Journal of clinical psychology
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Tested the relative contributions of two possibly active test anxiety treatment components, covert reinforcement (response relevant) and cognitive restructuring. Thirty-nine Ss were assigned to a covert modeling group, a cognitive restructuring group, a combination group, or a waiting list control group. The covert modeling consisted of imagining (a) the feared situations; (b) handling the stress in a coping manner; and (c) feeling good for having coped. ⋯ Results showed that the covert modeling group was somewhat more improved than the cognitive restructuring group. This result is interpreted as evidence that cognitive restructuring may work by the mechanisms of covert rehearsal and response relevant covert positive reinforcement. Further research directions are suggested.
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Investigated the active components of covert positive reinforcement (CPR) with a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design (N = 64) that consisted of an S-R modality (covert vs. overt), a reinforcement procedure (covert vs overt), and a demand for expectancy of success (high vs. low). Posttreatment and follow-up results of the Behavioral Avoidance Test indicated that generally Ss in the overt S-R modality groups approached closer to the rat than did those in the covert groups (N = 64). ⋯ Self-rating measures of anxiety on the Self-Rating Rat Anxiety Scale and the Fear Intensity Scale reflected overall decrements of fear from pretreatment to posttreatment and follow-up. Follow-up analyses indicated that plans should be made for the generalization of treatment effects by varying the treatment setting and perhaps by employing multiple therapists.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effects of behavior therapy, self-relaxation, and transcendental meditation on cardiovascular stress response.
Compared Behavior Therapy (BT), self-relaxation (SR), transcendental meditation (TM), and a waiting-list control group (WL) on measures of cardiovascular and subjective stress response. Male and female respondents (N = 60) to an ad for therapy were evaluated in assessment sessions before and after treatment. The results indicate that BT and SR were more effective than either TM or WL in reducing cardiovascular stress response. These data were interpreted as resulting from therapeutic suggestion and positively reinforced client progress.
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Comparative Study
The effects of stress on children's human figure drawings.
Investigated the effect of stress and preparation for stress on emotional indicators (EIs) of 68 children, aged 4 to 12 years, who were hospitalized for elective surgery. All children were asked twice to draw a human figure, once shortly after admission and again 90 minutes later. In the interim, they received stress (venipuncture or "blood test") or no stress (venipuncture delayed until after second drawing), and were either prepared (information, rehearsal and supportive care) or not prepared (free play) for the stressful situation. ⋯ Pre- and post-measures of coping behavior and pulse also were assessed. EIs correlated with pulse taken at the time of the venipuncture. Examiners who interpret drawings by this method must consider the effect of current stress and the child's understanding of stress.
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Used a measure of reduction in experienced control to investigate two aspects of the learned helplessness model of depression. Consistent with this model, psychiatric inpatients who reported reduced control over life events prior to hospitalization were significantly more depressed than individuals who reported no such reductions. ⋯ These results were interpreted as supporting the specificity of learned helplessness to depression. It was suggested that research on learned helplessness and depression, which has relied on college student analogues, can be complemented profitably by studies of reduced experience control within clinical populations.