Year of Award

2017

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Clinical Psychology

Department or School/College

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Jennifer Waltz

Commitee Members

Bryan Cochran, Nadine Wisniewski, Cheryl Van Denburg, Martha Silverman

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

Background: Social connection and emotional intimacy are important aspects of the human experience and are directly related to physical and mental health outcomes. Thus, a common goal of FAP is increasing a client’s capacity for close social connections and emotional intimacy by integrating evocative interventions. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of interpersonal interactions that included in-the-moment comments, including self-disclosures of reactions on the part of an interviewer, on the sense of closeness and connection experienced by an interviewee. Method: Participants (N =54) were recruited from the University of Montana and completed an analogue interview in one of two conditions: Control or Evoking. Participants’ sense of connection to the interviewer was assessed via several self-report measures. Results: ANCOVAs were conducted to look at the relationship between condition and emotional intimacy/feelings of connectedness while controlling for other variables. The results of the study supported the main hypothesis: individuals in the Evoking condition reported greater feelings of connection, trust and alliance with their interviewers than those in the Control condition. Discussion: The current study adds to this line of research by taking a first step toward addressing FAP’s Rule Two: evoke CRBs and adds to our confidence that the proposed components (FAP’s five rules) are important mechanisms of change in FAP.

Download

This record is only available
to users affiliated with
the University of Montana.

Request Access

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2017 Sarah Lynn Schwarz