Dodo bird verdict

The Dodo bird verdict (or Dodo bird conjecture) is a controversial topic in psychotherapy,[1] referring to the claim that all empirically validated psychotherapies, regardless of their specific components, produce equivalent outcomes. It is named after the Dodo character in Alice in Wonderland. The conjecture was introduced by Saul Rosenzweig in 1936, drawing on imagery from Lewis Carroll's novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but only came into prominence with the emergence of new research evidence in the 1970s.[2]

The surrounding debate is primarily centered around whether the differences in treatments contribute to their success/failure or if all therapies are equally effective. The importance of this continuing debate surrounding the Dodo bird verdict stems from its implications for professionals involved in the field of psychotherapy and the psychotherapies made available to clients.

  1. ^ For an overview of the controversy, see: "Special section on the Dodo Bird Verdict". Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. 1 (9): 2–34. March 2002. doi:10.1111/cpsp.2002.9.issue-1. And: Budd, Rick; Hughes, Ian (December 2009). "The Dodo Bird Verdict—controversial, inevitable and important: a commentary on 30 years of meta-analyses". Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 16 (6): 510–522. doi:10.1002/cpp.648. PMID 19728292.
  2. ^ Bentall, Richard P (2009), Doctoring the mind: is our current treatment of mental illness really any good?, New York: New York University Press, pp. 248–249.