Implementing behavioral marital therapy is discussed with emphasis on techniques of problem solving, communications training, behavioral contracting, and homework assignments. The therapist's intervention style and the aspects of treatment which aid in generalization and maintenance of therapeutic gains are also described, and a typical treatment…

Didactic group parent training and parent-child interaction training were compared for effectiveness. Children (N=29) were divided into three groups, i.e., one control and the two training techniques. After five sessions, therapist observations revealed improvement in the mothers' facilitative behaviors for those mothers participating in the…

Compared studies predicting outcomes of psychotherapy. Level of prediction success in both projects was modest. Particularly for the rated benefits score, the profile of variables showed similar levels of success between the projects. Successful predictions were based on adequacy of personality functioning, match on marital status, and length of…

Principles of self-management were incorporated into a reading improvement program administered to study skills students. Results indicated that the performance-contingent strategy facilitated improvement. Results indicate that persistent practice is a salient factor in reading improvement. The importance of the self-reinforcement strategy used in…

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…

Compared changes in male drug abusers treated in a therapeutic community (TC) with untreated drug abusers in prison. Results showed little change in subjects confined in prison relative to marked changes in those treated in a TC. TC treatment did not markedly affect psychopathic traits. (Author)

A study investigated whether the personality construct of repression-sensitization could identify which college students would or would not practice regular examinations for breast, cervical, or testicular cancer. Although knowledge of cancer increased after the lecture, no change was found in the frequency of breast self-examination while…

Describes a method of determining major counseling strategies with the TFA/Matrix system. A taxonomy describes individual patterns of thinking, feeling, acting, and behavior. Descriptions are integrated into four counseling steps. The system synthesizes all counseling data and ranks and sequences major strategies likely to assist the client's…

A school-based diet program for learning disabled children stresses modifying eating behavior by learning alternative ways of interacting with the environment. Techniques stress the importance of self regulation, strategies for self monitoring, the establishment of realistic weight goals, use of stimulus control procedures, increased physical…

Examined the relationship of relaxation training to hyperactivity in 10 boys ages 6-12. On all nine dependent variables, the subjects exhibited no change after neutral treatment and significant change after relaxation training. Data collected during the relaxation process demonstrated reduced muscle tension for all subjects. (Author)

This 16-month longitudinal study examined effects of time, classroom program, and child gender on play behaviors of preschoolers attending a formal education program or a discovery program. Analysis revealed that dramatic interactive play and transformational behavior increased, while constructive play decreased. Boys in discovery classroom…

A study was done to determine the effects of an activity-centered health education curriculum on the attitudes of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The results indicate that the students in the experimental group were much more inclined to change their health beliefs and behaviors in a positive direction. (Author/JN)

Research on prisonization has traditionally analyzed cross-sectional data testing either the importation or deprivation model. This investigation incorporates a longitudinal research design to analyze patterns of change in prisonization. Variables including individual status factors, prisoner status factors, factors specific to present…

Ethical issues confront behavior therapists in a variety of ways, and must therefore be defined. Being objective means being willing to change the mind even if belief is reinforced by the verbal community. Similarly, acting in a morally correct way sometimes means acting contrary to reinforcing practices. (PJC)

In study-skills courses, individualized contracts requiring students to identify nonproductive study behaviors and agree on strategies for desired change were examined for effects on attitudes toward study and achievement. Contract students improved significantly on self-reported attitudes toward study, gained better grade point averages, and…