Client Assessment in Transactional Analysis – A Study of the Reliability and Validity of the Ohlsson, Björk and Johnsson Script Questionnaire

Abstract

A script questionnaire and associated checklist developed by Ohlsson, Johnsson & Björk (1992) was used by the author and two professional colleagues to independently assess ten clients of a year-long transactional analysis therapy group conducted by the author. Ratings based on written responses at start of therapy were compared to ratings based on videotape interviews conducted by the author six years after termination of therapy. Moderately high inter-assessor reliability was found but intra-assessor reliability was low for the independent assessors; agreement increased for script components ‘primary injunction from father,’ ‘racket feeling’, ‘escape hatch’, ‘driver from father’ and ‘driver from mother’.

KEYNOTE: Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy Research: Three Methods describing a TA Group Therapy

“…As an analytical instrument, connected to the Script questionnaire, a Script checklist (Appendix B Johnsson 2011 b) was used. This form, made up by Ohlsson, Björk and Johnsson (1992), was based on Script checklists like Berne's "Script Apparatus" (1972) and Steiner's "Script Matrix" (1966, 1975 and described the various major components of the Script.…”

“…Study I: A script questionnaire and associated checklist developed by Ohlsson, Johnsson & Björk (1992) was used by the author and two professional colleagues to independently assess ten clients of a year-long transactional analysis therapy group conducted by the author. Ratings based on written responses at start of therapy were compared to ratings based on videotape interviews conducted by the author six years after termination of therapy.…”

Thank God for Friday

“…In the meantime, Metanoia Institute in the United Kingdom has used and expanded the methodology to measure the growth of autonomy in psychotherapy students (van Rijn, Wild, Fowlie, Sills, & van Beekum, 2010). Roland Johnsson (2011) is another researcher who is interested in concept validity and reliability and who is pushing for evidence that transactional analysis concepts can be verified. He observed, “Content validity has never been tested empirically” (p. 21).…”

The mutually beneficial process of research and practical work

“…From my dissertation I will invite people to use some of my research classifications, like the CCRT by Luborsky (or the Ohlsson, Björk and Johnsson (1992) script checklist or my revised version of McNeel's (1975) 42 sub-categories (components) as tools for deepening their understanding and efficiency as clinicians. From a researcher point of view I will invite the practitioners to be 'local clinical scientists' (Stricker & Trierweller, 1995;Stricker, 2002) and use a scientific attitude in their work.…”