Preconditions and Consequences of Transference Interpretations

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Abstract
The preconditions and consequences of transference interpretations by quantitative and clinical methods were studied. The 3 specimen psychoanalytic treatments studied most by clinical-quantitative research were selected. The main data consisted of 16 interpretation contexts per patient. The context of each interpretation included 250 patient words before and 250 patients words after the interpretation. Three judges independently rated these before and after segments for each of the 16 samples from each of the 3 patients. Judges tended to agree highly in rating these segments on 9 variables. The before vs. after ratings showed that each patient had a different but individually typical response to the 16 interpretations, ranging from patient A who usually showed a negative response, to patient B who showed some positive response, to patient C who showed a very positive response. For the 3 patients there was a parallel between the positivity of the immediate response to interpretations and the outcome of treatment. Patient factors seem central in explaining the bases for the different response of each of the 3 patients to transference interpretations. The Health-Sickness Rating Scale ratings showed that patient A and patient B were less healthy initially than patient C; healthier patients may be able to respond better to transference interpretations. The analyses of the segments before the interpretation revealed that even before the interpretation there were differences in the 3 patients. These were consistent with the differing responses to interpretation. The patient''s readiness to experience a helping relationship was probably significant in explaining the differing response of the 3 patients to interpretations. They already differed in this experience by the 3rd-5th sessions; these differences paralleled their response to interpretation.

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