Subjective Objectivity: Therapists' Affection and Successful Psychotherapy

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Abstract
A recent review of research on the outcome of psychotherapy led to the conclusion that patients who are better liked by therapists show greater improvement in treatment. Although a closer analysis of the relevant studies suggested that the findings were contradictory and inconclusive, a pattern was discernible: it appeared that liked patients tended to improve more than less-liked patients only when therapists' ratings of improvement were used but not when objective measures of outcome were employed. This study tested that pattern. Therapists' affection for patients was tested for association with improvements as rated by therapists and as reflected in objective test and interview measures. The results showed a significant link between therapists' affection and ratings of patients' improvement, but no significant relationship between therapists' affection and independent outcome data. Thus the pattern was confirmed. The analyses also yielded no significant relationship between therapists' outcome ratings and improvement measured by test data. It is suggested that therapists guard against extraneous influence in judgments of outcome and that objective outcome measures be used in conjunction with therapists' ratings.