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A comparison of process notes and tape recordings. Implications for therapy research
Archives of General Psychiatry
|May 1, 1976
Summary
Psychotherapy process notes can reliably capture thematic shifts in patient memories, despite being condensed and containing distortions compared to original recordings. This validates their use in specific psychotherapy research focusing on temporal changes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- Traditional views question the objectivity of psychotherapy process notes for research.
- This study explores the utility of process notes for analyzing thematic shifts over time.
Observation:
- Taped patient memories were compared with analyst's process notes.
- Three memory types were analyzed: father, mother, and repetitive memories.
Findings:
- Process notes contained fewer memories, were condensed, and introduced data distortions.
- Independent raters confirmed that process notes accurately identified key thematic shifts across all memory types.
Implications:
- Process notes are a viable data source for psychotherapy research on thematic evolution.
- Findings support the use of clinical records for objective analysis of therapeutic change.