Common and Psychotherapeutic Situations

The T-pattern algorithm of Magnusson’s was used to find emotional process patterns EPP in facial expressions shown by subjects in different social situations (Common and psychotherapeutic situations). The facial behaviour of the participants was coded using EMFACS (Emotional Facial Coding System). Purpose of the study of common situations was to find indicators for the influence of gender and mental disorder on EPP. 60 dyadic discussions about common political problems were analysed focussing on smiling patterns between subjects. 134 therapy sessions were analysed to find EPP representing psychotherapeutic processes. In the psychotherapeutic situations early indicators of the enactment of maladaptive relationship pattern were searched and related to the emotional quality of the therapeutic relationship and therapeutic outcome. It was shown that the frequency of dyadic EPP in the first session correlated negatively with therapeutic outcome and that they are indicators of conflictous psychotherapeutic processes. The results demonstrate that EPP analysis is a useful tool to identify maladaptive relationship patterns in psychotherapeutic interactions.