Search Results

Localization of Color Discrimination in the Human Cerebral Cortex
This study investigated color discrimination as a possible localized function of right or left cerebral hemispheres in humans. Previous studies have shown conflicting results. Studies implicating the left hemisphere have contaminated color discrimination with verbal-symbolic ability. Other studies implicating the right hemisphere emphasized color-matching ability. This study pointed out the importance of response latency as well as accuracy and also the importance of testing the data for meeting the assumptions of the statistical technique utilized. It was concluded that color discrimination is normally a right-hemisphere function in right-handed individuals. Differences in individual ability, although large, were not found to be systematically related to sex or eye dominance, but may be learned individual differences. The study further pointed out the inappropriateness of referring to a major or dominant cerebral hemisphere without stipulating which function is being considered.
Anxiety Relief, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and Expectancy Relaxation in the Treatment of Speech Phobia
Relaxation procedures and anxiety relief were reviewed. Effects of cognitive and expectancy variables in reduction of avoidance behavior were also extensively reviewed. Various theoretical models for desensitization were presented. Use of symbolic control in classical conditioning and use of self-control methods in anxiety reduction were discussed. Special emphasis was given to self-desensitization and cue controlled relaxation. One goal of the experiment was to determine whether a musical stimulus associated with counter anxiety procedures could reduce or prevent subjects' phobic responses in the presence of the phobic situation. Another goal was to determine the relative efficacy of two counter anxiety procedures (anxiety relief and progressive muscle relaxation) in lowering muscle tension and in reducing or preventing speech anxiety. Several implications were drawn from the study. Relaxation alone may alleviate anxiety and phobic behavior without being paired with phobic stimuli. Cognitive variables such as expectancy and feedback of progress make a substantial contribution to treatment of situational anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation may not be the technique of choice for producing low levels of muscle tension. Recommendations for future research were specified, including additional measures and control procedures.
Use of Systematic Desensitization to Prevent the Learning of Specific Autonomic Responses
This investigation focused on an empirical evaluation of the efficacy of preventative systematic desensitization, a recently developed psychotherapeutic technique intended to preclude the formation of a phobic or adverse autonomic reaction. While earlier research suggested the therapeutic viability of this technique, various methodological difficulties inherent in the experimental designs negated any clear an unequivocal statements regarding therapeutic efficacy. The design of the experiment central to this dissertation was developed expressly to avoid the methodological problems which characterized prior research, expand upon the hypothesis of earlier investigators, and evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic desensitization. The following results were obtained: (a) the experimental group did not show an increase in fear on the dependent measures following conditioning, (b) the placebo control group did show a significant increase in fear on the dependent measures following conditioning, (c) the group that received traditional systematic desensitization showed a significant fear increase after conditioning which was reduced to baseline following systematic desensitization, and (d) the measurements control group confirmed the above result and showed no significant differences in fear at retests. The major conclusion of this experiment is that within the context of the laboratory, it would appear that preventive systematic desensitization is an efficient psychotherapeutic technique. Further research designs and therapeutic strategies are discussed with regard to clients who may be expected to develop significant clinical phobias.
Differential Life History Factors Among Incarcerated Female Offenders
This study was designed to be the first step in an empirical investigation of the female offender, using biographical information. It Is the goal of the research to eventually be able to predict probable criminal activity among women. The most readily delineated group for study was female prisoners. The purpose of the study was to determine if factor clusters could be produced which were representative of women in prison. Specific objectives were to organize descriptive biographical information of incarcerated women and to correlate bio-data results with important current and post-incarceration events. This study makes it clear that merely labeling behavior as criminal—connoting a deviant class of behavior—is highly inexact in identifying it. The female offender cannot as yet be defined in the same way as a person suffering from depression, hypochondriasis, or schizophrenia—that is, by distinctive response groupings. While this study made many inroads, generating descriptive factors and significant behavioral/life-history correlates, incarcerated female offenders as a class cannot as yet be identified by responses that make up a valid category of behavior.
Cigarette Smoking Behavior: Self-Managed Change
In the present study, three self-managed treatment programs were compared with respect to their ability to effect and maintain change in the cigarette smoking behavior of 27 subject volunteers from the population of employees of a Veterans Administration hospital. Subjects were randomly assigned to a self—imposed delay group, a self-directed relaxation group, and a self-monitoring group. The experimental program lasted 6 weeks with a 20-minute individual meeting each week. Three months following treatment, subjects were contacted by mail and were asked to monitor their smoking behavior for one week, and to return their average daily smoking rate by mail. The results provide support for the effectiveness of the self-management technique of self-imposed delay as a durability—enhancing treatment procedure. The effectiveness of self-management techniques as a general class of treatment strategies was not supported. A task for future research would be to establish the effectiveness of the delay technique implemented earlier in the cigarette smoking chain, as well as to determine whether effectiveness is increased or decreased by a specification of the content of a delay interval.
The Effects of Stimulation and Depression of the Reticuloendothelial System on Sidman Avoidance Behavior
The present research explored the role of RES manipulation on ongoing Sidman avoidance behavior. Results of the first phase revealed that both experimental drugs significantly altered RES levels in predicted directions after the first measure; however, only stimulated subjects maintained significant differences after 5 days. No activity-level differences were noted in any subjects due to drugs across time. Sidman avoidance data indicated that RES-stimulated subjects showed significant deterioration in avoidance performance as compared to other groups for the first session. Stimulated subjects were also poorer on the second and third sessions, but statistical significance was not obtained because some saline subjects also showed poorer performance. A rank order correlation revealed that a significant negative correlation existed between RES stimulation and avoidance performance, based on changes in RES levels from baseline to the end of the shock program. These data suggest that increased stress resistance due to RES stimulation may reduce the aversive properties of the shock program, thus decreasing motivation for responding. It was concluded that artificial methods of inducing stress resistance by RES stimulation may be a useful therapeutic technique for patients experiencing psychological stress.
