The purpose of this paper is to review and critique the literature on Luborsky's contributions to process and outcome research on dynamic psychotherapy. Luborsky focused on the following key curative factors: (1) helping alliance; (2) transference; (3) transference interpretations; (4) psychiatric severity; and (5) self-understanding. His major…

Research has shown that optimistic and pessimistic outcome expectancy evaluations are associated with adaptive and maladaptive levels of psychological functioning, physical wellness, and health recovery issues. The research of M. F. Scheier, C. S. Carver, M. E. P. Seligman, and C. R. Snyder supports the hypothesis that elevated optimism or…

Nonbehavioral approaches to marital therapy have only recently become subject to empirical validation in contrast to extensively researched behavioral approaches. Behavioral marital therapy outcome research was examined as a reference point for evaluating the outcome studies of four nonbehavioral marital approaches: insight-oriented, cognitive,…

The costs associated with alcohol abuse are staggering. Because of the pervasiveness of alcohol abuse, virtually every psychological practitioner will encounter it. This paper reviews literature about a number of common treatments for abusive drinkers. Specific treatment procedures are evaluated from both research and clinical perspectives.…

This paper reviews the literature on autism in general and examines in some detail the research on the Lovaas method of early intervention. The general review is divided into subsections which cover the following topics: historical perspectives, definition of autism, causes of autism, characteristics of people with autism, diagnostic criteria,…

This review focuses on empirical studies with pre- and post-test measures of functioning that have attempted to assess the benefits of psychotherapy with schizophrenics. The first part of the review concentrates on various subgroups of schizophrenia, which appear to be influenced by subject variables and manifest clinical symptomatology. The…

This paper is a review of literature regarding internalization of Western culture's thin-ideal. The media's portrayal of a thin-ideal associates success and beauty with being thin. Research has shown that exposure to the culture's thin-ideal does not necessarily lead to eating pathology, but those who internalize the standard are more likely to…

This paper examines the relationship between clinical psychology and the health care system. The first part reviews the empirical Axis I disorders with patients who also have a comorbid DSM-IV diagnosed personality disorder. While the understanding and treatment of AI disorders have improved, severe limitations exist when patients use the health…

Sexual offenses have a serious impact on individuals and society at large. Most victims know the offender; few victims report the offense; not all reports result in arrests; not all arrests result in conviction; and not all convictions result in incarceration. This paper reviews the literature related to psychotherapeutic treatment of male sex…

This document reviews outcome studies on the long- and short-term treatment of depression and critiques the methodologies used in these studies. Twenty-four studies comparing length of treatment and outcome of psychotherapy are included in the review. The majority of the studies reviewed involved individual adult outpatients as subjects. The terms…

This paper describes the outcomes of an action research project that implemented a program for increasing social-emotional functioning and improving academic achievement in 18 high school students with social and emotional disabilities. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that these students lacked a sense of affiliation to the high school…

This paper focuses on several prescribed interventions used to elicit and meet the needs of children with autism. Three intervention strategies that affect behavior modification of children with autism are discussed: (1) early intensive behavioral treatment; (2) social interaction between children with a disability and their typical peers; and (3)…

This paper reviews the literature on the ongoing effects of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. It notes that 66 percent of individuals diagnosed with ADD or ADHD as children continue to experience one or more symptoms as adults, most commonly restlessness, distractibility, and…