Re:Maxfield & Hyer meta-analysis: A few questions

Hi Shawn:

You wrote: "Regarding your position of treatment fidelity as internal validity, fine. I have no qualms with that. I just would like the point to applied equally so that when Shapiro or anyone else claims to have made improvements, in the absence of data to demonstrate this, we should openly acknowledge they are violating the treatment protocol and any results are irrelevant to EMDR per se."

It sounds like you might not be aware that Shapiro shares your perspective. She has often written on the importance of testing modifications to empirically investigate how they differ from the standardized protocols, and what they may add. For example, in her introduction to the special issue of the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (2001, vol 43) she wrote:

"There are standardized EMDR procedures and protocols for a wide range of experiential based conditions including phobias, PTSD and somatic disorders (see Shapiro, 1995) and for ego-strengthening (Leeds & Korn, in press; Leeds & Shapiro, 2000; Shapiro, 1995, 2001). These protocols are not meant to be the final word, but I believe in order to have a cohesive body of interpretable literature they would best serve as a starting point. To that end, a delineation of these procedures, and where the authors of new protocols have chosen to deviate would allow a clearer assessment of potential contributions. "

"I suggest that those authors in this series who propose shifting modalites, or dropping portions of the standardized hypnosis or EMDR procedures and protocols engage in future preliminary testing with standardized measures. What results do the standard procedures offer? What additive effects on any measurable domain are achieved by the alterations and under which circumstances? The synthesis of expertise is vital. There is much to evaluate and learn in the coming years."

Replies:

Re:Maxfield & Hyer meta-analysis: A few questions, by Cahill, 11/04/02

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