The effects of training level, exposure to a multi-dimensional process-based model of change, professional experience, and commitment to training on therapeutic change process conceptualization ability

The current study evaluated the effect of exposure to the multi-dimensional process-based change model on the cognitive complexity of counselor trainees. Specifically, the study examined the complexity with which trainees conceptualized the therapeutic process by: (1) identifying and applying the content of change model parameters (e.g., content-level cognitive complexity), and (2) differentiating and integrating parameters of the change model, regardless of content, in the underlying structure of their conceptualizations (e.g., structural-level cognitive complexity). The two types of cognitive complexity were based on the theory of integrative complexity (Baker-Brown, et al., 1992), which originates from cognitive psychology theory. Together, content-level complexity and structural-level complexity were conceptualized as constituent elements of a broader theoretical construct called Therapeutic Change Process Conceptualization Ability.;Two groups of graduate-level trainees in counseling psychology training programs participated in the study. The experimental group was exposed to the multidimensional process-based change model in their training, while the control group was not exposed. Each comparison group was composed of counselor trainees at the master's and doctoral levels. The study was a 2 X 2 between-subjects factorial design. Within the experimental group, there was a pre-existing difference between doctoral and master's trainees' exposure to the multi-dimensional process model, with doctoral trainees receiving more systematic exposure. Trainees in the experimental group were treated as receiving exposure to the model regardless of differences in the amount of exposure received. Within the control group, neither doctoral nor master's trainees were exposed to training in the multi-dimensional process-based change model. Two covariates were included in the 2 X 2 between-subjects design to determine whether statistically reliable mean differences existed among groups after adjustment of the dependent variable scores for differences on potentially confounding variables, or non-training model effects on the cognitive complexity of therapeutic process conceptualizations. Trainees' years of counseling experience was included as a covariate to examine whether adjustment for experience discriminated among content-level and structural-level cognitive complexity scores on conceptualizations. Similarly, commitment to training was included as a covariate to examine whether adjustment for commitment to training discriminated among content-level and structural-level cognitive complexity scores.;A 2 X 2 between-subjects multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was performed on two dependent variables associated with the therapeutic process conceptualizations of trainees: content-level cognitive complexity and structural-level (i.e., integrative) cognitive complexity. Independent variables were exposure to multi-dimensional training model and training level. The independent variable of model exposure had two levels: exposed and unexposed. Likewise, the independent variable of training level had two levels: doctoral-level and master's-level. Adjustment was made for two covariates: number of years of counseling experience, and commitment to the training approach offered by the participant's program. The current study tests nine research hypotheses.;In the omnibus MANCOVA, a significant interaction effect was detected for exposure to the multi-dimensional model and training level. Significant main effects were detected for model exposure and training level, respectively. Follow-up univariate and stepdown analyses revealed trainees with model exposure demonstrated significantly higher content-level complexity scores than trainees without exposure. In addition, doctoral-level trainees' demonstrated significantly higher content-level complexity scores than master's-level trainees. Follow-up univariate and stepdown analyses revealed no significant differences in structural-level cognitive complexity scores between trainees with and without model exposure, or between doctoral and master's-level trainees. Furthermore, trainees with a combination of model exposure and doctoral-level training demonstrated significantly higher content-level complexity scores than all other groups in the study. Differences in content-level and structural-level cognitive complexity did not vary as a function of years of professional experience. Finally, trainees with higher commitment to training demonstrated higher content-level cognitive complexity at a level approaching significance, but demonstrated no differences in structural-level cognitive complexity. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...