Within and between associations of nonverbal synchrony in relation to Grawe's general mechanisms of change.

Jessica Prinz,Wolf Kabus,Eran Bar‐Kalifa,Wolfgang Lutz,Fabian Ramseyer,Kaitlyn Boyle

doi:10.1002/cpp.2498

Abstract

The examination of nonverbal synchrony has become a promising line of psychotherapy research. Although several studies have found between-dyad associations between nonverbal synchrony and multidimensional outcomes, the findings remain heterogeneous, and within-dyad effects remain to be investigated. The present study examines within and between effects of nonverbal synchrony on mastery, resource activation, problem actuation, and motivational clarification (Grawe's general mechanisms of change). Four-hundred and twenty-three videotaped sessions of 175 patients were analysed using motion energy analysis (MEA), providing values to quantify nonverbal synchrony in the patient-therapist dyad. Grawe's general mechanisms of change in psychotherapy were rated using the Inventory of Therapeutic Interventions and Skills (ITIS). On average, patient-therapist nonverbal synchrony was greater than chance. Hierarchical linear modelling revealed that nonverbal synchrony was significantly associated with higher mastery and less resource activation on the within-dyad level. Nonverbal synchrony was not associated with problem actuation or motivational clarification, and in general, no associations were found on the between-dyad level. The results demonstrate the importance of disentangling within and between effects of nonverbal synchrony and provide initial evidence that nonverbal synchrony is tied to the specific therapeutic strategies observed in psychotherapy sessions.

Highlights

Nonverbal synchrony, commonly defined as movement coordination between interacting partners, has received growing attention as a process variable in psychotherapy research (Kolden, Klein, Wang, & Austin, 2011)
Motion energy analysis (MEA) is an automated method to measure simultaneous and slightly timelagged movements of patient–therapist dyads and the most commonly applied approach in psychotherapy research (Altmann et al, 2019; Ramseyer & Tschacher, 2011; Schoenherr, Paulick, Strauss, et al, 2019)
We examined whether average patient–therapist nonverbal synchrony occurred to a higher extent than chance

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

Commonly defined as movement coordination between interacting partners, has received growing attention as a process variable in psychotherapy research (Kolden, Klein, Wang, & Austin, 2011). The field is shifting from a largely standardized application of “evidence-based treatments” (disorder-specific treatment manuals; Goldfried, 2016) to the flexible adaptation of treatment strategies to patients' characteristics and progress (Lutz, Zimmermann, Müller, Deisenhofer, & Rubel, 2017) These developments are accompanied by an increase in psychotherapy process research, which tries to identify processes, mechanisms, and strategies of change (Boswell, 2013; Grawe, 2004; Hofmann & Hayes, 2018; Kazantzis et al, 2018; Wampold & Imel, 2015). This work focuses on the associations between nonverbal synchrony and mastery, resource activation, problem actuation, and motivational clarification, which are common principles thought to occur in all kinds of psychotherapy. We provide additional analysis on the association between nonverbal synchrony and treatment outcome

| METHOD

| RESULTS

| DISCUSSION

Findings

| SUMMARY