Expectations of psychotherapy in patients of lower socioeconomic class.

This study examines return for treatment after an initial interview as a function of the fulfillment of Class IV and V expectations of psychotherapeutic procedures. A questionnaire that emphasized hypothesized areas of lower-class expectations was administered before and after the initial interview. It was found that the expectations were in the predicted direction and that, the greater the discrepancy between expectation and perception of the interview, the less likely the patient was to return for treatment.