Session specific measurement of the working alliance
Date
2020
Authors
Powner, Joshua, author
Quirk, Kelley, advisor
Luong, Gloria, committee member
Harman, Jennifer, committee member
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Abstract
The psychotherapy working alliance is a dynamic construct that may exhibit periods of strength or periods of strain. However, current methods to assess the working alliance is problematic in identifying fluctuations. Assessing fluctuations may allow for better tracking of the working alliance, which in turn may help therapists to tailor their approaches accordingly. The current study developed and evaluated the Session Specific Alliance Measure (SSAM), examining its reliability as well as construct, concurrent, and predictive validity. A small sample (N = 47) of clients treated by 14 therapists were surveyed at a university health clinic. Findings in the current study reflect only one wave of data, despite attempts to collect multiple waves of data. These findings support the SSAM to reliably assess the working alliance as well as support its construct validity. However, findings failed to support the SSAM's concurrent and predictive validity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
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Subject
reliability
SSAM
working alliance
session specific alliance measure
psychotherapy
validity