A Quantitative Review of
the Outcome Research.
Paul J. Woods,
Hollins College, Virginia.
From:Lyons, Larry C. & Woods, Paul J. (1991).The efficacy of rational emotive therapy: A quantitative review of the outcome research.Clinical Psychology Review, 11, 357-369.
We thank Wendy A. Morris for her assistance in preparing this manuscript. Without her inestimable help, this project would not have come to fruition.
Larry C. Lyons, MA was a Research Associate at the Hollins Communications Research Institute when this article was published in Clinical Psychology Review. He is currently both a consultant and with a private firm in Manassas, Virgina.
Paul J. Woods Ph.D.is a Professor of Psychology (Emeretus) at the Department of Psychology at Holllins College, and director of the Institute for Rational Therapy and Behavioral Medicine in Roanoke Virginia
Address request for reprints of this article, coding manual or list of studies used in this quantitative review to the second author at:
Paul J. Woods Ph.D. Institute for Rational Therapy and Behavioral Medicine, 5541 Florist Road Roanoke, Virginia
Abstract
RET) outcome studies were reported. There were 236 comparisons of RET to baseline, control groups, Cognitive Behavior Modification, Behavior Therapy, or other psychotherapies were examined.
The results from a meta-analysis of 70 Rational Emotive Therapy (The results indicated that subjects receiving RET demonstrated significant improvement over baseline measures and control groups. The results showed no significant differences in effect size between those studies which used psychotherapy clients or students as subjects. Effect size was significantly related to therapist experience and to duration of the therapy. The results indicated that those comparisons which were rated high in internal validity had signficantly higher effect sizes than medium validity studies. Outcome measures rated as low in reactivity had significantly higher effect sizes than more reactive measures.
Contrary to other reviews using the narrative review method, RET was found to be an effective form of therapy. However, this conclusion was tempered by methodological flaws of the studies reviewed, such as lack of follow-up data and information regarding attrition rates.
Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) has become one of the most accepted forms of Cognitive Behavior Modification since its initial development in the late 1950's and early 1960's. (Ellis, 1957; 1962; Gregg, 1973). Narrative reviews have either supported RET's efficacy or criticized its usefulness. Using a quantitative review method (meta-analysis), this study examines the efficacy of RET and addresses many of the criticisms advanced by previous reviews of RET.