| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Description | The Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale (Betz, 1962) is a rating scale designed to assess therapist personality characteristics, particularly those influencing their success with psychiatric patients. Developed based on the Strong Vocational Interest Blank (SVIB), the scale was initially created to predict the success of psychiatric residents working with hospitalized schizophrenic patients. Therapists were categorized as either A-type, characterized by high success rates, or B-type, with low success rates. Interestingly, a later study by McNair, Callahan, and Lorr (1962) found that in a Veterans Administration clinic setting, B-type therapists showed greater improvement in treating outpatient neurotic patients than A-type therapists. The scale consists of 23 items. |
| Author | Betz, Barbara J. |
| Purpose | To classify therapists based on their success rates with psychiatric patients and assess personality characteristics linked to therapeutic outcomes. |
| Construct | Therapist Characteristics |
| Instrument Type | Rating Scale |
| Test Format | The original scale consists of 23 items. |
| Test Items Available | No, please contact the publisher for further information. |
| Reliability | No reliability indicated |
| Validity | No validity indicated |
| Factor Analysis | No factor analysis indicated |
| Test Methodology | No specific reliability or validity tests available |
| Classification | Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Therapeutic Processes |
| Age Group | Adulthood (18 years & older) |
| Population Group | Human; Male; Female |
| Population Details | Sample: Doctors working with schizophrenic patients |
| Keywords | Rating Scales; Test Development; Therapist Characteristics; Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale |
| Index Terms | Rating Scales; Test Construction; Therapist Characteristics |
| Reference | Betz, B. J. (1962). Experiences in research in psychotherapy with schizophrenic patients. In H. H. Strupp & L. Luborsky (Eds.), Research in psychotherapy (pp. 41–60). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10591-003 |
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/whitehorn-betz-a-b-scale/
Mohammed looti. "Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 4 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/whitehorn-betz-a-b-scale/.
Mohammed looti. "Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/whitehorn-betz-a-b-scale/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/whitehorn-betz-a-b-scale/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. Whitehorn-Betz A-B Scale. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.