Digital Commons Network^™

Decoding Differences On The Verbal And Nonverbal Channels Among "A" And "B" Therapist Types, Katherine M. Hudgins

Master's Theses

The original designation of therapists into "A" and "B" types was made by Whitehorn and Betz (1954) on the basis of success with schizophrenic and neurotic patients. Subsequent studies have yielded mixed results concerning this therapist-patient interaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the apparent differences in interpersonal styles between "A" and "B" therapist types could be linked to decoding preferences on the visual, audio and linguistic channels of communication. Specifically, it was predicted that the "A" therapist type would decode more accurately on the visual channel, while the "B" therapist type would decode more accurately on …