Contingency and control beliefs as predictors of psychotherapy outcomes among children and adolescents.

Abstract

Recent developments in the study of perceived control suggest that control-related beliefs may predict problem-solving behavior in psychotherapy if two conditions are met. First, distinction must be made among beliefs about outcome contingency, personal competence, and control (denned as the capacity to cause intended outcomes). Second, beliefs must be assessed for the specific behavioral domain that is the object of prediction (rather than global locus of control). This notion was tested among 8-17-year-olds referred for outpatient therapy. At the outset, children answered probes assessing contingency, competence, and control beliefs about solving problems at home and at school. At the outset and again 6 months later when therapy had ended, parents reported the children's problems at home and at school, using the Child Behavior Checklist. Perceived contingency and perceived control accounted for 29% of the variance in total problem reduction, indicating that the two beliefs were related to problem solving during therapy. This suggests that the effects of child psychotherapy may be enhanced by targeting children's contingency and control beliefs for intervention. Control-related beliefs can mediate goal-directed action. Several theoretical models suggest that efforts to achieve a goal depend partly on the perceived controllability of that goal (e.g.,

Perceived Control and Coping with Stress: A Developmental Perspective

“…The mean levels of contingency, competence, and control beliefs regarding everyday events have not been found to change substantially with age. For example, in a sample of 8-17-year-olds referred for psychotherapy, Weisz (1986a) found a modest correlation between age and contingency beliefs (r = .25) although competence and control beliefs were not related to age. However, the structure of these beliefs and their association with other variables (e.g., achievement and engagement in school) have been found to change with development (see Skinner, in press, for a review).…”

“…(c) Judgments of control refer either to expectations about one's own ability to produce a desired outcome (Skinner et al, 1988) or to the accuracy of one's beliefs in relation to the true controllability of the task (Weisz, 1986b); they are the result of varying combinations of contingency and competence beliefs in different situations or domains. For example, Weisz (1986a) found that contingency and competence beliefs were both related to control beliefs (r = .43 and .47, respectively), but were not related to one another. In order to keep the terminology clear, "perceptions of control" or "control beliefs" will be used to refer to the third type of belief described above, whereas "control-related beliefs" will be used as the general term that includes all three types of belief.…”

Control expectancies as predictors of psychotherapy outcome: A systematic review

“…For instance, specific externality was confirmed, together with depression and hopelessness, as a predictor for drop-out in patients with eating disorders (Steel et al, 2000). Internal control beliefs with regard to the problem behaviour were also found to facilitate reaching predefined therapy goals among children and adolescents (Weisz, 1986). Change towards internal locus of control of behaviour during therapy was shown to predict maintenance of therapy gains; while increasing externality in the course of therapy predicted relapse among stutterers (Craig, 1984).…”

Stress in school-aged children and youth

“…In a study of 78 subjects aged 8-17 years who were brought to a public mental health agency, Weiss (1986) found control-related beliefs about behavior to be useful in predicting psychotherapy outcome. Control in this study related to the particular behavior domain in question and not to a general sense of universal control.…”