Sensation seeking is associated with an increased propensity for delinquency, and emerging research on personality change suggests that mean levels of sensation seeking increase substantially from childhood to adolescence. The current study tested whether individual differences in the rate of change of sensation seeking predicted within-person…

The idea that participation in sport builds character is a long-standing one. Advocates of sport participation believe that sport provides an appropriate context for the learning of social skills such as cooperation and the development of prosocial behavior (Weiss, Smith, & Stuntz, 2008). Research in sport regarding character development has…

The self-management of thoughts and mental images was used in a series of empirical case studies to influence behavior changes. The target behaviors in the cases reported were smoking, overeating, fingernail biting, thinking self-depreciative thoughts, and responding assertively. Self-monitoring, covert positive reinforcement, covert…

Examines three troublesome questions concerning the effects of behavior modification: (1) what other conditionings may occur besides the simple one desired, (2) what type of personality modification is taking place along with behavior modification, and (3) what type of society will result when it consists of individuals trained in this manner?…

Article includes information on LSD, marihuana, and amphetamines; in general, the hallucinogens impair the thought process and the performance of various tasks.'' (Author/SP)

Ten compulsive behaviors were recorded by a client during 23 weeks of counseling. The frequency records indicated sizeable decreases in the behaviors following relaxation, with additional, smaller decreases following desensitization. Changes in the MMPI and Fear Survey Schedule corroborated the client's self report of improved functioning. She had…

In this article, the author discusses the Student in Good Standing Contract (SGS), a program designed to help the students at Ocean Township High School in Monmouth County, New Jersey renew themselves, rebuild their self-confidence, and commit to learning. Once a student is identified as violating the school disciplinary policy and is suspended…

Presents twelve reasons why educators should be wary of behavior modification. (JF)

Answers criticisms of and questions about behavior modification. (JF)

Females entering as freshman at the University of Iowa were tested during orientation and again as seniors. Results indicate a decrease in dogmatism, increase in interpersonal competence, and in increase in selectivity regarding preferred occupations. (CJ)

Analysis shows a significant decrease in parent's self-sufficiency index, indicating increased group dependence. Results suggest that family therapists may unwittingly foster group dependence and losses in confidence for parents receiving such family guidance. (Author)

Two studies are reported, each of which achieves personality change with both audiovisual self-confrontation (AVSC) and supportive, nondirective interviews. The first study used Ericksonian identity achievement as a dependent variable. Sixty-one male subjects were measured using Anne Constantinople's inventory. The results of this study…

Argues that behavior modification represents the use of a series of scientifically verified techniques that could be used to promote more effective learning of both social and academic subject matter. The author maintains that a behavioral approach fails to help the teacher decide why, what, and who is going to learn. (Author/JF)

Describes a new questionnaire technique for measuring change in the individual client state before and after counseling, examines its application in a series of studies on psychiatric patients, and reviews a further illustration with a 20-year-old college freshman. (Author/CJ)

Today, the term 'behavior therapy' has no clear denotation. Those who adhere to the more delimited meanings of behavior therapy tend to disregard significant nonbehavioral therapeutic development. They also overlook convincing data demonstrating that in adult humans, conditioning is produced through cognitive mediation. Adoption of a more…