Towards assessing the therapeutic value of Rogers's core conditions

Despite the considerable research generated by Roger's hypothesis that the only factor responsible for therapeutic effectiveness is the degree to which the patient perceives the therapist as being unconditionally accepting, empathic and congruent, an adequate test of the causal nature of this proposition has not as yet been carried out. Consequently, the therapeutic value of these core conditions remains unknown. The way in which the causal nature of this hypothesis should be investigated is discussed, pointing out mistaken proposals made by earlier reviewers and drawing attention to the ethical and practical difficulties which manipulation of the core conditions may entail. In the absence of stronger support for the therapeutic role of the core conditions, it is argued that it may be preferable to initially explore the causal nature and relative strengths of their effects by conducting a more naturalistic panel study in which both the core conditions and therapeutic outcome are assessed at two or more points in the course of therapy. The most appropriate statistical techniques for analysing such panel data are outlined.