CIPA - METHOD TO COMBINE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE INDIVIDUAL CASE-STUDIES

The main question of psychotherapy research nowadays is how psychother apy works. Hence, interest focusses mainly on the process of psychothe rapy, General change mechanisms as well as the therapeutic interaction are in the center of research interest. On the basis of process outco me findings (Orlinsky, Grawe, Parks 1994) and the schema theory of Gra we (1987) we developed a research instrument allowing the analysis of therapies from a theoretically and clinically relevant perspective whi le combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. The research ins trument (CIPA - Comprehensive Individualized Process Analysis) consist s of three parts: The scales of the first part assess the general work ing mechanisms and the therapeutic relationship. The second part allow s a rating of the patient's interactions inside and outside the therap y. In the third part the individual schemata are rated. The instrument and the research strategy are being illustrated by means of a selecte d therapy recorded completely on video tape. The results are interpret ed on the basis of the individual schema structure as well as the ther apy outcome, The possibility offered by the new instrument to combine quantitative and qualitative research strategies is discussed.