A Stimulus satiation technique and gradual reduction approach were compared to a cold turkey approach and a taste aversion technique (special pill to create cigarette aversion). All showed substantial initial reduction, but considerable relapse at a six month followup. (CJ)

Examined the differential effects of reinforcement versus extinction in contingency management of outpatient unipolar depression for depressed subjects (N=6) and their significant others. Supports the efficacy of contingency management. (Author/ABB)

Criticism of the study relating effects of therapist warmth to desensitization include: the use of surrogate, student subjects; nonstandard desensitization procedures; and no control group. Morris and Suckerman respond that the first two criticisms rely on selective reading of the literature and the third is irrelevant. (NG)

The purpose of this paper is to examine, from a sociopsychological standpoint, some of the elements which account for the success of behavior therapy and to comment on the meaning of its emergence in modern society. Behavior therapy is seen as an indicator and consequence of major cultural trends. (Author/CG)

Reviews behavioral and psychological concepts currently applied to the assessment and treatment of chronic pain syndromes, including operant conditioning and psychophysiologic concepts such as the stress-pain hypothesis, the pain-muscle spasm-pain cycle, and the neuromuscular pain model. Discusses relaxation and biofeedback training and concepts…

This case study demonstrates the value of conceptualizing functional somatic disorders as operants. The subject, an adolescent girl, diagnosed as having a "hysterical neurosis," manifested the symptoms of incessant coughing and mutism. The cough and mutism were treated by extinction and shaping, respectively. Positive results were obtained.…

Assesses a self-reward contracting procedure intended to facilitate completion of self-administered desensitization. Self-referred snake phobics received either (a) self-administered desensitization; (b) self-administered desensitization with self-reward contracting; or (c) a self-administered placebo with self-reward contracting. Results show the…

Discusses the Morris and Suckerman report on experimental studies testing the Rogerian hypothesis that phobic desensitization occurs as a function of therapist warmth versus the behavioral explanation that desensitization is a function of reciprocal inhibition. Morris and Suckerman respond to the critique. (Author/EJT)

Examines relative effectiveness of four types of relaxation training including Jacobson-Wolpe and electromyograph (EMG) feedback. Dependent measures are EMG recordings and self-report measures of relaxation. All groups reported increased relaxation, but EMG groups were superior in EMG measures of speed of learning and depth of relaxation.…