Psychophysiological outcome of behavioral and pharmacological treatments of agoraphobia.

62 severe and chronic agoraphobics (aged 18–65 yrs) participated in a 2?×?2 factorial investigation of the relative and combined effectiveness of behavior therapy (prolonged in vivo exposure) and pharmacotherapy (imipramine). Treatment was conducted in 12 weekly sessions. Imipramine or placebo was administered in 25-mg tablets at bed time, with 25-mg increases every 2nd day until the maximum tolerable amount was achieved. Tripartite assessments were conducted at pretreatment and at 4 wks, 8 wks, 12 wks, and 1-mo posttreatment. Differential temporal response and treatment patterns were identified across the psychophysiological domains. Ss receiving medication showed equivocal patterns of positive and negative responses. Decreases in arousal were noted with Ss who received prolonged exposure. Synchrony/desynchrony phenomena yielded significant findings with regard to both process and clinical outcome status. Exploratory analyses were performed to identify potential mediating factors in physiological outcome, and a psychophysiological comparison was also undertaken contrasting agoraphobics prior to and following treatment with normative (nonphobic) cohorts. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patient-therapist interdependence: Cognitive and behavioral.

Each of 7 patients saw each of 4 therapists twice. After each session, therapists rated how they thought the patient and therapists should behave during psychotherapy. In addition, these patient and therapist behaviors were independently rated from tapes of the meetings. A balanced 4 * 7 design was utilized. Behavior rating data indicate that therapists are more influenced by patients than patients are by therapists. Comparisons of questionnaire and behavior rating data indicate that differences among therapists are more evident in how therapists think than in how they or patients behave. Implications for understanding the different roles of the psychotherapist are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Blirtatiousness: Cognitive, behavioral, and physiological consequences of rapid responding.

The Brief Loquaciousness and Interpersonal Responsiveness Test (BLIRT) measures the extent to which people respond to others quickly and effusively. The BLIRT displays desirable psychometric properties and distinguishes people who should theoretically score high (e.g., car salespersons) from those who should score low (e.g., librarians). Scores on the scale predict (a) the amount and rapidity of people's verbal responses in an unstructured interaction, (b) how likable and competent people's classmates perceive them to be early in the semester, (c) how quickly people respond to an obnoxious cell-phone user and how physiologically aroused they become, and (d) how quickly and emphatically people respond to a series of personal insults as well as their degree of physiological arousal. Converging evidence indicates that blirtatiousness is unique in its ability to amplify people's qualities, making these qualities more readily observable to perceivers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

P-impulsive sensation seeking and its behavioral, psychophysiological and biochemical correlates

Impulsive unsocialized sensation seeking (ImpUSS) is a major factor discovered in factor analyses of scales used in psychobiological research. It is strongly convergent with Eysenck's P dimension and conscientiousness in the 'big five'. The components of the dimension and the P scale, have been validated as correlates of various kinds of disinhibited behaviors, criminality, sexuality, and substance use and abuse. ImpUSS is related to a failure in passive avoidance learning, probably as a function of impulsivity and attention to reward stimuli. Psychophysiological markers for the trait include strong orienting and weak defensive reflexes and an augmenting, rather than reducing, of cortical reaction to intense stimuli. At the neurochemical level the trait is related to low levels of monoamine oxidase (MAO) and the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin, and theoretically high levels of dopaminergic activity. The trait components have high heritabilities for a personality trait.     

Rifle-balancing in precision shooting: behavioral aspects and psychophysiological implication

In recent years, following the identification and molecular cloning of many key adhesion molecules, the three-dimensional structures of some of the domains that mediate adhesive interactions have been determined. This review discusses how these studies have helped explain the unique functional roles of the different families of adhesion molecules.     

Acute and chronic low back pain: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions.