Skin Temperature Control: A Comparison of Direct Instruction, Autogenic Suggestion, Relaxation, and Biofeedback Training
The purpose of this investigation was to separate the effects, and determine the optimal and most feasible methods, of promoting skin temperature increase in a clinical prison population. There were no significant differences among the instructional sets with respect to skin temperature increase. Skin Temperature feedback significantly delayed the time of maximum temperature increase. However, the average delay of 3.5 minutes was not considered to be clinically significant. No other significant effects were evidenced from feedback training. It was suggested that the lack of differential effects among the instructional sets and feedback training may be a characteristic of the early stages of training and that significant differences might emerge if training were continued over a greater number of sessions.The question was raised as to whether skin-temperature training had taken place during the two training sessions. The subjects may have been displaying a nonspecific "relaxation response" or habituation to the experimental situation. It may take more than two sessions before significant conditioning of the skin-temperature response occurs. Recommendations for future research were specified, including an increase in the number of training sessions and the addition of new control procedures.
Anxiety-Relief Conditioning: An Empirical Investigation
The current study investigated the efficacy of Wolpe's original (1954) paradigm of anxiety-relief conditioning. The procedure consisted of administering a mildly aversive electric shock to a subject for several seconds until the subject said the word "Relax," and the shock was terminated. Repeated pairings were claimed by Wolpe to condition physiological relief to the cue word, "Relax," which could then be employed in order to reduce anxiety in various anxiety provoking situations. Since there does not appear to be a generally accepted theoretical rationale to account for the reported efficacy of anxiety-relief conditioning, several theoretical rationales were discussed. In addition, a distinction was made between the anxiety-relief paradigm described by Wolpe (1954) and the aversion-relief paradigm employed by subsequent investigators (Gaupp, Stern, & Galbraith, 1972; Solyom, McClure, Heseltine, Ledwidge, & Solyom, 1972; Thorpe, Schmidt, Brown, & Castell, 1964). It was suggested that this distinction might be used to account for the failure of the current investigation to support the efficacy of anxiety-relief conditioning, as a review of the major study supporting its efficacy (Turnage & Wenrich, 1974) indicated that aversion-relief, rather than anxiety-relief, may have been employed. In the absence of strong supportive evidence for the efficacy of Wolpe's anxiety-relief paradigm, the need for further research elucidating the relevant parameters was discussed, and specific areas requiring more intensive study were delineated.
Imaginal Response Events in Systematic Desensitization
The present research was undertaken to investigate the effects of two independent variables considered potentially important to the reduction of fear through systematic desensitization. The first independent variable investigated was the importance of making covert motor responses when instructions were given to imagine motor behavior. Electromyographic measures were obtained on subjects' covert muscular activity as they imagined themselves raising their arms. The subjects were then classified, on the basis of their average electromyographic responsiveness, as high-responders (those showing relatively high levels when imaging movement) and low-responders. A 2 X 2 analysis of covariance showed a significant difference in the posttreatment scores of the high- and low responders on performance measures, the high-responders performing better. The difference between the two instruction groups was not statistically significant. Additional analyses indicate the importance of the instruction variable is mitigated by the extent to which subjects actually follow the particular instructions given. These data imply electromyography may be used in clinical practice as an assessment tool to determine which subjects are likely to respond to systematic desensitization. They also suggest the possibility of using response measures to train self-monitoring of imagery. Concerning the imagery construct, the present study offers an empirical alternative to the traditional conceptualization. The data obtained support the utility of the analysis of imagery advanced in this paper.
Insomnia: Effects of Electromyographic Biofeedback, Relaxation Training, and Stimulus Control
Traditional treatment for insomnia has been chemotherapy-- despite short-term value and side effects. Need for an alternative has led to research on behavioral treatment methods for insomnia. Relaxation training has consistently produced effective results, but the limited research on biofeedback and stimulus control suggests that they too may be viable alternate treatment methods. The present research investigated electromyogram (EMG) biofeedback, pseudo-EMG biofeedback, relaxation, training, and stimulus control as methods of treating sleep-onset insomnia. Volunteers consisting of 12 males and 24 females were recruited through newspaper advertisements. Subjects had no known physical cause for insomnia and were either free of sleeping medication or kept their dosage constant during the study. Subjects were matched for age and sex, randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups, then randomly assigned to one of three therapists. Results indicated that pretreatment EMG scores for the four groups were high but not significantly different-- while post treatment EMG scores were not significantly reduced. Pretreatment sleep-latency measures were high, but not significantly different from each other. Post treatment latency measures were significantly reduced, but not significantly different from each other. Correlation between EMG-change scores and sleep-latency-change measures was non-significant. Pretreatment nightly awakenings for the four groups were not significantly different. Post treatment awakenings for the four groups were significantly reduced, but not significantly different from each other. There were not significant interactions for therapist or treatment with any of the dependent variables.
