(同化分析方法)assimilation analysis-Mar 2000[精].docVIP

Assimilation Analysis William B. Stiles and Katerine Osatuke Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA Email: stileswb@muohio.edu Prepared for workshop, SPR-UK, Ravenscar, North Yorkshire, UK, March 26-29, 2000 Assimilation analysis is a qualitative research method for the intensive study of psychotherapeutic change processes. It is based on the assimilation model (Stiles et al., 1990), which is an integrative model, meant to describe changes that occur in successful therapy of any type. Assimilation analysis has been applied to a variety of types of psychotherapy (e.g., Honos-Webb et al., 1998, 1999; Stiles Angus, in press; Stiles et al., 1991, 1992, 1995; Varvin Stiles, 1999). The Assimilation Model The assimilation model attempts to reconcile the scope and time scale of psychotherapy process (specific behaviors measured over seconds or minutes) and psychotherapy outcome (whole-person variables measured over months or years) by identifying particular problematic experiences and tracking them across sessions in the therapy dialogue. In this way, the model breaks overall outcome into smaller, more manageable aspects and studies each one separately and longitudinally. An experience or constellation of associated experiences is considered as problematic if its reactivated traces are threatening or painful. Traces of experiences are considered as active agents and are metaphorically characterized as voices (Honos-Webb Stiles, 1998). According to the model, in successful therapy, the problematic experience is gradually assimilated into a schema (frame of reference, way of thinking and acting), or, equivalently, the problematic voice is gradually assimilated into the community of voices that is the self. As it is assimilated, the problematic experience appears to pass through predictable stages or levels, summarized in the APES (see Table 1). Our names for the APES stages are: warded off, unwanted thoughts, vague awareness or