Predictive Validity of Patient and Therapist Attachment and Introject Styles

This study assessed introject and attachment styles of patients and therapists, and the match of these styles in patient/therapist dyads, to determine their relation to various psychotherapy process and outcome measures. The INTREX was used to measure introject style (affiliation and autonomy) and the Relationship Scale Questionaire to measure attachment style (secure, fearful, preoccupied, dismissing). Therapists with more affiliative (self loving) and secure styles achieve better outcome results compared to therapists with less affiliative (self-hating) and insecure styles. Further, the greater the difference in introject and attachment styles within the patient/therapist dyad, the better the outcome.