Expectancies in therapy research: Interpretive artifact or mediating mechanism?

W. Wilkins (see record 1980-01498-001), in his critique of client expectancy, concludes that expectancy is a questionable interpretive artifact for the effectiveness of therapy. The authors disagree with much of Wilkins's analysis, which they say confuses attempts to demonstrate effectiveness with attempts to explore theoretical mechanisms. It is their view that expectancy is a viable alternative explanation for the effectiveness of therapy. Contrary to Wilkins's assertion, it is argued that systematic desensitization, as an exemplar of therapy, has not been demonstrated to be superior to equally credible, observable manipulations of expectancy. Further contributions to treatment technology will require a detailed analysis of how expectancy manipulations mediate improvement. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).