Patterns of relational communication in conjoint behavioral consultation

Conjoint behavioral consultation (CBC) is a structured model of service delivery that joins parents and teachers in collaborative problem-solving with the assistance of a consultant-psychologist (Sheridan, Kratochwill, & Bergan, 1996). CBC is carried out through the conduct of problem identification, problem analysis, and treatment evaluation interviews. In this CBC process study, interpersonal relationship patterns occurring within interviews were examined using the Family Relational Communication Central Coding System (Heatherington & Friedlander, 1987). Four CBC cases, consisting of 9,696 individual messages, were coded from audiotapes and verbatim transcripts. Scores on the variables "domineeringness" and "dominance" were calculated for each participant in order to assess patterns of relational control. Results suggested that consultants and consultees were generally consistent with each other in their levels of domineeringness and dominance. Consultants received slightly higher scores than consultees in their attempts to structure the CBC interactions (domineeringness), and consultees received slightly higher scores than consultants with respect to influence (dominance).