Comparing Molecular and Molar Methods of Judging Therapist Techniques

We compared clusters of similar items on two molar measures (Psychotherapy Process Q-Set, PQS; Therapeutic Procedures Inventory-Revised, TPI-R) with a molecular measure (Hill Counselor Verbal Response Category System, HCVRCS), all observer-rated measures of therapist techniques. The directives, paraphrase, and interpretation clusters of items on the PQS and the TPI-R were significantly related, perhaps because these two measures both used a molar method. None of the clusters from the PQS or TPI-R was related to the corresponding clusters on the HCVRCS, perhaps because the HCVRCS used a molecular method rather than a molar method. These results indicate that molar and molecular methods of techniques yield different results, which suggests that data cannot be compared across methods.