A Probability Discounting Study of LDS Clients’ Preferences for Religious Matching with a Psychotherapist
Additional Funding Sources
This project is supported by a 2018-2019 STEM Undergraduate Research Grant from the Higher Education Research Council.
Abstract
Delay and probability discounting methods have been used within psychotherapy research literature to identify the strength of preferences that clients hold for psychotherapy. By asking clients to make choices between two treatment options that are then experimentally manipulated to differ on another important variable, researchers can identify how much clients are willing to sacrifice in order to receive their preferred treatment options. The purpose of the current study was to use a probability discounting method to evaluate preference strength for religious matching in psychotherapy. Participants were asked to complete three probability discounting instruments in which they were asked to state their preference between a treatment with a lower efficacy rate delivered by a therapist whose religious identification matches their own and a treatment with a higher efficacy rated that is delivered by a therapist whose religious identification does not match their own. The efficacy rate of the treatment delivered by the matching therapist was raised incrementally, with the goal to identify the point where participants switched preferences to the religious matching therapist. An earlier switch represents a strong preference for religious matching; while a later switch represents a weak preference. On average, the participating clients were willing to sacrifice 13.75% (SD = 17.00) in treatment efficacy to receive a religious match when compared to a therapist whose specific religious denomination differs from the participant, 17.37% (SD = 19.55) in treatment efficacy to receive a religious match compared to a therapist who identifies as belonging to a differing religious category, and 20.35% (SD = 19.85) in treatment efficacy to receive a religious match compared to a therapist who identifies as non-religious. The results from these probability discounting scenarios suggest that LDS clients prefer to work with LDS therapists, and that the preference strength depends on the religious identification of the non-LDS therapist options that are available to them. The results further suggest that client beliefs about the potential for psychotherapy effectiveness may not be based entirely on beliefs about treatment efficacy. These results have important implications for studying religious preferences in psychotherapy as well as for clinical work with religious clients.
A Probability Discounting Study of LDS Clients’ Preferences for Religious Matching with a Psychotherapist
Delay and probability discounting methods have been used within psychotherapy research literature to identify the strength of preferences that clients hold for psychotherapy. By asking clients to make choices between two treatment options that are then experimentally manipulated to differ on another important variable, researchers can identify how much clients are willing to sacrifice in order to receive their preferred treatment options. The purpose of the current study was to use a probability discounting method to evaluate preference strength for religious matching in psychotherapy. Participants were asked to complete three probability discounting instruments in which they were asked to state their preference between a treatment with a lower efficacy rate delivered by a therapist whose religious identification matches their own and a treatment with a higher efficacy rated that is delivered by a therapist whose religious identification does not match their own. The efficacy rate of the treatment delivered by the matching therapist was raised incrementally, with the goal to identify the point where participants switched preferences to the religious matching therapist. An earlier switch represents a strong preference for religious matching; while a later switch represents a weak preference. On average, the participating clients were willing to sacrifice 13.75% (SD = 17.00) in treatment efficacy to receive a religious match when compared to a therapist whose specific religious denomination differs from the participant, 17.37% (SD = 19.55) in treatment efficacy to receive a religious match compared to a therapist who identifies as belonging to a differing religious category, and 20.35% (SD = 19.85) in treatment efficacy to receive a religious match compared to a therapist who identifies as non-religious. The results from these probability discounting scenarios suggest that LDS clients prefer to work with LDS therapists, and that the preference strength depends on the religious identification of the non-LDS therapist options that are available to them. The results further suggest that client beliefs about the potential for psychotherapy effectiveness may not be based entirely on beliefs about treatment efficacy. These results have important implications for studying religious preferences in psychotherapy as well as for clinical work with religious clients.
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