Discusses use of reward and punishment as reinforcers, then considers when reward-punishment model does not seem to elicit predictable results. Discusses need to go beyond simple explanation of reward and punishment and to consider other, more subtle forms of motivation. Specifically addresses issues of identity and conformity. (NB)

Studied adults who requested outpatient psychotherapy. Questionnaire items concerned the client's situation, past behavior in fulfilling commitments, self-prediction of session attendance, and reaction to the initial interview. A critical response scale proved highly predictive of the number of treatment sessions attended in both initial and…

Results indicated little or no correspondence between self-report scores and behavior in a contrived in vivo setting or between role play and behavior with a sample of college students. Assertion was enhanced in the role play condition, but not in the contrived in vivo condition. (JAC)

Psychotherapy typically is conceptualized as a social reinforcement process. Others suggest interview behavior is predicted better by a competitive model of social interaction. Results of this study indicated that message frequency requests were equal in the competitive and reinforcing conditions, both of which induced more requests than a mixed…

Rated community mental health clinic clients after the initial session. Therapist ratings of client behavior were related significantly to subsequent attendance. Early dropouts were characterized by youth and a lower education level. They were less likely to be employed and more likely to have diagnosed personality disorders. (Author/JAC)

Investigated the differential effect of two kinds of behavior simulation (role-playing) interventions: spontaneous and mimetic-pretend, on the readiness and the responsibility attributions associated with delivering electric shocks to others (N=25). Results showed that the spontaneous subjects were more ego-oriented and inhibited in administering…

Studied the process of child psychotherapy by means of analyses of client verbal behaviors. Analyses of variables demonstrated the nature of each client's verbal responding as well as their pattern of change. Summarized the overall verbal response behavior of each client best through the factor analyses. (Author)

The Improvisation Test for Individuals consists of 12 roleplays that represent a variety of interpersonal situations. Test teams evaluated the reactions of the subjects to the roleplays and determined interrater reliabilities. Subjects found the roleplays generally realistic and their own performances lifelike. Interrater reliabilities were…

Studied child psychotherapy by analyzing therapists' verbal behaviors with two child clients. According to the research expectations, high levels of interrater reliabilities for the Carkhuff scales and relatively high agreement levels for Hill's system were found. Overall verbal response behavior of each therapist was summarized best through…