A Comparison of Short-Term Systematic Desensitization and Implosive Therapy under Therapeutic Level of Aspiration
Systematic desensitization and implosive therapy have surfaced as two of the primary behavioral therapy techniques to decrease phobic responses during the past decade. Although attempts have been made to compare the efficiency and effectiveness of these two techniques, results have been unclear because of the failure of researchers to duplicate the procedures as described by their respective originators. This experiment is designed to explore the joint effects of the therapies and level of therapeutic aspiration. A second objective, and a byproduct of the data produced in achieving the primary objective, was to analyze the goal discrepancy and attainment discrepancy scores accruing throughout the therapy sessions. Several hypotheses were advanced. Further analysis of the three criterion measures by means of ANOVA resulted in significant main sessions effects for each of the three independent analyses. Results suggest that all subjects, regardless of treatment subgroup, did make significant therapeutic gains in their approach scores, fear thermometer scores, and speed of approach scores from the first to the last session. Possible explanations for results were discussed. Furthermore, approach test absolute goal discrepancy, fear thermometer absolute goal discrepancy, approach test absolute attainment discrepancy, and fear thermometer absolute attainment discrepancy scores were calculated for all goal-setting subjects. Results from independent ANOVA suggest that the typical university student is able to make fairly accurate and consistent predictions concerning his future behavior, based on his past experiences.
Prediction of Extrapyramidal Effects of Neuroleptic Therapy Using Visuomotor Tasks
The present study attempted to predict the serious side effects of akathisia and parkinsonism on the basis of individualized measurement of changes in visuomotor functioning. The following were the hypotheses for this investigation. 1. A deterioration of visuomotor ability as measured by a modification of Haase and Janssen' s (1965) Handwriting Test will predict which patients undergoing neuroleptic therapy will experience the extrapyramidal symptoms of akathisia and parkinsonism (symptom group) and which will not (no-symptom group). 2. A deterioration of visuomotor ability as measured by the Bender-Gestalt will predict which patients undergoing neuroleptic therapy will experience the extrapyramidal symptoms of akathisia and parkinsonism (symptom group) and which will not (no-symptom group). It was not possible to predict the symptom group as a whole on the basis of the Handwriting Test scores since a t test of the difference was not significant between group means. However, inspection of these scores showed clear deterioration of performance among the patients who experienced parkinsonian reactions as opposed to those who experienced akathisia or who did not experience extrapyramidal symptoms at all. The symptom group was separated into akathisic and parkinsonian groups and compared to the subjects who did not experience extrapyramidal side effects (no-symptom group). A one-way ANOVA showed a nonsignificant difference between the three groups. Similar analysis of the Bender-Gestalt scores failed to support the second hypothesis since no significant difference was found between groups.
Adolescent Antisocial Behavior, Perceived Parental Behaviors, and Perception of Control
The study examined the relationships between various parental discipline styles and perceived powerlessness in antisocial adolescents. The literature on adolescent antisocial behavior frequently describes states of disaffection, alienation, and powerlessness as characteristic of the delinquent youth. The parent-child relationship is also frequently implicated as the significant precursor of antisocial behavior in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine if perception of control orientations function as cognitive mediators between perceived styles of parental discipline and subsequent behavior in adolescents. It was concluded, on the basis of the data obtained from this study, that antisocial adolescents do not perceive themselves to be more powerless than non-antisocial adolescents. It was recommended that caution should be exercised in applying such a label to those exhibiting antisocial patterns of behavior. It was also concluded that punishment applied in an unpredictable fashion may have detrimental effects on the development of female adolescents.
Assassin Syndrome: Threateners Compared to Other Psychiatric/General-Inmate Groups
Thirty-seven male prisoners who had been convicted or indicted on a charge of threatening the President or national political figure were compared to state inmates, federal inmates, and normative samples on psychometric and demographic variables. Results indicated that assassin/threateners were significantly more paranoid, schizophrenic, and socially alienated than comparison samples. Their heterosexual adjustment and work record tended to be poorer than comparison inmates. Data suggested that the probability of organic impairment was greater for assassin/threateners than for the normative sample. In addition, political threateners were found to be self-destructive, apolitical, Caucasian, and products of disturbed family backgrounds.
Effect of Classical Conditioning and Semantic Generalization of Noxious Stimulation on the Ratio of Speech Dysfluencies of Normal Speakers
The present study investigated a theory of the etiology and generalization of stuttering behavior. The subjects were 24 male students at a medical center who responded to advertisements requesting participation in a research project on learning and heart rate. The age range of the subjects was 22-28 years, and the mean age was 22.8 years. Three stimulus topic words were used in the present study. Two of these words were semantically equivalent. The independent variables were the three words that the subjects were instructed to discuss: neutral word condition, experimentally induced noxious word condition, and word semantically equivalent to the noxious word condition. The six dependent measures were percentage of part-word repetitions, percentage of interjections, heart-rate beats per minute, electromyographic microvolts per minute, galvanic skin response ohms conductance per minute, and self-report ratings of "state" anxiety. As predicted, heart rate and a self-report "state" anxiety measure achieved significance in a pattern corresponding to part-word repetitions. Two other measures of state anxiety (galvanic skin response and frontalis electromyographic activity) did not reach significance, although the results were in the predicted direction. The theory that "trait" anxiety accounts for susceptibility of fluency failure under emotional stress was not confirmed. The hypothesis offered here (that part-word repetitions generalize along a semantic dimension) received only tentative support. Discussion of the results centered around the demonstration in the present study of the need for multifaceted treatments tailored to the individual learning histories of specific stuttering behaviors, as well as molecular assessments of stuttering prior to treatment.
