INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE IN A SINGLE CASE OF BRIEF COUNSELING - AN ANALYTIC STRATEGY AND A COMPARISON OF 2 INDEXES OF INFLUENCE

A strategy is proposed for using the Interpersonal Communication Ratin g Scale (ICRS; S. R. Strong, H. I. Hills, & B. N. Nelson, 1988) as a m easure of counseling process. Speaking turns were coded for 14 intervi ews conducted according to J. Mann's (1973) model of brief psychodynam ic therapy, and continuous indexes of relationship harmony or accord w ere derived from these codes. Two such indexes were compared: one base d on complementarity as an indicator of accord and the other based on an alternative indicator labeled ''engagement.'' The measure based on complementarity did not behave as predicted by the 3-stage model for s uccessful counseling (T. J. Tracey, 1986). As in previous research, ne gative and positive complementarity followed different patterns over t he course of treatment. We discuss implications for understanding comp lementarity as an index of influence in counseling, as well as prospec ts for developing the ICRS as a tool for process researchers.