Posttherapy Estimate of Change in Integration (PECI)

Abstract

The Posttherapy Estimate of Change in Integration (PECI), introduced by Cartwright et al. in 1961, is a concise, counselor-rated measure utilized to assess a client’s level of therapeutic progress as reflected in their change in personal integration following the termination of therapy. Designed for efficiency, the PECI consists of only two items, both scored using Likert-type scales.

The scale captures two primary dimensions of change: the client’s affective self-perception and the counselor’s overall estimate of change in the client’s personality. In validation studies involving client-centered therapists, the PECI demonstrated strong correlations with independent ratings of therapy success and with the Difference Measure of Change in Integration (DMCI), supporting its utility as a post-treatment outcome indicator.

Keywords

Validity, Posttherapy Estimate of Change in Integration (PECI), Test Development, Measurement, Psychotherapeutic Outcomes, Test Construction, Test Validity, Integration Change, Rating Scale.

Authors

Cartwright, Desmond S., Robertson, Richard J., Fiske, Donald W., Kirtner, William L.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PECI is to systematically quantify the counselor’s professional perception of a client’s progress throughout the therapeutic process. It specifically focuses on assessing the magnitude of change achieved in the client’s personal integration by the conclusion of counseling.

As a brief, post-treatment instrument, the PECI offers a standardized method for therapists to rate the efficacy and outcome of the intervention, providing a quick measure of perceived success or failure in achieving therapeutic goals related to self-cohesion and functioning.

Construct

The psychological construct assessed by the PECI is Integration Change. This concept refers to the observed shift toward a more internally consistent, unified, and psychologically healthy self-structure over the course of therapy. The construct is fundamental to humanistic and client-centered theoretical frameworks.

The two items of the scale operationalize this construct by gauging changes in two critical areas: the client’s subjective feelings toward the self (self-contentment) and the objective, observable change in the client’s overall functioning and personality as evaluated by the treating counselor.

Validity

Evidence supporting the validity of the PECI was derived through its correlation with external criteria of therapeutic success. The research, conducted utilizing a sample of clients treated by client-centered therapists, indicated that the PECI possesses strong concurrent validity.

Specifically, the PECI scores showed high correlations with both general, independent ratings of therapy success and with scores derived from the Difference Measure of Change in Integration (DMCI), an instrument used to assess change between initial and final interviews. This suggests that the PECI effectively measures the intended outcome variable: the degree of change in client integration.

Reliability

Formal psychometric data regarding the internal consistency (such as Cronbach’s alpha) or test-retest reliability of the Posttherapy Estimate of Change in Integration (PECI) were not indicated in the original source documentation. Due to the instrument’s limited item count (two items), traditional reliability coefficients may be difficult to interpret, and further research would be required to establish its consistency across different raters or time points.

Factor Analysis

A formal factor analysis was not indicated for the PECI in the source literature. Given that the instrument contains only two items, standard factor analytic techniques are generally not applied, as the scale is inherently designed to measure a single, overarching construct (Integration Change) through two highly related facets.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: Rating Scale (Counselor-rated, consisting of 2 items utilizing 4-point Likert-type scales)

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Human

Age Group: Adult (Implied by context of psychotherapeutic clients)

Population Details: The validation sample included Psychotherapeutic Clients receiving counseling, primarily in the United States.

Test Methodology: Test Validity (Correlation with measures of treatment outcome).

Keywords

Counseling Outcome, Therapeutic Progress, Client Change, Rating Scale Development, Psychometrics, Integration Change Measurement, Post-treatment Assessment, Psychotherapeutic Clients.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence details for the original authors (Cartwright, Robertson, Fiske, & Kirtner) are not specified in the current entry.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Posttherapy Estimate of Change in Integration (PECI) was developed and published in 1961. Permissions indicate that the instrument May use for Research/Teaching purposes. Specific commercial licensing fees are not documented here, but the scale is available through the published academic reference. The scale is classified under the category: 7900 Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Therapeutic Processes.

Reference’s

Cartwright, D. S., Robertson, R. J., Fiske, D. W., & Kirtner, W. L. (1961). Length of therapy in relation to outcome and change in personal integration. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 25(1), 84–88. The digital object identifier (DOI) for this publication is: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0040973

Items of the Posttherapy Estimate of Change in Integration (PECI)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

• What change has there been in the client’s feelings toward himself?

Note. Four response alternatives were provided, ranging from “more discontented” through “much more contented.” Scores of 1 through 4, respectively, were assigned.

• How much change in the client as a person has occurred since he started counseling?

Note. Four response alternatives were provided, ranging from “not changed” through “changed a good deal.” Scores of 1 through 4, respectively, were assigned.