Self-Concept and Verbal Behavior in a Small-Group Social Situation
The problem addressed in this exploratory research study was whether any correlational relationship existed between a selection of personality and demographic variables (considered as aspects of the self-concept construct) and selected subjective and objective measurements of verbal behavior. The purpose of the study was to achieve a better understanding of the dynamic monitoring process of the self-concept and the possible relationship that may exist between it and certain quantifiable verbal behaviors. The conclusion of this study is that the self-concept construct does appear to be an influencing factor upon verbal behavior. It is considered that individuals are consistently interacting with their social environment to obtain feedback in order to test the self's perceptions of the social environment and its relationship to its environment.
Stress-Management Training: A Multisystem Therapy Appraoch
This research was a controlled group outcome study to determine the effectiveness of a multisystem therapeutic intervention for hyperarousal to stress. It was assumed that the hyperarousal syndrome is a generalized and undifferentiated response which involves multisystems of the organism, including physiological-autonomic aspects, cognitive appraisals and imagery, affective components, and an array of overt and covert behavioral responses. If the hyperarousal syndrome persists over a period of time, a psychophysiological disorder may occur in the response system that has been repeatedly stimulated. It was postulated that learning to maintain the arousal state within a normal range of functioning may prevent the occurrence of psychophysiological diseases. Verbal reports of the experimental group indicate a beginning ability to transfer the learned low-arousal response to real-life situations. The results of this study suggest that learning a low-arousal adaptation to stress may have important implications for prevention or attenuation of psychophysiological and psychiatric disorders.
A Comparison of Drug Treatment for Insomnia and the Effect of Causal Attribution
A double-blind comparison was conducted using typical doses of soporific agents from three drug classes and a placebo. Drugs which were used in the study included secobarbital, flurazepam hydrochloride, and thioridazine. Subjects were 40 outpatient volunteers whose primary complaint was difficulty in falling to sleep. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the three drug groups or the placebo group. One of the drugs or the placebo was administered to each subject for 3 nights. Half of the subjects in each of the four groups were told the drug had caused any observed changes in their sleep behavior and were in this way led to attribute any changed sleep behavior externally to the drug. The other half were told the drugs were not typically used to treat insomnia and changes in their sleep were due to changes made in their own behavior, thus attributing any changes in sleep behavior internally. The implication for clinicians was that a short course of drug therapy using a placebo or one of several soporific drugs might be used equally effectively to treat primary latency insomnia. Additionally, the results demonstrated that clinicians might expect the effectiveness of treatment to be maintained following treatment. Recommendations included a suggestion for future research with soporific drugs in other classes.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Psychological Intervention
A psychological intervention involving relaxation training and biofeedback training for the control of peripheral skin temperature was investigated in this study with 27 female rheumatoid arthritics as participants. Based on analysis of the temperature data, it was concluded that the biofeedback response was not learned. From electromyographic data, it was concluded that participants did learn to relax. The hypothesis that the two treatment components would have beneficial effects on the physical, functional, and psychological aspects of rheumatoid arthritis was answered partially. No differential effects as a function of biofeedback training were found as the data for the temperature increase and temperature decrease groups were statistically combined in multiple analyses of variance for repeated measures. Although no differential effects were obtained, numerous positive changes were found. Correlated with the relaxation training were decreases in reported subjective units of discomfort, percentage of time hurting, percentage of body hurting, and general severity of pain. Improved sleep patterns were reported as was increased performance of activities of daily living. Reductions were also found in psychological tension, and in the amount of time mood was influenced by the disease. Shifts were not found in imagery, locus of control, and other psychological dimensions. Constitutional improvements were also absent.
Anxiety-Management Training for the Reduction of Type A Coronary-Prone Behavior
The present study investigated the effects of anxiety management training on the reduction of Type A coronary-prone behavior in a college student population and utilized behavioral measures as well as self-report indices of change. Evaluations pre- and post-treatment included self-report measures of Type A behavior, empirically validated performance measures of the achievement-striving and time-urgency components of coronary-prone behavior, and a learned helplessness manipulation that has been associated with this behavior pattern. Analysis of covariance indicated that the treatment group changed in the desired direction on all self-report indices, and on most of the performance measures and helplessness scores that were used as dependent variables. Discussion centered on the implications of these data to theoretical and practical conceptualizations of coping behavior and coronary disease and cautions were expressed concerning clinical significance, maintenance, and generalization of results.
Depression and Learned Helplessness: Task Difficulty and Success-Failure Attribution
This study was designed to compare the effects of exposure to two different sets of soluble discrimination problems, an easy set composed of only two- and three-dimensional problems and a more difficult set composed of problems ranging from two to seven dimensions, both immediately after training and at a 10-day posttreatment follow-up. The subjects were 32 depressed male inmates of a federal correctional institution. It was hypothesized that as a result of meeting and mastering progressively more difficult problems, the group given progressively more difficult problems would show a greater reduction in depression and a greater enhancement of performance on a variety of cognitive measures, both immediately after treatment and at the 10-day posttreatment follow-up. The results failed to support these hypotheses. Depression scores decreased significantly from pretreatment to posttreatment, but did so equally for the two groups. One of the cognitive measures, the WAIS Digit-Symbol subtest, showed significant improvements from pretreatment to posttreatment, but did equally for the two groups. Significant relationships were found between the subjects' performances on the cognitive tasks, and measures of their tendencies to attribute successes and failures to stable or unstable factors. Unexpected significant positive relationships were found between depression and performance on the cognitive tasks. The differential effect of the prison environment upon people differing in their intelligence was discussed as a possible explanation of these findings.
