Strong Lasting Results

The Procedure and Methodology 

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The four paper and pencil self-report instruments of this dissertation study are: The Frankfurter Selbstkonzeptskalen (FSKN ); The Symptom-Check-Liste (SCL 90-R ); The Unsicherheitsfragebogen (U-Fragebogen); and The Giessen-Test (GTS und GTIS ).

The investigator, Christiane Windhausen, began with the axiom that changes occurring in the Quadrinity Process subjects would span social, affective, and cognitive aspects of an individual. Thus the instruments to measure changes varied in terms of their emphasis. The first instrument she chose was concerned mainly with the issues of the Selbstkonzepte Self Concept. The instruments used was: The Frankfurter Selbstkonzeptskalen (FSKN) Frankfurter—Self Concept Scales. The FSKN has 78 items and 10 sub-scales. The sub-scales are as follows:

• FASL: Allgemeine Leistungsfaehigkeit—General Capacity for Responsibility
• FSVE: Verhaltens- und Entscheidungssicherheit—Capacity for stick-with-it-ness in personal decision-making in everyday circumstances
• FSST: Standfestigkeit gegenueber Gruppen und bedeutsamen anderen—Capacity for representing one's own opinion in the face of authority and group interchanges
• FSKU: Kontakt- und Umgangsfaehigkeit—Capacity to commence and end conversations, to successfully mingle in social contexts
• FSWA: Wertschaetzung durch andere—Self worth, as seen by others, especially in the family
• FSIA: Irritierbarkeit durch andere—Emotional agitation through others influence
• FSGA: Gefuele und Beziehungen zu anderen—Feelings and relationships with others
• FSSW: Allgemeine Selbstwertschaetzung—General feelings of self worth
• FSEG: Empfindlichkeit und Gestimmtheit—Sensitivity and Sensibility

Windhausen chose the second instrument to gauge mainly the number and severity of medical and psychological complaints. The instrument used was the Symptom-Check-Liste (SCL 90-R) (German Edition). This is a 90 item self-report test, in which the subject chooses the severity of symptom (rating from 1-5) from no symptoms to severe symptoms. There are 9 sub-scales for the SCL 90-R. They are the following:

• SCL 1: Somatisierung—Somatization
• SCL 2: Zwanghaftigkeit—Obsessive-Compulsive
• SCL 3: Unsicherheit im—Sozialkontakt Interpersonal Sensitivity
• SCL 4: Depressivitaet—Depression
• SCL 5: Aengstlichkeit—Anxiety
• SCL 6: Aggressivitaet und Feindseligkeit—Hostility
• SCL 7: Phobische Angst—Phobic Anxiety
• SCL 8: Paranoides Denken—Paranoid Ideation
• SCL 9: Psychotizismus—Psychotism

The third instrument Windhausen used was the Unsicherheitsfragebogen (U-Fragebogen) Confidence Questionnaire. This test has 65 items, from which 6 sub-scales have developed:

• U1: Fehlschlag- und Kritikangst—Fear of blame and criticism
• U2: Kontaktangst—Fear of contact from those of the opposite sex, fear of responsibility
• U3: Fordern koennen—Inability to set plans and set plans into motion
• U4: Nicht-nein-sagen-koennen—Inability to say no
• U5: Schuldgefuehle—Feeling of self-blame in relation to own actions as they relate to and affect others
• U6: Anstaendigkeit—Inappropriately exaggerated feelings of embarrassment

The fourth instrument used sought to clarify the notion of self-perception and the ideal-self-perception of the subjects. Self-perception is simply the picture that the person might have of themselves. Ideal-self-perception is a picture of a future goal, one that has not yet been realized. Windhausen used the Giessen-Test (GTS und GTIS). There are 40 items and a number of scales were specifically chosen to answer research questions dealing with relationships with others, emotional styles and perceptions of self.

• GTS 1: Soziale Resonanz—Differentiating attributes of being loved or shunned in social settings
• GTS 2: Dominanz—Differentiating attributes of dominance, showing authoritarian traits or self effacing submissive qualities
• GTS 3: Kontrolle—Differentiating attributes of control — either uncontrolled behavior or over-controlled behavior
• GTS 4: Grundstimmung—Differentiating attributes of either hypomanic or depressive styles of interpersonal relationships
• GTS 5: Durchlassigkeit—Differentiating attributes of retentive or expressive styles of interpersonal relationship
• GTS 6: Sociale Potenz—Differentiating attributes regarding social skills such as demonstrated comfort in heterosexual contact, free with imagination, ability to socialize easily

Collectively, the above questionnaires took approximately 1.5 hours to complete. Both the experimental group (Quadrinity Process) and the control group (3-month group therapy clinic) finished the questionnaires before the treatment. The second sitting for answering the questions was directly after the treatment. Further requests for completing the questionnaires occurred at 3 and 6 months after the treatment. The Quadrinity Process group has a further probe after a 12-month period. In both groups, the voluntary completion of the test diminished with approximately equal frequency. That is, the number of voluntary respondents diminished after each testing with both the experimental and control groups, in approximately equal proportion.

The experimental and control groups did vary in size. There was finally an n=56 for the experimental group, while the control group had an n=22. The experimental group showed a return of the questionnaire with an n=44 for the 12 month post-intervention testing, while the control group was not tested for this last analysis. The average age ranged in the 30-40 year age group, while the female population of both groups was at 70%. Both groups showed a high percentage of professionals, especially including those in the health professions. Another highly represented group was sales people. These demographics resulted in a higher than average income range.