Rater Characteristics Influencing Rating on the Checklist of Psychotherapy Transactions-Revised

Abstract

Using Kiesler and Goldston's (1988) procedures for rating interpersonal therapy behavior on the Checklist of Psychotherapy Transactions-Revised (CLOPT-R), 25 untrained, clinically inexperienced raters judged therapist and client interpersonal behavior in 127 sessions of brief psychotherapy. Rater bias was examined by relating several individual difference variables (gender, age, grade-point average, perceived attitude similarity between the rater and ratee, scores on the Checklist of Interpersonal Transactions scales of Control and Affiliation, and scores on the California Personality Inventory scales of Dominance and Submission) to ratings of therapists and clients on the CLOPT-R scales of Control and Affiliation. Results indicated that (a) individual difference variables between raters predicted CLOPT-R scores, particularly on the Affiliation axis of the CLOPT-R for both therapist and client ratings; and (b) mean differences existed between the raters on their CLOPT-R ratings, even after adjustment for the individual differences variables. The importance of personality variables as sources of bias, the vulnerability of the Affiliation axis to rater bias, and recommendations for controlling the effects of rater variables are suggested for further study.