Two variations of desensitization therapy for reducing test anxiety were studied, active desensitization in which the client describes his visualizations of the scenes and vicarious desensitization in which the client merely observes the desensitization treatment of another test anxious client. The relaxation treatment which emphasized application…

Systematic desensitization is described as an effective method for reducing test and speech anxieties in college students. Two standardized hierarchies, one for test anxiety, are presented to minimize problems in hierarchy construction. (Author)

This study investigates whether variations in method of presentation of anxiety items (experimenter's voice, experimenter's taped voice, subject's taped voice) will result in differences in autonomic arousal (as measured by self-report, galvanic skin response, cardiac rate, blood pressure). Ss were 24 Naval Academy midshipmen. The procedure…

The relative efficacy of systematic desensitization and assertive skill training in increasing assertive responses, reducing anxiety related to being assertive, and increasing response satisfaction, was compared to two control conditions--a placebo-control (discussion) and an assessment-control. Also investigated was the effect of the subjects'…

A comparison was made of the effects of systematic desensitization, a "sensitization" treatment (designed to increase awareness of anxiety) and no-treatment on the reduction of beginning counselors' anxiety. Forty-one counseling graduate students, assigned to one of the three conditions, served as subjects. With treatments intervening, the…

Highly anxious self-referred snake phobics received either (a) therapist-administered desensitization, (b) self-administered desensitization with weekly therapist phone calls, (c) totally self-administered desensitization, (d) self-administered double-blind placebo control, or (e) no treatment. Pretreatment to posttreatment measures revealed…

Flooding and systematic desensitization procedures were investigated for possible interactions with subject arousal level on reduction in phobic reactions. No such interaction was found. Behaviorally and on GSR response, both flooding and systematic desensitization were effective, but only the latter was effective on subjective reports. (NG)

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…

Investigated whether or not quantification of hierarchy stimuli in the systematic desensitization by skin conductance and peripheral pulse volume measures yielded improved results with respect to treatment length. (SB)

This study assessed the comparative effectiveness of cognitive, arousal reduction, and combined cognitive and arousal reduction treatments for test anxiety. Results indicated cognitive therapy was more effective in reducing anxiety in the analogue testing situation and improving grade point average than other treatment and control procedures.…

This article reports on the development and evaluation of an instructional module for teaching systematic desensitization. Physiological and self-report data reflecting changes in client fear levels were gathered in an attempt to determine whether the instructional module is effective. (Author)

This review of the literature explores studies of the techniques used in behavior modification groups, the stages through which a group goes to solve its problems, and the particular tasks of the group worker in helping the group reach its goals. (Author)

One in five pharmacy students is communication apprehensive (CA), similar to the general population. A third of those surveyed were shy, and about 14 percent were both high CA and shy. The more anxiety a communication type presents, the less importance the student attaches to it. Systematic desensitization is recommended. (MSE)

Height-fearful volunteers were assigned to one of three groups: a warm therapist, a cold therapist, and a waiting control group. Treatment groups showed significant improvement when compared to the waiting-list group, but no consistent differences were found between the warm and cold therapist groups. (Author)