Causal client models in selecting effective interventions: A cognitive mapping study

An important reason to choose an intervention to treat psychological problems of clients is the expectation that the intervention will be effective in alleviating the problems. The authors investigated whether clinicians base their ratings of the effectiveness of interventions on models that they construct representing the factors causing and maintaining a client's problems. Forty clinical child psychologists drew causal models and rank ordered interventions according to their expected effectiveness for 2 cases. The authors found that different clinicians constructed different causal models for the same client. Also, the authors found low to moderate agreement about the effectiveness of different interventions. Nevertheless, the authors could predict clinicians' ratings of effectiveness from their individual causal models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Accession Number: 2010-18043-010. PMID: 20822270 Other Journal Title: Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Partial author list: First Author & Affiliation: de Kwaadsteniet, Leontien; Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands. Release Date: 20100906. Publication Type: Journal (0100), Peer Reviewed Journal (0110). Format Covered: Electronic. Document Type: Journal Article. Language: English. Major Descriptor: Clinical Judgment (Not Diagnosis); Cognitive Maps; Decision Making; Reasoning; Treatment Planning. Classification: Professional Personnel Attitudes & Characteristics (3430); Health & Mental Health Treatment & Prevention (3300). Population: Human (10); Male (30); Female (40). Location: Netherlands. Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older) (300). Methodology: Empirical Study; Quantitative Study. References Available: Y. Page Count: 12. Issue Publication Date: Sep, 2010. Publication History: Accepted Date: Mar 9, 2010; Revised Date: Jan 26, 2010; First Submitted Date: Jul 2, 2009. Copyright Statement: American Psychological Association. 2010.