount of change that occurred in the core problem dynamic, that is, the most prominent pattern of dysfunctional family interaction. The sample consisted of ten videotaped family therapy sessions, representing ten families and four therapists. Clinician judges rated change on a seven-point Likert-like scale. Trained undergraduate raters rated successfulness of enactments and degree to which enactments and other meaningful moments addressed the core problem dynamic in each session. Pearson Product-Moment correlations were calculated to assess the relationship between change occurring in the core problem dynamic by the end of the session and several variables, including successfulness of enactments, and the extent to which enactments and meaningful moments addressed the problem dynamic. In addition, possible relationships between each of the variables were investigated, as well as relationships between the number of meaningful moments occurring within enactments and successfulness of enactments and extent to which enactments addressed the core problem dynamic. Results suggest a positive relationship between successfulness of enactments and both change in the core problem dynamic at the end of the session and number of meaningful moments occurring in enactments. Implications and limitations are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>In an era where the effectiveness of many forms of psychotherapy has been thoroughly examined, the focus of many researchers has shifted from investigating outcome to exploring therapeutic processes. Process studies serve to identify the active ingredients of therapy—that is, those interventions that bring about in-session changes. This process study examines the relationship between the use of <em>enactments</em>, a structural family therapy intervention, and in-session change as observed over the course of the session. Change was measured by the amount of change that occurred in the <em>core problem dynamic</em>, that is, the most prominent pattern of dysfunctional family interaction. The sample consisted of ten videotaped family therapy sessions, representing ten families and four therapists. Clinician judges rated change on a seven-point Likert-like scale. Trained undergraduate raters rated successfulness of enactments and degree to which enactments and other meaningful moments addressed the core problem dynamic in each session. Pearson Product-Moment correlations were calculated to assess the relationship between change occurring in the core problem dynamic by the end of the session and several variables, including successfulness of enactments, and the extent to which enactments and meaningful moments addressed the problem dynamic. In addition, possible relationships between each of the variables were investigated, as well as relationships between the number of meaningful moments occurring within enactments and successfulness of enactments and extent to which enactments addressed the core problem dynamic. Results suggest a positive relationship between successfulness of enactments and both change in the core problem dynamic at the end of the session and number of meaningful moments occurring in enactments. Implications and limitations are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fellenberg, Stephanie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Michael Nichols","Larry Ventis","Janis Sanchez-Hucles","Glenn Shean","Joy Kannarkat"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:34:31Z","subjects":["Enactments","Family therapy","Clinical Psychology","Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
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"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Contribution of Enactments to Structural Family Therapy: A Process Study"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Michael Nichols","Larry Ventis","Janis Sanchez-Hucles","Glenn Shean","Joy Kannarkat"],"dc:creator":["Fellenberg, Stephanie"],"dc:date.available":["2019-04-08T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In an era where the effectiveness of many forms of psychotherapy has been thoroughly examined, the focus of many researchers has shifted from investigating outcome to exploring therapeutic processes. Process studies serve to identify the active ingredients of therapy—that is, those interventions that bring about in-session changes. This process study examines the relationship between the use of enactments, a structural family therapy intervention, and in-session change as observed over the course of the session. Change was measured by the amount of change that occurred in the core problem dynamic, that is, the most prominent pattern of dysfunctional family interaction. The sample consisted of ten videotaped family therapy sessions, representing ten families and four therapists. Clinician judges rated change on a seven-point Likert-like scale. Trained undergraduate raters rated successfulness of enactments and degree to which enactments and other meaningful moments addressed the core problem dynamic in each session. Pearson Product-Moment correlations were calculated to assess the relationship between change occurring in the core problem dynamic by the end of the session and several variables, including successfulness of enactments, and the extent to which enactments and meaningful moments addressed the problem dynamic. In addition, possible relationships between each of the variables were investigated, as well as relationships between the number of meaningful moments occurring within enactments and successfulness of enactments and extent to which enactments addressed the core problem dynamic. Results suggest a positive relationship between successfulness of enactments and both change in the core problem dynamic at the end of the session and number of meaningful moments occurring in enactments. Implications and limitations are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/psychology_etds/196"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"],"dc:subject":["Enactments","Family therapy","Clinical Psychology","Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy"],"dc:title":["The Contribution of Enactments to Structural Family Therapy: A Process Study"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:34:31Z"}