Female Sexual Orientation: Behavior and Developmental History
The present study investigated female sexuality by examining a range of experiential, historical, attitudinal, and behavioral variables, and conceptualizing sexual orientation along several dimensions on a heterosexual/homosexual continuum. The focus was on determining what, if any, important etiological factors emerged, as well as differences in behavior, attitudes, and preferences among women with various sexual orientations. It was concluded that a nonconventionality factor could be interacting with certain experiential and situational variables to produce a bisexual or homosexual lifestyle. Consequently, the ideosyncratic variable nature of such a paradigm could partially explain inconsistencies in past research. Results of this study were comparable to previous ones indicating that the women were similar (across sexual orientations) in their emphasis on emotional aspects of a relationship, history of heterosexual dating and coitus, few (relative to males) sex partners, and a less (than males) actively assertive sexual pattern of behavior. Future research might include males in the investigation of the role of a nonconventionality factor in sexual orientation. Also, relationship between cognitive/perceptual styles and sexual orientation could be explored.
The Use of Local Norms to Improve Configural Reproducibility of Two MMPI Short Forms
The effectiveness of local norms with two short forms of the MMPI was investigated in this study. Comparisons were made between high-point code-type concordance rates and the overall concordance rates generated by local norms and the original norms of Faschingbauer's Abbreviated MMPI (FAM) and the MMPI-168. The use of local norms did not produce significantly higher high-point code-type concordance rates than the use of original norms. The use of local norms was indicated when one is interested in overall profile concordance. However, this finding was not replicated in the cross-validation samples. No conclusion was reached regarding the superiority of one short form over the other in terms of high-point codetype concordance. In terms of overall concordance, the FAM was found to generate higher concordance rates than the MMPI-168 when original norms were used. Overall concordance rates were not significantly different between the two short forms when local norms were used. Design changes and possible explanations for the findings were discussed. The former included increasing the sample size of the cross-validation samples to reduce sampling error. The latter consisted of the lack of congruence between the factor structures of the FAM and MMPI-168 and that of the MMPI, possible similarities between the populations sampled and those upon which the FAM and MMPI-168 were standardized, and inadequate sample size.
Biofeedback and Progressive Relaxation in the Treatment of Muscle Tension Headaches: A Comparison
This study was designed to compare the clinical effectiveness of EMG biofeedback and progressive relaxation training in the treatment of muscle tension headache. These procedures also were compared with a treatment-element control group. Results from this study indicated that EMG biofeedback, progressive relaxation, and the control procedures all led to significant improvements across sessions on EMG and most self-report measures. There was little evidence that either treatment technique was superior to the other or to the control procedures. Although in most cases there were rather large numerical differences between groups, these differences generally were not statistically significant. Analysis of correlations between EMG and self-report data revealed a pattern of variable but generally nonsignificant relationships. However, for the biofeedback and progressive relaxation groups, there were a number of highly significant correlations. The pattern of correlations suggested that the relationship between EMG tension and subjective headache pain may be better predicted by something other than a strict linear model.
Differential Response of Speech-Anxious Repressors and Sensitizers to Systematic Desensitization and Rational-Emotive Therapy
There is a scarcity of objective criteria upon which to select among the available therapies for those most likely to benefit specific patients. Comparative research has suggested that the outcomes of alternative and competitive therapies are equivalent. There are few facts available concerning which patients benefit most from even the more popular therapies. The purpose of this study was to find a type of patient for which differential improvement could be predicted. Neither therapy decreased checklist scores or increased speaking time significantly more than the other. Repressors and sensitizers responded equally to therapy. When dropout rates were analyzed there were also no significant differences between the therapies or between repressors and sensitizers. When posttherapy scores from both therapies were compared to pretherapy scores, no significant changes were found. The latter finding was important for understanding the absence of support for the hypotheses. Since the subjects did not improve as a result of either desensitization or rational-emotive therapy, there was no opportunity to observe the hypothesized differential changes. Given this hindsight, it was concluded that speech anxiety may not be a desirable disorder with which to study the prediction that repression-sensitization is related to the outcome of rational-emotive therapy and desensitization. It was recommended that future research of this relationship utilize a disorder for which therapeutic effectiveness is more firmly established.
Life History and Psychometric Personality Factors Differentiating Prisoners Convicted of Violent and Nonviolent Crimes
In this study violent and nonviolent prisoners were differentiated on the basis of life history and psychometric variables. Life history data were collected from institutional files and from a biographical questionnaire. Psychometric procedures consisted of the Mini-Mult Prisoner Questionnaire and the Bender-Gestalt. In summary, the variables included in the discriminant function suggest that the violent subjects were more psychopathological than the nonviolent subjects. The violent subjects evidenced behavioral problems at a young age in appropriately expressing anger. They appeared to have limited behavioral repertoires in attaining their desires outside the immediate gratification through aggressive means. They were also more emotionally alienated and less socially skilled. The violent subjects received more negative feedback during childhood and were incarcerated at a younger age, They were more overtly hostile and also more lacking in cognitive ego mastery. In contrast, the nonviolent subjects apparently learned during childhood to repress their anger to a greater extent. They also seemed to modulate their anger by withdrawing from direct interpersonal conflict.
