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Therapeutic techniques vs therapeutic relationships in child behavior therapy
Psychological Reports
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Behavior therapy outcomes depend on both the therapeutic relationship and specific techniques. While parents prioritize the relationship, research shows techniques significantly correlate with clinical improvement in children.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Behavior therapy is a common treatment for children.
- The relative importance of therapeutic relationship versus specific techniques is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parent and therapist perceptions of the therapeutic relationship and techniques in child behavior therapy.
- To examine the correlation between these factors and clinical outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Parents (n=56) and therapists rated the importance of the therapeutic relationship and techniques.
- All parties rated the child's improvement and functioning.
- Statistical correlations were calculated between variables.
Main Results:
- Parents rated the relationship as more important than techniques.
- Techniques showed a statistically significant correlation with clinical outcome, unlike the relationship.
- Therapists reported greater child improvement than parents.
Conclusions:
- Specific techniques in behavior therapy are significantly linked to clinical outcomes.
- Both relationship and techniques are perceived as important, but techniques demonstrate stronger statistical association with improvement.