The case report describes the speech and language charactersitics of a five-year-old girl with Prader-Willi syndrome, a congential disorder (characterized by mental retardation and specific physical characteristics), and the language therapy procedures used over a 10-month period. (Author/SW)

A comparison of the effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin) and response cost in reducing the offtask behavior of two boys (7 and 8 years old) with attentional deficit disorders and hyperactivity revealed that response cost (with free time as the reinforcer) was superior to Ritalin in increasing ontask behavior and improving academic performance.…

Two studies evaluated the use of protective equipment in treating self injurious behavior (SIB) exhibited by three retarded adolescents. Results suggested that contingent protective equipment and differential reinforcement may be effective in reducing chronic self injury. (Author)

Eleven studies of behavioral treatment approaches used to intervene with abusive parents are reviewed and compared according to methodology, results, and weaknesses (such as poor definitions, lack of outcome data, and need for long term followup). (CL)

Describes an experiment to determine if college students could be stimulated to undertake additional self-modification projects after completing similar projects in personal adjustment courses. Student responses to questionnaires indicated that experimental group students, who were required to submit plans for additional projects, were more likely…

Compared the efficiency of cognitive-behavioral therapy, emphasizing self-instruction and attention-focusing techniques, with behavior rehearsal and with a waiting-list control in the treatment of debilitating musical-performance anxiety. Multivariate analyses indicated that both the cognitive-behavioral therapy and behavior-rehearsal programs…

Argues that the one portion of behavior modification that educators least understand is negative reinforcement. Discusses the advantages of this technique. (FL)

Moderately depressed females (N=26) were assigned randomly to assertion training or delay-control groups. Experimental subjects became significantly more assertive and engaged in more activities than controls, and effects of treatment continued after treatment ended. Eight weeks after treatment, the experimental subjects' scores indicated…

Compared effectiveness of counterconditioning and self-control models of systematic desensitization in reducing targeted and nontargeted anxieties. Treatments were equally effective in reducing and maintaining reduction of targeted anxiety, debilitating test anxiety. (Author)

Test-anxious students were assigned to a core treatment (Meichenbaum's cognitive behavior modification and study skills training) alone, with videotaped modeling, with rehearsal modeling, or under control conditions. No treatment led to significant academic performance improvement, a finding consistent with many test-anxiety studies using grades…

Research on the effectiveness of cognitive behavior modification on learning disabled students' self-monitoring is reviewed. Among conclusions are that self-recording of ontask behavior results in increased ontask behavior and academic productivity and that the procedure takes a minimal amount of teacher time. (CL)

Compared experimental desensitization with a procedure that replaced relaxation with a distraction task and with an approach that combined both relaxation and distraction. Desensitization generally was more effective than the other two procedures. (Author)

Reports results of a two-part study designed to extend training in cognitive interpersonal problem solving to an adult alcoholic population. Treatment subjects made greater improvement on problem-solving thinking than controls. Responses in discharge interviews demonstrated that treatment subjects were more likely to anticipate and plan ahead for…

Presence or absence of tension release significantly influenced the number of relaxation cycles necessary to produce reports of deep relaxation, frequency of practice, and successfulness of eliminating daily tension at follow-up. Subject's ability to reduce physiological activity by a procedure contributed to reductions in subjective tension.…

Sixteen adult stutterers were randomly assigned to one of two groups: awareness training plus regulated-breathing or Azrin and Nunn's regulated-breathing method only. Awareness training significantly reduced stuttering compared to the control procedure. But the most significant improvement appeared after introduction of the regulated-breathing…