A-B therapist "types" and responses to patient-communicated hostility: An analogue study

In prior research by B. J. Betz and R. C. Carson (see 41:5, 41:9) A and B therapists obtained relatively better outcomes with schizophrenic and neurotic patients, respectively. Recent research suggests that 1 basis for these performance differences might lie in therapist-patient "complementarity" with respect to extrapunitive (E) vs. intropunitive (I) modes of handling anger; presumably, As would (E) vs. intropunitive (I) modes of handling anger; presumably, As would respond more effictively to E cues and Bs to I cues in patients To test this theory 90 undergraduate male As, ABs (middles), and Bs wrote self-selected "helpful" responses to brief, tape-recorded patient communications (E and I). Only limited support was obtained for analyses of the helping responses themselves. The predicted interaction effects were supported for Ss' evaluations of their helping performances. As paired with the E and Bs paired with the I patient were more satisfied than Ss oppositely paired (p < .05). Satisfaction ratings varied inversely with Ss' perceived similarity to the patients (p < .02).