It is concluded that systematic desensitization or relaxation therapy is not effective in inducing assertive behavior in the male chronic schizophrenic. The treatment of choice for the older chronic male schizophrenic remains socioenvironmental therapy. (Author)

Within an experimental paradigm that simulated systematic desensitization, the effects of manipulated cognitive expectancy on avoidance behavior were evaluated. The results indicated that both overt avoidance behavior and two verbal indexes were differentially affected by expectancy and that no relationship between avoidance behavior and autonomic…

The data on approach to snakes provides srong support for the contention that the behavorial avoidance test is not immune to bias introduced by the operation of situational variables that have usually been allowed to vary in uncontrolled fashion in psychotherapy analogue research. Behavior of test subjects can be influenced not only in terms of…

In keeping with a learning theory approach, it is postulated that fear of examinations was a learned maladaptive pattern of behavior. Therefore, counter-conditioning through progressive relaxation and systematic desensitization was utilized to eliminate the maladaptive response in this case. (Author)

Accelerated massed desensitization and anxiety management training were compared with standard systematic desensitization in terms of reducing self-reported test anxiety in high test-anxious college students. All three treatments significantly reduced test anxiety as compared with a waiting list control group. (Author)

The relative effects of imagerial covert rehearsal with attentional shifts and the use of an independent reinforcing agent in a covert reinforcement therapy were compared. A 17-year-old female student, requesting treatment for a snake phobia, served as the subject. The phobia was measured along four dimensions: behavioral approaches to a live…

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'…

This investigation was conducted to determine the effect of video-taped role modeling on patient-reported level of anxiety at the beginning of dental treatment and the long term effects of the modeling tape as evidenced by appointment cancellations and failure rate. Subjects completed the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)…