Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies?
Abstract Objectives: Therapy expectations and attitudes towards psychotherapy contribute substantially to the outcome, process and duration of psychotherapy. The a priori use of role model videos seems to be promising for changing expectations and attitudes towards psychotherapy. In contrast, underl...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00952-z |
| _version_ | 1828095763854393344 |
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| author | Kristina Braun-Koch Winfried Rief Sarah Teige-Mocigemba |
| author_facet | Kristina Braun-Koch Winfried Rief Sarah Teige-Mocigemba |
| author_sort | Kristina Braun-Koch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objectives: Therapy expectations and attitudes towards psychotherapy contribute substantially to the outcome, process and duration of psychotherapy. The a priori use of role model videos seems to be promising for changing expectations and attitudes towards psychotherapy. In contrast, underlying mechanisms, like identifying with the role model, have been sparsely investigated in studies so far. For instance, the effects of similarities and differences between the role model and the observer are not clear yet. Methods: A total of 158 persons were recruited and randomly assigned to four groups. In one of three experimental groups, participants watched an expectation-optimised video with patients giving information about their mostly positive therapy outcomes (positive model). Two further experimental groups saw the same video, but either received instructions to focus on similarities (similarity group) or on differences (discrepancy group) between the patients and themselves. A further control group watched a video with patients who gave information about their symptoms. As the primary outcome variable, we assessed attitudes towards psychotherapy using the Questionnaire on Attitudes towards Psychotherapy (QAPT). It was filled in before and after watching the video and after a two-week follow-up period. Results: Contrary to the hypotheses, the discrepancy group and the experimental group without further intervention (positive model) showed significant improvements in their attitudes towards psychotherapy after watching the video, while such an effect was not found in the similarity group or control group. Conclusion: Focusing on similarities between patient examples and the observer does not support a change in therapy expectations or attitudes through observation, while a positive video model without instructions, or with the instruction to focus on differences does. Attentional interference and depth of cognitive evaluation are discussed as possible reasons. Trial registration: Ethical approval (2018-19k) was obtained from the ethics committee of the Psychological Department, University of Marburg, and the trial was registered at Aspredicted.org (#22,205; 16.04.2019). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:18:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5db9ecbb66774fab9e6582929947ebdf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T07:18:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5db9ecbb66774fab9e6582929947ebdf2022-12-22T04:37:50ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832022-12-0110111210.1186/s40359-022-00952-zChanging attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies?Kristina Braun-Koch0Winfried Rief1Sarah Teige-Mocigemba2Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University MarburgDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University MarburgDepartment of Personality and Diagnostics, Psychological Diagnostics, Philipps-UniversityAbstract Objectives: Therapy expectations and attitudes towards psychotherapy contribute substantially to the outcome, process and duration of psychotherapy. The a priori use of role model videos seems to be promising for changing expectations and attitudes towards psychotherapy. In contrast, underlying mechanisms, like identifying with the role model, have been sparsely investigated in studies so far. For instance, the effects of similarities and differences between the role model and the observer are not clear yet. Methods: A total of 158 persons were recruited and randomly assigned to four groups. In one of three experimental groups, participants watched an expectation-optimised video with patients giving information about their mostly positive therapy outcomes (positive model). Two further experimental groups saw the same video, but either received instructions to focus on similarities (similarity group) or on differences (discrepancy group) between the patients and themselves. A further control group watched a video with patients who gave information about their symptoms. As the primary outcome variable, we assessed attitudes towards psychotherapy using the Questionnaire on Attitudes towards Psychotherapy (QAPT). It was filled in before and after watching the video and after a two-week follow-up period. Results: Contrary to the hypotheses, the discrepancy group and the experimental group without further intervention (positive model) showed significant improvements in their attitudes towards psychotherapy after watching the video, while such an effect was not found in the similarity group or control group. Conclusion: Focusing on similarities between patient examples and the observer does not support a change in therapy expectations or attitudes through observation, while a positive video model without instructions, or with the instruction to focus on differences does. Attentional interference and depth of cognitive evaluation are discussed as possible reasons. Trial registration: Ethical approval (2018-19k) was obtained from the ethics committee of the Psychological Department, University of Marburg, and the trial was registered at Aspredicted.org (#22,205; 16.04.2019).https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00952-zTherapy expectationAttitudes towards psychotherapyViolEx modelExpectation violationVideo intervention |
| spellingShingle | Kristina Braun-Koch Winfried Rief Sarah Teige-Mocigemba Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies? BMC Psychology Therapy expectation Attitudes towards psychotherapy ViolEx model Expectation violation Video intervention |
| title | Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies? |
| title_full | Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies? |
| title_fullStr | Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies? |
| title_short | Changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations: are similarities more important than discrepancies? |
| title_sort | changing attitudes towards psychotherapy via social observations are similarities more important than discrepancies |
| topic | Therapy expectation Attitudes towards psychotherapy ViolEx model Expectation violation Video intervention |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-022-00952-z |
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