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The Efficacy of Rational
Emotive Therapy: A Quantitative Review of the Outcome
Research.
Coding Procedures
(Continued)
A rating scheme was developed to
assess the effect of variations in internal validity on
effect size.
- High validity: random assignment,
for subjects and therapists, had a low estimated
attrition rate (¾ 15% dropout rate), and used
outcome measures deemed low in reactivity
- Medium internal validity: random
assignment, or matching for participants and therapists,
but had high estimated attrition rates (>15%), or did
not mention the dropout rate, and used outcome measures
rated medium or low in reactivity
- Low internal validity: non-random
assignment (other than matching), had a high estimated
dropout rate or did not mention the attrition rate and
medium or highly reactive outcome measures.
To assess outcome measure
characteristics of the sample, two coding schemes were used
according to the type of test used for assessment. Coded
outcome measures included:
- Fear and anxiety measures, like
Behavioral Approach Tests, and anxiety
questionnaires
- Standardized test and measures in
common use, like the Irrational Beliefs Test (Jones,
1968), and the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck,
1978)
- Physiological measures, like
galvanic skin response, heart rate, and EEG;
- Unclassified including those
measures which could not be assigned to any of the
previous categories, or there were not enough comparisons
to merit a separate classification.
Test reactivity refers to the degree
of similarity between the treatment and the test measures.
The reactivity of the outcome measures was assessed using a
rating scheme adapted from Smith et al (1980).
- Highly reactive measures revealed
or had a direct and obvious relationship with the
treatment. This category also included nonblind symptom
ratings by the therapist ; behavioral approach tests
assessed by the experimenter, and in the case of RET
oriented treatments, irrational beliefs tests
- Medium reactive measures were
defined as standard test and measures with a minimal
connection to the therapy. Examples included the MMPI and
the Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory (Spielberger, Gorsuch, & Lushene, 1970) for
therapies not explicitly treating depression or
anxiety
- Low reactive measures included
those test and measures not easily influenced by the
parties involved. Examples include galvanic skin response
and other physiological measures; grade point average;
blind ratings and decisions; and blind discharge from
hospital.
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