An analysis of matching cognitive-behavior therapy techniques to learning styles.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To optimize the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for each individual patient, it is important to discern whether different intervention techniques may be differentially effective. One factor influencing the differential effectiveness of CBT intervention techniques may be the patient's preferred learning style, and whether this is 'matched' to the intervention. METHOD The current study uses a retrospective analysis to examine whether the impact of two common CBT interventions (thought records and behavioral experiments) is greater when the intervention is either matched or mismatched to the individual's learning style. RESULTS Results from this study give some indication that greater belief change is achieved when the intervention technique is matched to participants' learning style, than when intervention techniques are mismatched to learning style. LIMITATIONS Conclusions are limited by the retrospective nature of the analysis and the limited dose of the intervention in non-clinical participants. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that further investigation of the impact of matching the patient's learning style to CBT intervention techniques is warranted, using clinical samples with higher dose interventions.