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Perfectionistic self-presentation in group therapy : interpersonal behaviours and therapeutic process factors

University of British Columbia

The study investigates the associations among perfectionistic self-presentation, interpersonal difficulties, and the process of group therapy based on predictions from the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model. The study aims to determine whether perfectionistic self-presentation negatively impacts the group therapy process generally and on change over the course of the treatment block. The study also aims to determine whether interpersonal difficulties intervene on the negative associations among perfectionistic self-presentation and group therapy processes. Sixty-nine patients within nine groups attending the Southdown Institute and receiving intensive psychodynamic interpersonal group treatment participated in the study. Patients completed the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale (PSPS; Hewitt et al., 2003), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP; Horowitz et al., 1988), the Impact Message Inventory (IMI; Kiesler & Schmidt, 1993) - patient ratings of therapists, the California Psychotherapy Alliance Scales - Group (CALPAS-G; Marmar et al., 1989), and the Curative Climate Inventory (CCI; Furhiman et al., 1986) over the course of one week of daily group therapy. Multilevel modeling analyses were used to analyze direct effects among perfectionistic self-presentation facets and alliance scales and climate factors, as well as indirect effects through interpersonal variables. Perfectionistic self-presentation facets were associated negatively with total alliance and patient contribution scales of the alliance, and positively with interpersonal problems. Perfectionistic self-presentation facets were not associated with change in alliance over the course of the treatment block, with climate factors, or with patients' ratings of therapists' interpersonal impact. Findings suggest that perfectionistic self-presentation influences interpersonal problems and the process of group therapy; however, there was no support for an indirect and intervening role for interpersonal variables in the associations among perfectionistic self-presentation and therapeutic group processes.

Text

2018-08-14

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/66772

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/