Effect of Treatment Rationale and Problem Severity upon Therapeutic Preferences

Undergraduate men and women ( n = 172) initially indicated their preferences for behavioral or psychoanalytic therapy. Participants then read a case description of either test anxiety or paranoid schizophrenia followed by a behavioral or psychoanalytic treatment rationale tailored to the problem. They rated the credibility of the treatment rationale and then once again indicated their preference so that changes in preferences could be assessed. Behavioral treatment rationales received significantly higher credibility ratings than psychoanalytic rationales. Behavioral rationales were seen as significantly more credible than psychoanalytic rationales for test anxiety, and the two rationales received similar credibility ratings for paranoid schizophrenia. Rationales significantly affected therapeutic preferences. Women were more internally oriented, gave higher credibility ratings, and were more willing to consider seeking psychological help than men. The modifiability of therapeutic preferences is discussed.