Rom,
Asaph (5/10) The relationship among patients’ maturity of defense mechanisms,
the working alliance and self-disclosure in outpatient psychotherapy (Lisa
Samstag, Ph.D.; Gary Kose, Ph.D.; Howard Mcguire, Ph.D.)
The role the working alliance plays in the
relationship among patient maturity of defense mechanisms and their
self-disclosure patterns was examined. Transcripts of early outpatient
psychotherapy sessions of 30 therapist-patient dyads were analyzed for patient
global defense score using Vaillant's Q-sort (1992) and for patient
self-disclosure patterns using Verbal Response Modes (VRM; Stiles, 1992). Cases
from a wide range of patient-rated alliance scores were selected representing
both good and poor alliances. The results of the statistical analyses indicated
that the working alliance significantly moderated the relationship between
patients' global defense score and their self- disclosing patterns.
Furthermore, the working alliance was also found to significantly moderate the
relationship between patients' global defense score and their story-telling self
disclosure patterns. The contribution of these findings and their implications
for future psychotherapy research are discussed. The methodological and
theoretical implications are also discussed.
