Need for approval and the premature termination of psychotherapy.

Abstract

This study tested the hypotheses that approval-dependent individuals (a) tend prematurely to terminate psychotherapy, and (b) are rated by therapists as more defensive and less improved than patients less approval-dependent. 85 psychiatric outpatients completed the Marlowe and Crowne Social Desirability scale (the measure of need for approval) and rated their improvement in psychotherapy. Therapists rated 30 of these patients on defensiveness, attitude towards patient, patient's attitude towards therapist, improvement, and satisfaction with therapy. Additional measures included diagnosis, social class, and ordinal position. Results confirmed the hypotheses. The high need for approval group terminated significantly (p < .005) earlier. Approvalmotivated patients were generally given more negative ratings by therapists. Approval-motivated females rated themselves as more improved. Ordinal position and social class failed to predict stay in therapy. The implications of these findings were discussed.

Can social desirability interfere with success in a behavioral weight loss program?

“…can contribute to behaviors that lead to an increased risk of illness and injury has received considerable empirical support (Leary, Tchividjian & Kraxberger, 1994). Similarly, some evidence suggests that social desirability is associated with poor psychological treatment (Kiecolt & McGrath, 1979;Kiecolt-Glaser & Murray, 1980;Strickland & Crowne, 1963) and health outcomes (Rutledge, Linden & Davies, 2000). Despite the potential for social desirability to negatively impact treatment outcomes, it has not been examined in prior weight loss research.…”

Response Styles as Personality Variables: A Theoretical Integration of Multivariate Research1

“…Crowne and Marlowe (1960) saw pathological implications in some of the items in the SD scale, and they returned to the lie-scale approach for their new measure of social desirability. In addition, they played down explanations like faking and desirable responding when interpreting scores on their scale and referred instead to a "need for social approval, " which they then investigated by correlating their scale with methodologically independent, objective, life-situational or labora:"tory measures of personality (Barthel & Crowne, 1962;Crowne & Marlowe, 1960Marlowe, 1962;Marlowe & erowne, 1961;strickland & Crowne, 1962strickland & Crowne, , 1963. Milholland (1964) Bias variance might be easier to extract and pin down if one only knew how it combined with the other sources of variance to produce scores on present-day SD scales.…”

Repressive/defensive coping, blood pressure, and cardiovascular rehabilitation

“…Individuals who score high on the M-C have an inability to get involved effectively with psychotherapy. High scorers are significantly more likely to terminate therapy prematurely, and even with a concrete number of sessions planned, high scorers on the M-C tend to be rated less improved at termination, as well as less liked and respected by their therapists [43]. Patients who are not receptive to suggestions of psychotherapeutic interventions should not be pressured.…”