Changes in self and object representations following psychotherapy measured by a theory-free, computational, semantic space method.

We propose a theory-neutral, computational and data-driven method for assessing changes in semantic content of object representations following long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. Young adults in psychotherapy are compared with an age-matched, non-clinical sample at three time points. Verbatim transcripts of descriptions of the self and parents were quantified in a semantic space constructed by Latent Semantic Analysis. In the psychotherapy group, all representations changed from baseline to follow-up, whereas no comparable changes could be observed in the comparison group. The semantic space method supports the hypothesis that long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy contributes to sustained change of affective-cognitive schemas of self and others.