Brief report: An experimental analogue of consultee “resistance” effects on the consultant's therapeutic behavior—A preliminary investigation.

Abstract

This study presents an experimental analogue of resistance in the consultation process. Using an ABAB reversal design, the experimenter measured the ecological effects of teacher resistant behaviors on consultant therapeutic behavior. The study defined therapeutic behaviors as teaching, confronting and problem identification, analysis, and evaluation statements as outlined by Bergan and Kratochwill (1990). In this study, the author instructed one student from a masters program in behavior analysis that this was a study of resistance in the consultation process with teachers. The experimenter instructed the subjects that analysis of the sessions would determine if any resistance occurred and how they managed it. The teacher was a double agent, in the sense that she was working with the experimenter. The study measured subjects' behavior on therapeutic statements made to the teacher during varying levels of resistant statements made by teachers. The experimenter met with teacher on weekly basis. The experimenter instructed the teacher on the type of session that they were supposed to provide. The experimenter instructed the teachers on when to be resistant and when to be nonresistant in the program. When a stable baseline occurred, the experimenter instructed the teachers to become resistant. The resistance continued for four active sessions. After this phase, the experimenter instructed the teacher to become compliant again for several sessions. When the experimenter observed stability in the data, the experimenter instructed the teacher to become resistant until the end of the study. Key Words: Resistance, experimental analogue, functional analysis, consultation relationship. ********** Resistance can be defined as anything that a client or consultee does that impedes progress (Wickstrom & Witt, 1983). What is termed resistance in consultation can have serious implications for treatment integrity (Wickstrom, Jones, LaFleur & Witt, 1998). Resistance to change in verbal therapies and consultation is a phenomenon that has substantial representation (Cautilli & Santilli-Connor, 2000; Patterson & Chamberlain, 1994) with some early representation within the behavioral literature (e.g., DeVoge & Beck, 1978; Skinner, 1957). Resistance appears to interest a broad spectrum of clinicians both behavioral (e.g., Lazurus & Fay, 1982; Munjack, & Oziel, 1978; DeVoge & Beck, 1978) and non-behavioral (e.g., Mandanes, 1981) in orientation. The Oregon Social Learning Center studied resistance as it occurred in parent training sessions. In one study, Patterson and Forgatch (1985) explored the impact of therapist behavior (the independent variable) on client resistance (dependent variable). These researchers used an ABAB experimental design and observed the resistance displayed by parents in parent training for two conditions. The baseline involved the therapist using verbal behavior to convey or (short statements indicating attention or agreement). In the treatment phase, the behavior of the therapist was to confront and teach. Resistance was measured by a coding system developed by Patterson and colleagues (Chamberlain, Patterson, Reid, Kavanagh, & Forgatch, 1984) which identified as resistant such behaviors as talking over/interrupting, challenging / confronting, negative attitude, own agenda, not tracking as resistant. As was predicted by the model, teaching and confronting led to increases in resistance, while facilitate and support led to decreases in resistance. In Patterson's model, resistance serves three main functions: (a) it reduces the amount of confrontation and teaching the consultee receives; (b) it increases the number of sessions needed to bring about therapeutic change; and (c) it reduces the therapists' liking for the consultee. Patterson and Chamberlain (1994) found in cases where the mother's resistance decreased, greater gains were evident in parental discipline. …