Analogue observational methods in the assessment of social functioning in adults

This article provides a clinically oriented overview of analogue observational methods used in the assessment of problematic social functioning, specifically skill deficits and social anxiety. This article emphasizes role-play assessment methods, the predominant method used in clinical settings. An examination of the psychometric characteristics of analogue assessment methods is presented, followed by a review of procedural and structural considerations that may impact the quality of assessment data. Of special concern are the potential impacts of instructional variables, structured versus ideographic role-played situations, confederate characteristics and behavior, molar and molecular levels of assessment, self-ratings versus clinician ratings of functioning, and physical attractiveness. Finally, published and empirically evaluated analogue observation tests are critically reviewed with an emphasis on features that may impact their utility in clinical practice.     

Is the Impact of Psychotherapy Processes on Outcomes Already Quacking and Waddling? Comment “A Primer on Psychotherapy Process Research (Pfeifer & Strunk, 2015)”

The article by Pfeifer and Strunk on psychotherapy process research offers a highly thoughtful review on the state of psychotherapy process research in cognitive therapy for depression, and the inherent challenges in establishing causal relationships between process and outcomes. In this commentary, I argue that the goal of internal validity in psychotherapy process research may be unattainable, and possibly unnecessary. Finally, I suggest that psychotherapy process research should shift from “does it affect change?” to “how does it affect change?”, “when does it affect change?”, and “for whom does it affect change?”