Countering perfectionism in research on clinical practice I: Surveying rationality changes after a single intensive ret intervention

  • Albert Ellis
  • Joyce Sichel
  • Russell C. Leaf
  • Roslyn Mass
Articles

Abstract

The failure of controlled experimental research on therapy out-come to produce findings of “clinical” as well as “statistical” significance seems at least partly due to irrational, perfectionistic, beliefs about how research can be used to infer causes of therapeutic change. Irrational beliefs about controlled experimental designs and about incomplete sampling, in particular, appear to prevent appropriate consideration of probatively valuable quasi-experimental research. Models of more rational alternatives are identified, and an example of the functional advantages of adopting these rational beliefs is explicated. The example demonstrates that single-shot pre-post survey data from self-selected catch-as-catch-can samples can permit legitimate, but not absolutely certain, conclusions about the efficacy and efficiency of RET.

Keywords

Public Health Clinical Practice Survey Data Rationality Change Experimental Research 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Human Sciences Press 1989

Authors and Affiliations

  • Albert Ellis
    • 1
  • Joyce Sichel
    • 2
  • Russell C. Leaf
    • 3
    • 4
  • Roslyn Mass
    • 5
    • 6
  1. 1.Institute for Rational-Emotive TherapyNew York
  2. 2.Institute for Rational-Emotive TherapyDallas
  3. 3.Department of PsychologyRutgers UniversityNew Brunswick
  4. 4.Institute for Rational-Emotive TherapyNew York
  5. 5.Middlesex County CollegeEdison
  6. 6.Institute for Rational-Emotive TherapyMiddlesex County CollegeNew York

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