Contingency and control beliefs as predictors of psychotherapy outcomes among children and adolescents.

Recent developments in the study of perceived control suggest that control-related beliefs may predict problem-solving behavior in psychotherapy if two conditions are met. First, distinction must be made among beliefs about outcome contingency, personal competence, and control (denned as the capacity to cause intended outcomes). Second, beliefs must be assessed for the specific behavioral domain that is the object of prediction (rather than global locus of control). This notion was tested among 8-17-year-olds referred for outpatient therapy. At the outset, children answered probes assessing contingency, competence, and control beliefs about solving problems at home and at school. At the outset and again 6 months later when therapy had ended, parents reported the children's problems at home and at school, using the Child Behavior Checklist. Perceived contingency and perceived control accounted for 29% of the variance in total problem reduction, indicating that the two beliefs were related to problem solving during therapy. This suggests that the effects of child psychotherapy may be enhanced by targeting children's contingency and control beliefs for intervention.