Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide attempts (SAs) are especially prevalent in borderline personality disorder. One proposed mechanism for the maintenance of NSSI and SAs is escape conditioning, whereby immediate reductions in aversive emotional states negatively reinforce the behaviors. Psychophysiological and subjective indicators of…

For 38 anxiety patients, exposure to phobic imagery resulted in significantly larger heart rate and skin conductance increases than control imagery. Results suggest that simple phobia is avoidance disposition, social phobia involves multiple problems of interpersonal dominance, and agoraphobia may be more similar to generalized anxiety disorder…

Studied cancer patients (N=24) in order to determine whether conditioned nausea and vomiting could be delayed or prevented. Indicated that patients receiving progressive muscle relaxation training and guided imagery had significantly less nausea and vomiting and significanty lower blood pressures, pulse rates, and dysphoria, especially anxiety,…

Sixty cancer chemotherapy patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: relaxation training with guided relaxation imagery (RT), general coping preparation (PREP), both RT and PREP, or routine clinic treatment only. Found that PREP intervention increased patients' knowledge of disease and treatment, reduced anticipatory side effects,…

Assessed relative effects of therapist empathy and instructed imagination of heirarchy scenes on avoidance behavior reduction. Imagery instructions delivered in a relatively unempathetic fashion produced as much avoidance reduction as imagery instructions delivered in an empathetic manner. (Author)

The incidence of fear of success imagery was compared for black and white women. Data collected in 1971 did not support the hypothesis of a race difference. This finding was in marked contrast to an earlier study of race differences in fear of success. (Author)

Examined imagery questionnaires and addressed issues of reliability, agreement among questionnaires, social desirability, and construct validity. The Betts and Gordon scales and the Paivio Individual Differences Questionnaire were examined. Reliability of the Paivio inventory was satisfactory and equivalent to other imagery questionnaires. Imagery…

Compared the relative efficacy of stimulus control and imagery training with a wait-list control condition for treating 21 sleep-maintenance insomniacs. Stimulus control was more effective than either imagery training or no treatment in reducing both the frequency and duration of night-time awakenings, though training showed substantial reductions…

The purpose of the present investigation was (a) to examine the effect of two variables in developing assertive behavior using covert modeling and (b) to develop a technique to assess ongoing imagery during treatment. The results indicated that imagining multiple models or model reinforcement enhanced behavior change. (Author)

Examined effects of client elaboration of imagery during covert modeling treatment and effects of treatment of unassertiveness on self-efficacy. Covert modeling plus elaboration achieved greater change than other covert modeling groups. Treatment effects brought clients within range of subjects regarding themselves as adept in social situations…

The client was taught to gradually substitute nonobscene phrases whenever she felt the urge to vocalize an obscenity. The rate of coprolalia quickly diminished. The client was taught relaxation and positive imagery as self-control techniques. Follow-up indicated maintenance of therapeutic gains. (Author)

Results showed that rational-emotive therapy (RET), with the addition of rational role reversal, produced significantly better results than did relaxation training and support or no contact. This was the first study to demonstrate the efficacy of RET with multisymptomatic applicants to a community mental health center. (Author/BEF)

Self-reinforcement through positive or aversive covert imagery was studied in obesity treatment. Subjects were randomly assigned to no-imagery, self-punishment followed by self-reward, and self-reward followed by self-punishment conditions. Neither order nor kind of reinforcement made any difference. Both reinforcement groups were superior to…