Relationship of MMPI Profile Clusters to Pain Behaviors
The purpose of this study is to replicate and extend earlier work involving cluster analysis of MMPI profiles among persons with chronic low back pain. There are two specific goals. The first goal is to demonstrate the existence in a new sample of four distinct and homogenous profile clusters that have been found in previous research. The second goal is to investigate the relationship of the four profiles to the subjects, self-reported pain history and response to treatment. This study concludes that four distinct MMPI profiles can be identified among chronic low back pain patients. Further, these profiles are the same for males and females, and are the same profiles found in previous research. These profiles are significantly related to subjects' history of behaviors in dealing with pain. However, no relationship to treatment response was found. It was inferred that the MMPI is of value in understanding the nature of patients' pain coping behaviors, but that further research is needed before any statements can be made regarding the utility of the MMPI in understanding their response to treatment.
Self-Disclosure by Mexican-American Women: The Effects of Acculturation and Language of Therapy
The present study proposed to investigate the effects of level of acculturation and of language of the therapy interview on self-disclosure by Mexican-American women. It was predicted that self-disclosure would be affected by both level of acculturation and by the language of the initial therapy interview. The principal implication of this finding is that for the first-generation Mexican-American woman, that is, a woman who has not acculturated to the mainstream society, the language in which therapy is conducted constitutes a significant factor in predicting whether she is likely to self disclose and thereby benefit from the therapy. The findings of this study suggest that less acculturated Mexican-American women would be more likely to utilize mental health services if they are available in Spanish.
Treatment of Insomnia in Cancer Patients Using Muscle Relaxation Training
Previous research suggested that sleep onset insomnia was significantly reduced with the use of relaxation techniques; however, the majority of these studies used college student populations with mild to moderate insomnia. The objective of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of using muscle relaxation training in a clinical population known to have sleeping difficulties—cancer patients. Results of this study suggest that muscle relaxation training is an effective technique to reduce sleep onset insomnia in cancer patients, and perhaps also in any clinical group. The technique seems especially promising since it was shown to be effective with severe insomniacs suffering severe medical problems. Results of the study were discussed in terms of possible explanations for the efficacy of the treatment, potential uses of the technique with other clinical populations, and ease of teaching nonpsychologist health professionals to treat with muscle relaxation training.
Depression: Assessment of Factors
Depression received much attention in the professional literature as a stimulus both for experimental as well as applied research. It continued to be the subject of much controversy in respect to its definition, identification, and classification. Attempts were made to objectify the assessment of depression using self-report scales to tap various aspects though to be related to its etiology as well as its symptomology. Two of the most popular and reportedly well-validated self-report scales identified in the literature for determining and quantifying depressive symptoms were the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck) and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zung).The present study was designed to determine if there were factors in common between the Beck and the Zung scales and, in addition, to test whether these factors would differentiate subjects by sex class membership, diagnostic category, and by some linear combination of biographical or life-history information. The major purpose was the identification of outstanding charactersitics of depression predicted from biographical data and the determination of the relationship of these data to self-rating psychometric measures of depression. This study makes it clear that the Beck and Zung scales are measuring different aspects of depression and thus are likely based on separate constructs. The need of developing a depression index based on separate factor scores is highlighted. Also, a multimodal approach to assessment in general is indicated. Studies relating biographical information to factors of depression are suggested. This study makes several inroads, generating descriptive factors and significant biographical or life history correlates. These findings could be expanded and further research could lead to the development of assessment tools useful in the identification of patients with distinct depressive syndromes, as well as at-risk subject groups, in order to implement both primary and secondary prevention.
Effects of Evaluative Modeling on Client Behavior and Self-Evaluation in Behavior Rehearsal for Assertive Training
A technique for altering subjects' self-evaluations and subsequent performance was developed and tested. Two types of therapist evaluative modeling, positive and critical, were compared, for effectiveness in training subjects to be assertive, with a no-modeling control and an insight treatment group. All modeling conditions used a behavior rehearsal paradigm, while the insight treatment employed a Rogerian therapy design. Dependent measures included a paper-and-pencil self-evaluation scale and a behavioral role-playing test of assertiveness. No significant differences were found among the modeling conditions, but the behavior rehearsal strategy brought about significantly greater increases in assertiveness among the severely unassertive subjects than did the insight treatment.
Effects of Videotape Playback on Causal Attribution in Distressed Couples
A videotape playback treatment was investigated in the present study with regard to its effects on acceptance of responsibility for conflict in distressed couples. Three major hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis that subjects given videotape playback of their pretherapy sessions would show a significant increase in self-attribution was supported.The second hypothesis that subjects who received videotape playback of their pretherapy sessions would show a significant increase in the frequency of self-attributional statements was also supported. Results of the present study did not support the final hypothesis that following a significant increase in self-attribution. It was concluded that videotape playback may provide an effective means of facilitating acceptance of responsibility for conflict in distressed couples. The implication for practitioners is that videotape playback could accelerate the marital therapy process through facilitation of the acceptance of responsibility.
