TO WHAT EXTENT DO HYPNOTHERAPEUTIC METAPH ORS RETAIN GENERAL WORKING PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOTHERAPY - COMPUTER-ASSISTED CONTENT-ANALYSIS OF HYPNOTHERAPEUTIC METAPHORS

83 hypnotherapeutic metaphors (Lankton & Lankton, 1994) were analysed with regard to Grawe's (1994) General Working Principles (GWP). For th is purpose a computational text analysis (cta) was carried out (TEXTPA CK, Version V for PC's) to develop a content analytic dictionary. It w as developed in three steps: textanalysis of publications with referen ce to the GWP to establish GWP-criterions searching for synonyms const ruction of a valid keyword-in-context data file A coefficient of valid ity of .97 shows that the so developed content analytic dictionary was a useable base for a content analytic survey. Items of the GWP ''acti ve help for coping with the problem'' were most frequently represented Items of the GWP ''real experiencing of what is to be changed'' were rarely represented at all in the metaphors. Grawe postulates an elucid atory and a coping perspective of the four GWP. A principal components analysis was carried out to test this subdivision. However, the postu lated structure could not be found in the Lankton & Lankton metaphors.