A meta-analysis of outcome studies comparing bona fide psychotherapies: Empirically, ''all must have prizes''

Author(s): Mondin, G. W., Moody, M., Stich, F., Benson, K., Ahn, H. N.

Journal/Book: Psychol Bull. 1997; 122: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Amer Psychological Assoc. 203-215.

Abstract: This meta-analysis tested the Dodo bird conjecture, which states that when psychotherapies intended to be therapeutic are compared, the true differences among all such treatments are 0. Based on comparisons between treatments culled from 6 journals, it was found that the effect sizes were homogeneously distributed about 0, as was expected under the Dodo bird conjecture, and that under the most liberal assumptions, the upper bound of the true effect was about .20. Moreover, the effect sizes (a) were not related positively to publication date, indicating that improving research methods were not detecting effects, and (b) were not related to the similarity of the treatments, indicating that more dissimilar treatments did not produce larger effects, as would be expected if the Dodo bird conjecture was false. The evidence from these analyses supports the conjecture that the efficacy of bona fide treatments are roughly equivalent.

Note: Review Wampold BE, Univ Wisconsin, Sch Educ, Dept Counseling Psychol, 321 Educ Bldg, 1000 Bascom Mall, Madison,WI 53706 USA

Keyword(s): COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT; GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER; INDIVIDUAL-RESPONSE PATTERNS; OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER; MUSICAL-PERFORMANCE ANXIETY; 2 PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENTS; CUE-CONTROLLED RELAXATION; ORIENTED MARITAL-THERAPY; TEST-ANXIOUS STUDENTS; LOW-BACK-PAIN

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