Locus of Control of Reinforcement Applied to the Prediction of Use of Medical Services
Increases in the number of users of the medical delivery system, along with an ever-increasing variety of available services, makes it desirable to identify those individuals who will benefit most from its services. With the growing reliance on third party payment, economic limitations no longer effectively restrict the use of the system's resources to those individuals who are truly ill. A framework is needed whereby individuals who are medically ill can be separated from those whose needs might be more effectively addressed by other services. A variety of means, including locus of control, has been used in the attempt to make such discriminations. In conclusion, it was observed that the low magnitude of obtained relationships presents opportunities for future research, but disallows meaningful prediction at the present time.
Pain Management in Severely Burned Adults: A Test of Stress Inoculation
The present investigation sought to explore the efficacy of stress inoculation in the management of pain with severely burned adults. Subjects were 16 adult burn patients randomly assigned to either the stress-inoculation or no-treatment comparison group. The focus of the analysis was the amount of change or improvement from pretreatment to posttreatment periods. The stress-inoculation group showed significant improvement on all nine dependent measures, while the no-treatment group improved significantly on only two (physical and emotional self-ratings). The overall comparison of the amount of change between groups revealed that the stress-inoculation group showed significantly greater improvement in pain management than the no-treatment group during this time. It was concluded that stress inoculation, as a flexible treatment package, was efficacious in the management of pain experience of burn patients.
Perceived Maternal Behavior, Field Dependence, and Rapidity of Response to Treatment in Enuretic Males
Child-rearing behaviors and attitudes have been implicated by some authors in the persistence of bed-wetting after the age of three. In this study, maternal child-rearing behaviors were evaluated from the point of view of the child. Perceived maternal behaviors were assessed through the use of the Child's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory. Field dependence/independence was measured by Children's Embedded Figures Test scores. Correlational analysis of the data suggested the following conclusions: 1) The rapidity of response to conditioning treatment for enuresis is not related, to scores of Acceptance, Psychological Control, and Lax Control. 2) Degree of field dependence/independence is unrelated to the rapidity of response to conditioning treatment for enuresis. 3) Child's Report of Parent Behavior Inventory factor scores of Acceptance, Psychological Control, and Lax Control are unrelated to Children's Embedded Figures Test scores. 4) Primary enuretic boys do not differ from nonenuretic boys along the dimension of field dependence/independence.
Premarital Contraceptive Behavior: Attitude Among Adolescents
This study investigated attitudes toward personal use of premarital contraception among sexually active adolescent males and females. All students within the selected classrooms were asked to complete questionnaires assessing attitudes toward contraception, contraceptive knowledge, and sociodemographic and sex-related life history variables. Subjects were rated with regard to their effectiveness of contraception (high, moderate, or low). Separate univariate analyses indicated the following: The low effectiveness group was more likely to perceive responsibility for contraception as belonging to the "opposite gender." Contraception attitudes and knowledge were positively related. Females were more knowledgable about contraception and has more favorable attitudes than males.
The Assessment of Suicidal Risk in Hospitalized Patients: Hope, Competence, Threat, Succorance, Helplessness, and Control
Although the suicide literature is replete with studies approaching risk assessment from the standpoint of the external observer, research into the intrapsychic mechanisms involved is rare. This study investigated the importance of hope, threat, competence, succorance, helplessness, and control among inpatients hospitalized for suicidal behavior.
Blood Pressure Biofeedback and Relaxation Training: The Effects of Home Practice on Reduction of Blood Pressure in Persons with Essential Hypertension
Blood pressure biofeedback at home was compared with relaxation training and a combination of the two procedures for the treatment of essential hypertension, Ten subjects were taught to monitor blood pressure (BP) at home with electronic sphygmomanometers designed for self-use. Although situational factors appeared to have rather potent effects on BP levels, results suggested that training to control BP did generalize across situations. Although pretreatment BP level seemed to be related to the amount of reduction obtained, there was some evidence to indicate that subjects trained in behavioral methods of control could maintain BP in the average range after medication was discontinued, even if no significant reductions were obtained during treatment . Home practice of BP biofeedback was found to be the most successful single treatment for reducing systolic BP in the practice setting.
Cognitive Congruence and Interactional Behavior of Cotherapists
Proponents of the use of cotherapists have stressed the importance of compatibility for effective cotherapy teams; however, the nature of compatibility has received little attention in experimental literature. This study investigated the nature of an effective cotherapy relationship through use of concepts espoused by George Kelly in his personal construct theory. Based on the results of the study, it was recommended that cotherapists be paired on the basis of their cognitive congruence. It was further proposed that cotherapists, especially those low in content congruence, allow themselves sufficient time for case discussion prior to and following their therapy sessions.
The Effect of Two Variations of Role-Taking Training and Affect on Changes in Juvenile Delinquents' Role-Taking and Moral Judgment Development
The present investigation was designed to increase the moral judgment and simultaneous role-taking skills of institutionalized male juvenile delinquents and investigated possible effects of affect on the subjects' responses to treatment.
Group Social Skills Training of Adolescents with School Adjustment Problems
The purpose of the present study was to compare a traditional therapeutic technique (client-centered) to a structured social skills training package in the group treatment of adolescents with school and social adjustment problems, An additional consideration was made of the efficacy of the specific training program used as applied to this population. Seven indices of change (four of which are behavioral and three self-report) were included in the study as dependent variables. Subjects were students attending an "alternative" high school whose population consisted primarily of pre-adjudicated juvenile delinquents, status offenders, and other students experiencing various social adjustment difficulties in more traditional high school environments.
