SOME PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN THE STUDY OF CHANGE - SIGNIFICANT PATTERNS IN CLIENT RESISTANCE

Latent growth curve methodology was applied to the study of patterns o f change in client resistance during parent training therapy. The clin ical sample consisted of 68 mothers of children, 52 boys and 16 girls, ages 5 through 12 years, with confirmed conduct problems. Simple line ar and linear spline growth models were fit to the three repeated obse rvational measures of maternal resistance during therapy and found ina dequate. Instead, a quadratic growth model was used. Pretherapy matern al characteristics of inept discipline and antisocial behavior predict ed chronically high levels of resistance. Maternal depressed mood pred icted less negative quadratic curvature. No significant predictors of overall change in resistance were detected. Lack of negative curvature of the resistance growth curves predicted child court offenses during a 2-year posttermination follow-up. Results are discussed with refere nce to the struggle-and-working-through hypothesis of client resistanc e.