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The Single‐Case Design in Family Therapy Evaluation Research
Author(s) -
CLAIRE RABIN
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
family process
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.011
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1545-5300
pISSN - 0014-7370
DOI - 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1981.00351.x
Subject(s) - family therapy , outcome (game theory) , intervention (counseling) , single subject design , research design , psychotherapist , psychology , clinical study design , medicine , management science , psychiatry , engineering , clinical trial , sociology , social science , mathematics , mathematical economics , pathology
This paper discusses the need for the development of new research designs for family therapy evaluation, and a manner for meeting that need. The single‐case research design has gained acceptance as bona fide experimental designs for evaluating the effectiveness of intervention techniques in drug and psychotherapy outcome research. Although the need for more outcome studies on the effectiveness of family therapy has been frequently noted, there has been virtually no use of the single‐case design in family therapy outside of the behavior modification literature on families. This paper presents potential benefits of the application of single case‐design for the practice of family therapy. Preliminary guidelines are suggested for the application of these designs.