Examination of the Relation Between Interpersonal Complementarity and the Working Alliance Within the Context of Brief Psychotherapy

The third session of therapy for twenty-four client and counselor dyads at three university counseling centers was analyzed to examine the relation between complementarity and the working alliance. The Interpersonal Communication Rating Scale - Revised (ICRS-R; Strong, Hills, & Nelson, 1988) was used to rate each audiotaped session and determine levels of total, friendly and hostile complementarity. A test of hypothesized circular order relations was performed for each dyad yielding a correspondence index (CI value; Hubert and Arabie, 1987) for total, friendly, and hostile complementarity for each dyad. Correlations were performed between CI values for therapist total, friendly, and hostile complementarity and both therapist and client ratings of the working alliance, and client total, friendly, and hostile complementarity and both therapist and client ratings of the working alliance. Results suggest statistically significant relations between therapist total and friendly complementarity and therapist ratings of the working alliance. No significant relations were demonstrated between client ratings of the working alliance and therapist or client complementarity. Implications of these results, limitations, and directions for future research are presented.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Ryan, Jennifer Marie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Terence J.G.Tracey

• Psychology, Clinical

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9996680

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/80454