"Relative Effectiveness of Instructions, Agreements, and Reinforcement in Behavioral Contracts with Alcoholics": Erratum.

Reports an error in the article "Relative Effectiveness of Instructions, Agreements, and Reinforcement in Behavioral Contracts with Alcoholics" by Peter M. Miller, Michel Hersen, and Richard M. Eisler in the October 1974 issue. The affiliation for Michel Hersen should be changed to read: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.(The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1975-03756-001). Evaluated the effects of the components of behavioral contracting on drinking in 40 chronic alcoholics. Ss were divided into 4 groups matched on age, education, length of problem drinking, and initial operant drinking responses. They were then exposed to 1 of the following conditions: (a) verbal instructions to limit alcohol consumption, (b) signed written agreement to limit consumption, (c) verbal instructions plus reinforcement for compliance, and (d) signed agreement plus reinforcement. Pre- and postoperant analog drinking sessions, in which leverpressing was reinforced with alcohol on a fixed ratio reinforcement schedule, served to assess effects of the experimental conditions. Results indicate that while instructions and signed agreements had limited influence on drinking, both groups receiving reinforcement for compliance significantly decreased their operant drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)