The effect of the ABCs of Rational Emotive Therapy and the empty-chair technique of Gestalt Therapy on anger reduction.

Abstract

In an analogue study this investigation examined the effect of the ABCs of Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), the empty-chair technique of Gestalt Therapy, and a reflective listening control condition in reducing anger for college females. The repressor-sensitizer response to threat was investigated as a subject characteristic that was hypothesized to influence the effectiveness of the treatment conditions. Both treatment techniques reduced blood pressure and lowered Feeling Questionnaire scores significantly more than the control condition. The repressor-sensitizer measure failed to differentiate between the effectiveness of either treatment. A view championed by Lazarus (1976) is that empirical investigation and validation rather than a dogmatic adherence to theory should govern the choice of treatment methodologies. Goldstein & Stein (1976) assert that treatments should be prescriptive, i.e., modified to meet salient client, therapist, and problem characteristics. In response to these research directions, this study was designed to determine the relative effectiveness of two intervention techniques, the empty-chair technique as described by Gestalt Therapy and the ABC cognitive restructuring technique as described by Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) in reducing anger. These interventions were used with two groups of subjects differing along the continuum of repressionsensitization reaction to threat. The ABCs of RET and the Gestalt emptychair techniques are presently used by coun* Requests for reprints should be sent to Collie W. Conoley, Dept. of Psychology, North Texas State University, Denton, TX 76203. JANE C. CONOLEY Texas Woman's University CAROL EUGENIA KIMZEY North Texas State University selors with no research comparing the effectiveness of the two interventions in reducing anger nor research delineating what client characteristics dictate which intervention. This research is important because both techniques are written about and used extensively by counselors (Ellis & Harper, 1975; Fagan & Shepherd, 1970). Research on the therapeutic use of anger expression indicates that direct aggression against the insulting party causes a faster drop in systolic blood pressure than aggression against another person or no aggression at all (Hokanson & Burgess, 1962; Hokanson, Burgess & Cohen, 1963; Hokanson & Edelman, 1966). This has been interpreted to mean that displaced anger or physical activity is not any more effective than no aggression or activity at all. Aggression needed to be directed toward the source. Feshback (1969) reports a decrease in anger after symbolic expression of feelings. These studies suggest that the empty-chair technique may be effective in anger reduction. The ABCs have a substantial body of research attesting to its efficacy with many problems (DiGiuseppe et al., 1977). However, there appears to be only one study dealing with treatment of frustration where Brody (1974) found that children's tolerance for frustration increased as compared to a control group. While Ellis & Harper (1975) assert the importance of RET in treating anger, there is a dearth of research substantiating Ellis's belief. Writing about RET and Gestalt therapies, Dolliver(1977) suggested that both are similar