Role expectations and symmetrical/complementary therapeutic relationships.

Abstract

Twenty-five tape-recorded initial therapy interviews were rated on the process variable of topic determination, which was indicative of the type of relationship (either complementary or symmetrical) between client and therapist. Topic determination was defined as the ratio of successful topic changes to topic change initiations. It was hypothesized that matched client-therapist role expectations would be related to a complementary relationship, as determined by a high degree of topic determination. Conversely non-matched client-therapist role expectations would be related to a symmetrical relationship, as determined by a low degree of topic determination. The role expectations of each of the participants, the client and the therapist, were analyzed for their effect upon the degree of topic determination for the therapeutic relationship as a whole, and for the client and the therapist individually. Matched client-therapist role expectations produced a greater degree of topic determination for the relationship, the client and the therapist individually than non-matched client-therapist role expectations. It was concluded that the matched/non-matched client-therapist role expectations is an important variable in determining whether the subsequent therapeutic relationship would be complementary or symmetrical.This study is based on portions of a master's thesis submitted by the first author, under the direction of the second author, to the Counseling Department, University of Kansas. The authors wish to thank David Millar for his important contributions in tape rating, and Douglas Glassnapp, a member of the thesis committee, for his helpful suggestions and comments.

Control in Counseling: Intrapersonal Versus Interpersonal Definitions

“…First, the proportion of topic initiations (TI) to total responses was used to reflect the intrapersonal definition of control. The second variable was topic determination (TD) (Tracey et al, 1981), which was defined as the proportion of topic inititions by one participant that were subsequently followed by the other participant. This variable reflected the extent to which topic initiations actually resulted in new topics of conversation and was thus an interpersonal measure of control.…”

“…Specifically, the proportion of topic initiations, the intrapersonal definition of control, was correlated to the proportion of topic initiations that were subsequently followed, the interpersonal definition. This second measure was labeled topic determination by Tracey (Tracey, Heck, & Lichtenberg, 1981;Tracey & Ray, 1984). These two measures of control were derived for both the client and the counselor and were later compared.…”

Stages of successful time-limited counseling: An interactional examination.

“…If, on the other hand, the second participant does not accept the initiated topic, a symmetrical interaction occurs because each participant has equal status, with each initiating and no topic being agreed upon or accepted. Tracey, Heck, and Lichtenberg (1981) used this definition of complementarity and symmetrical interactions and derived the index of topic determination, which they defined as the proportion of topic initiations that were subsequently followed (the number of complementary interactions over the total number of interactions). This index of topic determination was reflective of the degree of complementarity evidenced in a relationship, and it was related to whether client and counselor role expectations of each other were similar or dissimilar.…”

Endringer i samtaleemnene i løpet av psykoterapi: En metode for prosessanalyse med funn fra fire kasusstudier [Topic changes during psychotherapy: A process analysis method with findings from four case studies]

“…Tracey og medarbeidere var saerlig opptatt av hvem av partene som tok initiativ til å skifte samtaleemne (Tracey, 1981;Tracey, Heck & Lichtenberg, 1981). Dette så de som uttrykk for partenes rolleforventninger og for hvem som var mest styrende og strukturerende i terapisamtalen.…”

“…Dette reduserer også antallet topicskifter. Andre forskere, somTracey (1985);Tracey et al, (1981) benyttet flere og mer utvidete kriterier for topicskifter, somgir flere emnekategorier og flere emneskifter. Det kan gi et tydeligere bilde av hvem av partene som dominerer den terapeutiske prosessen gjennom initiativ til topicskifter.…”