Psychology, Department of

 

ORCID IDs

Debra A. Hope

Date of this Version

12-1991

Citation

Cognitive Therapy and Research 15:6 (December 1991), pp. 429–441.

doi: 10.1007/BF 01175727

Comments

Copyright © 1991 Plenum Publishing Corporation/Kluwer. Used by permission.

Abstract

The applicability of Schwartz and Garamoni’s (1986, 1989) States of Mind (SOM) model for assessing the influence of cognitive-behavioral therapy on cognitive functioning was evaluated with social phobics. The SOM model states that a positive dialogue (i.e., a 2:1 ratio of positive to negative thoughts) is optimal for effective coping. Social phobics receiving either a cognitive-behavioral or educational-supportive group treatment were compared for SOM change, as were subjects meeting criteria for improvement or nonimprovement. Also the study compared the predictability of the SOM ratio with a ratio based on percent of negative thoughts. Subjects in both treatments evidenced negative monologue (i.e., a preponderance of negative thoughts) at pretreatment. A significant Treatment × Time interaction showed that, although the groups did not differ at posttreatment, those in the cognitive treatment reached positive dialogue at a 6-month follow-up while the other group did not. Improvers also attained positive dialogue at follow-up while nonimprovers did not. The SOM and the negative thought ratios performed similarly in predicting most outcome measures, suggesting that neutral thoughts (the only distinction between the two) serve little function for persons with problems of social phobia.

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