It is concluded that systematic desensitization or relaxation therapy is not effective in inducing assertive behavior in the male chronic schizophrenic. The treatment of choice for the older chronic male schizophrenic remains socioenvironmental therapy. (Author)

Within an experimental paradigm that simulated systematic desensitization, the effects of manipulated cognitive expectancy on avoidance behavior were evaluated. The results indicated that both overt avoidance behavior and two verbal indexes were differentially affected by expectancy and that no relationship between avoidance behavior and autonomic…

The data on approach to snakes provides srong support for the contention that the behavorial avoidance test is not immune to bias introduced by the operation of situational variables that have usually been allowed to vary in uncontrolled fashion in psychotherapy analogue research. Behavior of test subjects can be influenced not only in terms of…

A 2-year follow-up questionnaire was sent to subjects originally tested by Rosen, Glasgow, and Barrera. Initial treatment gains for self- and therapist-directed desensitization subjects were maintained. Posttest behavior approach scores were not predictive of real-life behavioral change as reported at follow-up. (Author)