Clinical Psych Keyterms (11)

Front 1

A control group whose members meet regularly with a clinician but receive no “active” treatment.

Back 1

Attention Only Control Group

Front 2

The release of emotions

Back 2

Catharsis

Front 3

A set of features that characterize many therapy orientations and that may be the source of the positive changes effected by psychological treatment.

Back 3

Common Factors

Front 4

In psychotherapy research, the group that does not receive the treatment under investigation

Back 4

Control Group

Front 5

The changeability of a condition or behavior. (The “deeper” the condition, the less changeable it is perceived to be.)

Back 5

The Depth of the Problem

Front 6

The size of the treatment effect (determined statistically).

Back 6

Effect Size

Front 7

Studies that emphasize external validity and the representativeness of the treatment that is administered. A treatment is considered effective to the extent that clients report clinically significant benefit from the treatment

Back 7

Effectiveness Studies

Front 8

Studies that place a premium on internal validity by controlling the types of clients in the study, by standardizing the treatments, and by randomly assigning patients to treatment or no-treatment groups.

Back 8

Efficacy Studies

Front 9

to the extent that the average person receiving the treatment in clinical trials is demonstrated to be significantly less dysfunctional than the average person not receiving any treatment (e.g., those on a waiting list for treatment).

Back 9

Efficacious (Efficacy Studies)

Front 10

Treatments for various psychological conditionsthat have been shown through careful empiricalstudy to be either “well established” or “probably efficacious.”

Back 10

empirically supported treatments (ESTs)

Front 11

A list of ESTs is updated and published periodically by the APA’s Division of Clinical Psychology.

Back 11

empirically supported treatments (ESTs)

Front 12

Those interventions or techniques that have produced significant change in clients and patients in controlled trials.

Back 12

evidence-based treatments (EBTs)

Front 13

Treatments informed by a number of sources, including scientific evidence about the intervention, clinical expertise, and patient needs and preferences.

Back 13

Evidence Based Practice (EBP)

Front 14

The therapist’s demonstration of competence

Back 14

Expert Role

Front 15

In the context of psychotherapy, the achievement of understanding the nature and origins of one’s problems.

Back 15

Insight

Front 16

In the context of psychotherapy, the therapist’s conceptualization of the meaning behind the patient’s experiences or behaviors

Back 16

Interpretation

Front 17

Psychotherapeutic treatment that is presented and described in a standardized, manual format (i.e., outlining the rationales, goals, and techniques that correspond to each phase of the treatment).

Back 17

Manualized Treatment

Front 18

The acquisition of a high level of knowledge or skill.

Back 18

Mastery

Front 19

One goal of psychotherapy may be for the patient to develop competence/ mastery in a particular area.

Back 19

Mastery

Front 20

A method of research in which one compiles all studies relevant to a topic or question and combines the results statistically.

Back 20

Meta Analysis

Front 21

Factors that are not specific to any particular therapy orientation yet contribute to a positive treatment outcome (e.g., the expectation that one will improve).

Back 21

Nonspecific Factors

Front 22

In psychotherapy research,indicators of patient functioning following treatment, used to gauge the treatmenteffectiveness.

Back 22

Outcome Measures

Front 23

Individuals without advanced education in psychology who have been trained to assist professional mental health workers.

Back 23

Paraprofessionals

Front 24

How well a patient is getting along across a number of domains (e.g., psychological, social/interpersonal, occupational).

Back 24

Patient Functioning

Front 25

Research that investigates the specific events that occur in the course of the interaction between therapist and patient. Some therapy processes have been shown to relate to treatment outcome.

Back 25

Process Research

Front 26

A method of inducing changes in a person’s behavior, thoughts, or feelings.

Back 26

Psychological Intervention

Front 27

A series of stages that represent a given client’s readiness for change in psychotherapy.

Back 27

Stages of Change

Front 28

Stages of Changes (6)

Back 28

1. precontemplation,

2. contemplation, 3. preparation,

4. action,

5. maintenance,

6. termination.

Front 29

The relationship between therapist and patient. The forging of a strong therapeutic alliance is believed to be of primary importance for therapeutic change.

Back 29

Therapeutic Alliance

Front 30

In psychotherapy research, the group that receives the treatment under investigation.

Back 30

Treatment Group

Front 31

A control group whose members receive treatment only after the study is completed.

Back 31

Waiting List Control Group