Despite strong suppositions concerning differences between patients suffering acute and chronic low back pain, relatively few data-based comparisons have been made. In this study, affective, cognitive, behavioral, and demographic contrasts were conducted. Chronic patients were divided into those who demonstrated signs and symptoms that were either congruent or incongruent with underlying anatomical and physiological principles. Low SES, compensation claims, use of opiate analgesics, greater disability, catastrophizing cognitions, stronger emotionality, and passive coping were more characteristic of both acute and chronic incongruent patients than chronic congruent patients. A relatively stereotyped, spontaneous facial expression of pain was observed in all groups when responding to painful movements during a physical examination. The similarities between acute and chronic incongruent patients have implications for the assessment and treatment of low back pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive treatments for eating disorders.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is applicable to all eating disorders but has been most intensively studied in the treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN). CBT is designed to alter abnormal attitudes about body shape and weight, replace dysfunctional dieting with normal eating habits, and develop coping skills for resisting binge eating and purging. CBT is effective in reducing all core features of BN and shows good maintenance of therapeutic improvement. Although superior to therapy with antidepressant drugs, CBT has not been shown to be consistently superior to alternative psychological treatments. Different hypotheses about CBT's mechanisms of action are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes.

Investigated the functional relations among cognitive appraisal and coping processes and their short-term outcomes within stressful encounters. The authors used an intraindividual analysis of the interrelations among primary appraisal (what was at stake in the encounter), secondary appraisal (coping options), 8 forms of problem- and emotion-focused coping, and encounter outcomes in a sample of 85 married couples (females aged 35–45 yrs and males aged 26–54 yrs). Findings show that coping was strongly related to cognitive appraisal; the forms of coping that were used varied depending on what was at stake and the options for coping. Coping was also differentially related to satisfactory and unsatisfactory encounter outcomes. Findings clarify the functional relations among appraisal and coping variables and the outcomes of stressful encounters. (47 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and behavioral therapy for musical-performance anxiety.

Compared the efficiency of cognitive-behavioral therapy, emphasizing self-instruction and attention-focusing techniques, with behavior rehearsal and with a waiting-list control in the treatment of debilitating musical-performance anxiety. Ss were 53 pianists (aged 12–53 yrs old) who experienced extreme anxiety in performing situations. Therapy sessions were conducted over a 3-wk period; Ss met 3 times in small groups for 1?–2 hrs and also completed homework assignments. Self-report (e.g., Subjective Stress Scale, Expectations of Personal Efficacy Scale for Musicians), behavioral, and physiological indexes of anxiety were collected at baseline, treatment termination, and follow-up intervals. Multivariate analyses indicated that both the cognitive-behavioral therapy and behavior-rehearsal programs were effective in reducing musical-performance anxiety in comparison to the control condition at the follow-up assessment, although there were no differences among groups at treatment termination. Cognitive therapy was more effective than the behavior-rehearsal program on several measures. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and behavioral distancing from the poor.

The author argues that distancing is the dominant response to poor people on the part of those who are not poor and that distancing, separation, exclusion, and devaluing operationally define discrimination. Such responses, together with stereotypes and prejudice, define classism. The article focuses on classism in the United States. Classism is examined in the context of theoretical propositions about the moral exclusion of stigmatized others and is illustrated by cognitive distancing, institutional distancing (in education, housing, health care, legal assistance, politics, and public policy), and interpersonal distancing. The adoption of the Resolution on Poverty and Socioeconomic Status by the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives in August 2000 is cited as an important step in the direction of eliminating the invisibility of low-income persons in psychological research and theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of drug and behavioral treatments of essential hypertension.

Studied 36 hypertensives (aged 35–60 yrs) twice/wk for 8 wks under 1 of the 4 following conditions: blood pressure (BP) biofeedback, Benson's relaxation response, drug treatment, and a control procedure consisting of the home self-monitoring of BP. Extensive baseline, treatment, and follow-up assessments were obtained of home BP recordings and psychophysiological variables in the laboratory (heart rate, BP, skin conductance, breathing rate, and frontalis muscle tension). Ss also completed psychological tests that included the MMPI and Jenkins Activity Survey. Drug treatment (main diuretics) was found to be markedly superior to all of the behavioral procedures in the regulation of BP in home recordings. With regard to laboratory measures of BP, biofeedback was as effective as drugs and more effective than relaxation or the self-monitoring control procedure in lowering diastolic but not systolic BP. In addition, neither the relaxation response nor the control procedure had any effect on the regulation of BP. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive, adaptive, and behavioral characteristics of Williams syndrome

The difference of morphological injury between rabbit aorta and pulmonary artery was compared after the animal was exposed to the altitude 5 km (PO2 = 10.8 kPa) for 24 h. Hypoxia caused subendothelial edema, increased vacuoles and injured mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulums in both kinds of endothelial cells. The impairment of pulmonary artery was obviously more severe than aorta and its smooth muscle cells were also affected. Forthermore, the exposure increased mitochondria in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Bubbled with a mixture air of 95% N2-5% CO2 (PO2 = 4 kPa) led to an increase of pulmonary in tension, while hypoxia to the same extent induced aorta relaxation. These results indicate that hypoxia produces the differential effects on these two kinds of vessels, providing a possible explanation for the production of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.     

