The Influence of Expectancy Persuasion Techniques on Socially Anxious Analogue Patients\u27 Treatment Beliefs and Therapeutic Actions

Although patients’ psychotherapy outcome expectations correlate with posttreatment outcome, there is limited research explicating treatment elements that causally influence these expectations. Most relevant studies have focused on varied deliveries of a treatment rationale. Although elements of rationale delivery appear important for altering patients’ expectations, many studies have been marked by methodological shortcomings, such as lack of a control group. In this clinical analogue experiment, I examined the influence of expectancy persuasion methods, delivered in a video-based presentation of a cognitive-behavioral treatment rationale for social anxiety, on analogue patients’ post-rationale treatment beliefs, treatment motivation, social anxiety symptoms, and therapeutic action. One hundred and seventy-eight undergraduates screened for elevated social anxiety, and matched for sex and treatment history, were randomized to the experimental (rationale plus expectancy persuasion video) or comparison (rationale only video) group. Consistent with my hypotheses, there were significant increases across both groups in anxiety change expectations, perceived confidence in using CBT exposure techniques to address social anxiety, and perceived helpfulness of exposure techniques. Counter to my predictions, no other effects of time, group, or their interaction emerged for the various dependent variables. Additionally, exploration of socioeconomic status, conceptualization of social anxiety, and initial anxiety change expectations as potential moderators of group effects on the dependent variables revealed no significant findings. The results underscore the clinical importance of delivering a clear treatment rationale; however, they also suggest that the specific methods for persuading patients’ treatment beliefs and activities may have lacked sufficient potency to augment the effects of general rationale delivery

Patient Outcome Expectations and Credibility Beliefs as Predictors of the Alliance and Treatment Outcome

The clinical relevance of patients’ psychotherapy outcome expectations has been substantiated by a fairly robust correlational literature. Furthermore, as a related yet distinct construct, patients’ treatment credibility beliefs have also been associated with positive treatment outcomes. Addressing several methodological limitations of past research, the current study examined the influence on early adaptive process (patient-psychotherapist alliance quality) and early treatment outcome (patient distress level) of patients’ outcome expectations and credibility beliefs, measured both statically and dynamically with a psychometrically sound self-report instrument. Patients were 110 adult outpatients receiving naturalistically delivered psychotherapy in a community mental health training clinic. The primary research questions were tested with a series of hierarchical multiple regression models, which revealed: (a) An increase in patients’ initial outcome expectations (from baseline to post-session 1) was positively associated with patient rated alliance quality at session 7 (B = 1.28, p \u3c .05), and (b) early (post-session 1) outcome expectations (B = 1.13, p \u3c .05) and credibility beliefs (B = .83, p \u3c .05) significantly predicted patient rated early alliance. The findings further underscore the clinical importance of patients’ treatment beliefs, and they are discussed with respect to their empirical and clinical implications

sj-docx-1-yas-10.1177_0044118X241229733 – Supplemental material for Contributions of Violence Exposure and Traumatic Stress Symptoms to Physical Health Outcomes in Incarcerated Adolescents

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-yas-10.1177_0044118X241229733 for Contributions of Violence Exposure and Traumatic Stress Symptoms to Physical Health Outcomes in Incarcerated Adolescents by Suzanne Perkins, Rebecca M. Ametrano, Marisa Leach, John P. Kobrossi, Joanne Smith-Darden and Sandra A. Graham-Bermann in Youth & Society</p