Patients' individual differences in implicit and explicit expectations from the therapist as a function of attachment...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Attachment Theory

Background:

• Patient attachment orientation significantly predicts psychotherapy process and outcomes.
• Understanding patient expectations from therapists is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if patients' attachment orientation predicts implicit and explicit expectations of their therapist.
• To determine if the therapist becoming an attachment figure moderates this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Two studies involving 308 participants were conducted.
• Developed and utilized measures for implicit (lexical decision task) and explicit therapist expectations.
• Assessed individual differences in expectations based on attachment orientation at different treatment stages.

Main Results:

• Attachment-anxious individuals did not report fewer positive expectations explicitly early in treatment.
• Attachment-anxious individuals demonstrated lower accessibility of positive expectations implicitly.
• The therapist's role as an attachment figure potentially mitigated negative effects of attachment anxiety as treatment progressed.

Conclusions:

• Patient attachment orientation influences both implicit and explicit expectations in psychotherapy.
• Implicit expectations are more sensitive to attachment anxiety than explicit ones.
• Therapeutic alliance development may buffer against attachment-related difficulties in therapy expectations.