Cognitive and behavioral treatment of pathological gambling: A controlled study.

This study evaluated the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment package for pathological gambling. Twenty-nine men who met criteria for pathological gambling in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., revised; DSM-III-R; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) were randomly assigned to treatment or wait-list control. The treatment included 4 components: (a) cognitive correction of erroneous perceptions about gambling, (b) problem-solving training, (c) social skills training, and (d) relapse prevention. The dependent variables were the South Oaks Gambling Screen, perception of control, frequency of gambling, perceived self-efficacy, desire to gamble, and number of DSM-III-R criteria met by participants. Posttest results indicated highly significant changes in the treatment group on all outcome measures, and analysis of data from 6- and 12-month follow-ups revealed maintenance of therapeutic gains. Recommendations for clinical interventions are discussed and focus on the cognitive correction of erroneous perceptions of gambling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive and behavioral characteristics of physically abused children.

Compared 11 physically abused males (aged 3 yrs 11 mo to 5 yrs 8 mo) on the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) and the Wide Range Achievement Test with 10 nonabused males matched on age, family income, and maternal age and education. In addition, behavioral observations of their performance on a persistence task were coded. Significant differences were found on the Verbal and Memory Scales and the General Cognitive Index of the MSCA. No behavioral differences were noted. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive–behavioral treatment for depression: Relapse prevention.

This study presents 2-year follow-up data of a comparison between complete cognitive–behavioral therapy for depression (CT) and its 2 major components: behavioral activation and behavioral activation with automatic thought modification. Data are reported on 137 participants who were randomly assigned to 1 of these 3 treatments for up to 20 sessions with experienced cognitive–behavioral therapists. Long-term effects of the therapy were evaluated through relapse rates, number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic weeks, and survival times at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-ups. CT was no more effective than its components in preventing relapse. Both clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Gambling Craving Scale: Psychometric validation and behavioral outcomes.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 23(4) of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (see record 2009-24023-002). Some data in Table 4 was inadvertently omitted. The complete Table 4 is presented in the erratum.] Although craving is an important feature of problem gambling, there is a paucity of research investigating craving to gamble. A major stumbling block for craving research in gambling has been the lack of a methodologically sound, multidimensional measure of gambling-related craving. This article reports the development of the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS). In Study 1 (N = 220), a factor analysis revealed the emergence of a 9-item scale with 3 factors: Anticipation, Desire, and Relief. An important finding was that the GACS predicted problem gambling severity, depression, and positive and negative affect. In Study 2 (N = 145), the factor structure of the GACS was confirmed using a community sample of gamblers. In Study 3 (N = 46), GACS scores significantly predicted persistence at play on a virtual slot machine in the face of continued loss. Specifically, the more participants craved to gamble, the longer they engaged in play. The implications of craving for the development and maintenance of problem gambling severity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selecting behavioral marital interventions: An algorithm for matching couples and treatments.

Presents an algorithm, based on 12 questions, for matching couples and marital interventions. The algorithm can be used to determine the appropriateness of divorce counseling, nonmarital treatments, couples crisis intervention, structured behavior exchange, communication skills training, problem-solving training, marital rule clarification/restructuring, and specific treatment procedures (e.g., sex therapy). (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acceptability of behavioral treatments: Review of variables that influence treatment selection.

Researchers interested in teachers' choices of classroom interventions have begun to amass evidence about several variables relevant to the treatment selection stage of consultative interactions between psychologists and teachers. Variables of primary importance include psychologists' jargon and rationales for treatment, teachers' philosophy about behavior changes, teachers' personal resources, and of course the severity of the target child's problem. Thus the central purpose of this article was to review 20 recent empirical investigations concerning teachers' acceptability of behavioral treatments of misbehaving school children. This review focused on teachers' reactions to treatments, but because children's and psychologists' reactions to treatments have the potential to influence teachers' reactions, they also were reviewed. In addition to a detailed presentation of conceptual issues and research methods concerning treatment acceptability, the review is concluded with a pragmatic discussion of the major findings for the practice of behavioral consultation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)