Parallel Process: An Empirical Investigation

<p>The purpose of the present study was to conduct an empirical investigation of parallel process. The study used a cross-sectional design in which 30 therapy relationships and the corresponding supervision relationships were studied. The therapist assessed the behavior manifested by the patient during a targeted therapy session. Following the subsequent supervision session, the supervisor assessed the behavior manifested by the supervisee during the supervision session. In addition, each of the triad participants (patient, therapist, supervisor) rated the level of anxiety they experienced during the targeted therapy and supervision sessions. Measures of interpersonal style for each of the subjects were also obtained.</p> <p>Correlations were computed between each therapy relationship and the corresponding supervision relationship. The correlations were formed by pairing the therapist's rating of the patient's behavior during the targeted therapy session with the supervisor's rating of the supervisee's behavior during the targeted supervision session.</p> <p>In 67 percent of the triads the Pearson product-moment correlations were significant. Across all triads, 20 percent of the variation in the patient's behavior during the targeted therapy session could be accounted for by the variation in the supervisee's behavior during the targeted supervision session.</p> <p>Regression analyses were used to investigate conditions which might facilitate the occurrence of parallel process. No relationship was found between the level of anxiety experienced by the subjects during the targeted sessions and the occurrence of parallel process. The level of complementarity, as derived by the pairings in interpersonal styles between the participants in each relationship, also failed to predict the occurrence of parallel process.</p> <p>The results of a two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated that the behavioral profile obtained by patients was similar to the profile obtained by supervisees. The finding suggested that helpees, whether patients or supervisees, tended to manifest similar behaviors. It was concluded that the occurrence of parallel process may be due to the similarity in role relationship between the patient and therapist in therapy and the supervisee and supervisor in supervision.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

1990

Author dc:creator

• Pollack, Thomas E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Neill Watson
• Janis Sanchez-Hucles
• Glenn Shean
• Donald Kiesler
• Janet Finch

• Empirical investigation
• Parallel process
• Cross-sectional design
• Love-hate relationships
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> 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).</p>

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/psychology_etds/301

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:psychology_etds-1306