Individual, Group, and Self Behavior Therapy for Weight Reduction in High and Low Self Reinforcing Persons
An experiment was conducted to contrast the effectiveness of Behavior Therapy administered in self, individual, or group therapy versus a no-treatment control condition. The therapy conditions were administered to two subgroups, high and low self reinforcers, as defined by Rosensky and Bellack (1976). The general hypothesis was that high self reinforcers would engage in countercontrol and therefore do poorly in group and individual therapy, but would lose weight in self therapy. Individual behavior therapy showed the best long term results, but self and group therapies also showed significant weight loss. It was also found that low self reinforcers as a group lost more weight than did high self reinforcers.
Menstrual Cycle and Caffein Effects on Physiological and Psychological Processes
This study was directed toward investigating effects of menstrual cycle stages and caffein ingestion on various physiological and psychological processes. Subjects maintained a daily log of basal waking temperature (BWT), occurrence of menstruation, and consumption of caffein containing beverages and medications. At each session, visuo-spatial discrimination, depth perception, and time estimation (15 and 30 sec) were assessed. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ), The Measurement of Depression (MOD), and a self-report scale were completed.Multiple linear discriminant analyses were conducted on menstrual cycle and caffein ingestion data. Variables that contributed significantly to the discrimination of level of caffein ingestion were visuo-spatial discrimination; MDQ Water Retention and Control; cervical, lumbar, and saccral temperatures; time required to reach baseline; and total daily consumption of caffein-containing beverages.
A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Approach for Heterosocially Anxious Males
The present study examined the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral therapy package and a highly credible attention-placebo in the treatment of male heterosocial anxiety. Previous research provided evidence that cognitive factors are important in the etiology and maintenance of heterosocial anxiety, and suggested that a cognitive-behavioral approach should be effective in the treatment of this problem. Despite such evidence, relatively few therapy outcome studies have been conducted using cognitive-behavioral procedures.
Imagery as a Skills Training Technique for Alcoholics
Alcoholism is a major health problem, and current methods of treatment have been only partially successful. One treatment approach is to teach coping skills for dealing with problematic situations. This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of imagery techniques in teaching coping skills. There were two major objectives of this study. The first objective was to determine whether covert skills training would produce positive changes in alcoholics in terms of their effectiveness in responding to stressful situations, their self-concept, and selected personality characteristics. The second objective was to determine whether alcoholics subjectively experience the imagery approach as beneficial. The statistical design also evaluated whether the effectiveness of the treatment fluctuated as a function of age, education, chronicity of alcohol problem, number of rehabilitation attempts, and environmental support as measured by the presence of a family or job awaiting the alcoholic's return.
A Multi-Element Psychological Management Program for Chronic Low Back Pain
This investigation utilized a novel, self-help, multi-element psychological program to manage chronic low back pain. A literature review indicated that this disorder was costly and prevalent, yet a large percentage of chronic low back pain patients did not respond to traditional treatment. Recent research has demonstrated that numerous psychological difficulties have been associated with this disorder, including depression and anxiety. It was hypothesized that these psychological concomitants of chronic low back pain maintain and promote further pain, as part of a vicious cycle. Self-help treatment attempted to break this tension-pain-anxiety cycle using various stress reduction, and cognitive and behavioral management strategies.
Olfactory Correlates of Induced Affect
That odors play a significant role in subhuman intraspecies communication is a generally accepted fact explained in part by the production and reception of species specific pheromones. Recently the effects of human produced odors on human communication have received research attention, particularly in the communication of such biological phenomena as menstruation onset and gender assignment. Again pheromones have been posited as the explanatory mechanism. Whether a pheromone-like odor cued process exists in the communication of human emotions is unknown, though a number of anecdotal accounts of odor-emotion interactions suggest that such may be the case. It was the purpose of the present study to investigate a possible odor-emotion interaction by determining whether humans could differentially detect other humans' odor collected under varying emotional conditions.
Phantom Breast Concomitants Among Mastectomy Patients
Thirty-eight mastectomy patients who reported phantom breasts were compared to 23 women who did not experience these sensations for the purpose of developing a predictive psychological profile of the phantom breast patient. The Adjective Check List, WAIS—short form, Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation Scale—Behavior, a social-medical questionnaire, and a Body Image Scale were administered. The Body Image Scale was also given to 25 women who had not had breast cancer. Hemispheric dominance was also assessed by means of conjugate lateral eye movements.
Prisoners' Self-Help Packets for Positive Behavioral Change
This study investigated the efficacy of bibiliotherapy in a correctional setting. Bibliotherapy (the utilization of books, pamphlets, or other literature) has been recommended as an adjunct to psychotherapy when professional time was at a premium or when the motivational level of the clientele was marginal. The experimental problem of this present study was to assess the usefulness of bibliotherapy in coping with psychological problems found within the correctional setting. This investigation was designed to explore the effects of two self-help packets on two diverse prison populations.
Behavioral Treatment of Essential Hypertension: A Comparison of Cognitive Behavior and Multi-Element Self-Regulation Therapies
Self-monitoring, lowered arousal training (i.e., biofeedback and relaxation training) and maintenance follow-up appeared to contribute to effective treatment of hypertension. Cognitive therapy, while effective in treatment of some stress-related disorders, has not been studied as a specific treatment component for hypertension. The present study explored the use of cognitive therapy as a treatment variable to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive persons. The effectiveness of a multi-element treatment including cognitive therapy, blood-pressure biofeedback, and relaxation training was also assessed. Self-monitoring and maintenance training were included as a part of each treatment process.
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