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

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.

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© Copyright 2017 Sarah Lynn Schwarz