A multimodal case study utilizing physiological synchrony as indicator of context in which motion synchrony is associated with the working alliance.

Interest in the association between patient and therapist's motion synchrony and the working alliance has been growing in recent years. This interest is part of a larger effort in psychotherapy research to study how the working alliance, being central to the therapeutic process, develops over the course of therapy. However, while previous studies suggest that such an association between motion synchrony and the working alliance exists, there are mixed results regarding the direction of it. The present single-case study seeks to shed light on these mixed results with a multimodal perspective of nonverbal synchrony. That is, through an exploration of a single case, the present study explores physiological synchrony as an indicator of context in which motion synchrony is associated with the working alliance. For this aim, a single case was chosen from a randomized control trial investigating short-term psychodynamic treatment for major depressive disorder. Statistical analysis identified an interaction between physiological synchrony and motion synchrony in predicting working alliance levels. Findings show that in the context of an antiphase pattern of physiological synchrony (negative association between physiological measures of the two participants), there was a positive association between motion synchrony and the working alliance. This study emphasizes the potential of a multimodal approach, while suggesting a possible explanation for mixed results in current literature that focuses on the association between motion synchrony and the working alliance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Shedding light on the effects of supportive techniques on nonverbal synchrony and their moderators in psychotherapy for depression.

Objective: Accumulating research demonstrates the importance of utilizing supportive techniques in psychotherapy; however, little is known about therapeutic processes that are set in motion following the use of supportive techniques. The present study examined the effects of supportive techniques on nonverbal synchrony, both at the sample level and at the individual differences level.Method: The sample consisted of 86 patients from a randomized controlled trial for treatment of depression. Supportive techniques were rated by patients and therapists after every session, and nonverbal synchrony was quantified by motion energy analysis (MEA) for each session. The ability of supportive techniques to predict subsequent nonverbal synchrony was examined using polynomial regression and response surface analysis.Results: The findings suggest that, at the sample level, greater use of supportive techniques was a significant predictor of subsequent higher levels of nonverbal synchrony. At the individual differences level, this effect was significant for patients with low levels of depression severity and personality disorders, yet not significant for patients with high levels.Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that greater use of supportive techniques in treatment may facilitate a process that manifests as higher levels of synchrony, especially for patients with lower levels of personality disorders and depression.

Nonverbal synchrony as a marker of alliance ruptures.

Findings from the past 5 decades of empirical research on the working alliance suggest its importance in psychotherapy. Recent studies have sought to identify markers of the alliance, of which one of the most promising candidates is nonverbal synchrony. Delving into processes that constitute the alliance, such as alliance ruptures, may shed light on underlying mechanisms of the association between nonverbal synchrony and the therapeutic relationship. The present study examines whether nonverbal synchrony can serve as a marker of alliance ruptures. To achieve this aim, 418 sessions of 75 therapeutic dyads were coded for ruptures, using the Rupture Resolution Rating System, and for nonverbal synchrony, using motion energy analysis. A mixed-method analysis, integrating multilevel nested models with a case study analysis, was implemented. The results of the multilevel nested models suggest that nonverbal synchrony is significantly associated with confrontational ruptures, whereas withdrawal ruptures showed no such association. The findings of the case analysis suggest that moments of especially high nonverbal synchrony during a rupture are those in which the therapist made great efforts to be attentive to the patient when the patient acted in a confrontational manner. The findings of the present study demonstrate the potential of nonverbal synchrony to serve as a marker of confrontational ruptures. The findings support the social glue assumption, according to which therapists may seek higher levels of nonverbal synchrony with patients to maintain a strong alliance in the face of difficulties. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).