Reviews the types of elective mutism and proposes common characteristics of elective mutists' families. Examines the potential for a redefinition of the term "elective mutism." Concludes that family dynamics are an integral part of the problem and need to be considered in a comprehensive treatment plan. (BH)

Contingencies operating in the health care industry can have direct effects upon applications of behavioral technology to the hospital treatment of psychiatric patients. Although behavioral technology has made little impact upon the general practice of psychiatry, shifting economic and political contingencies may favor the specificity,…

Research at the University of Pittsburgh will concentrate on developing assessment instruments and accompanying instructional strategies (including behavior modification training for parents) for autisiclike preschool children and their families. (Author/CL)

Effects of intervention strategies on an autistic boy's inappropriate touching behavior were investigated. Baseline frequencies of inappropriate touching were high. A positive practice arm movements overcorrection reduced inappropriate touching significantly. An alternative response/asking for permission program was added to overcorrection…

Administered participant modeling (PM) alone, PM with simultaneous self-instructional training, PM with self-verbalization, or placebo treatment to phobics (N=36) to determine whether cognitive treatment would enhance the effectivenesss of PM. Results showed that the three PM treatments produced equivalent improvement in behavior and the placebo…

An individual free token/response cost system was used to decrease the stuttering of an elementary-level student. Reasons for the effectiveness of this technique may include its provision of immediate feedback, use of visual cues, and simple recordkeeping. (Author/CL)

The present study suggests that parent training alone, or methylphenidate alone, are both sufficient to produce noticeable, clinically significant improvements in behavior of hyperactive children. The research did not show, however, that a combination of treatments is any more effective than either treatment alone. (Author/GC)

The case study demonstrates the use of negative reinforcement for initial response conditioning of a seven-year-old deaf, blind, physically handicapped boy. A systematic procedure for reinforcer sampling failed to identify items for positive reinforcers. A procedure for removal of an aversive stimulus (negative reinforcement) was then successfully…

The current status of research literature relevant to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is reviewed. Models proposing the etiology and maintenance of OCD, empirically established treatments for OCD, and research supporting cognitive approaches to treatment are also included in the review. Until recently, most of the controlled research…

This article relates systematic causality to applications in behavior theory, counseling practice, and counseling research. The paper was presented at the American Educational Research Association Convention, Chicago, 1972. (JC)

This article discusses the differences between nomothetic and ideographic approaches to assessment, suggests that neither model is complete in itself, and presents some principles for making single subject investigations more reliable and valid. (Author)

The primary purpose of this paper is to apply the accountability concept to the field of counseling. (Author)