This paper addresses the issue of homosexuals who want to change their sexual orientation. It is noted that many ego-dystonic homosexuals who want to become heterosexual, despite encouragement from psychotherapists to accept their homosexuality, are turning to self-help groups in an effort to change their sexual orientation. Studies that have…

Evaluated two self-help behavior therapy books for stopping smoking against a minimal treatment program. Results indicated under self-administered conditions, the minimal treatment program was as effective as the behavior therapy books. On the self-report measures, therapist contact was associated with improved treatment outcome for the behavior…

Group assertion training has employed a variety of techniques including bibliotherapy, behavioral rehearsal, and didactic lecture presentations. Whether didactic information affects behavior, structure, and/or self-evaluation is unknown, and it is not clear whether behavioral practice enhances the effects of didactic training upon behavior,…

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of a self-control program that emphasized modification of external environmental-eliciting cues for eating behavior with an induced affect program that was aimed at decreasing eating behavior as a response to emotional states. Results are discussed. (Author)

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem affecting not only the individual abuser, but also family, friends and society. The effectiveness of contracts as positive tools in the treatment of alcohol abuse was investigated for 15 current abusers randomly assigned to individual therapy sessions. Each subject completed a Personal History Questionnaire, the…

Discusses problem of how to address relationship between alcohol abuse and criminal offending. Suggests that Alcohol Education Courses (AECs) offer workable alternative to custodial sentencing. AECs offer various techniques that target abusive alcohol consumption level of the population, the problem of offending, or both. Asserts that evaluation…

Several treatment approaches to cigarette smoking were investigated, including a nicotine fading procedure in which subjects changed their cigarette brand each week to one containing progressively less nicotine and tar; a self-monitoring procedure in which subjects plotted their daily intake of nicotine and tar; a combined nicotine…

The educational and pyschological effects of the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) on secondary school students were examined. A course including TM technique was taught to two public high school classes of 30 volunteers each. One class took the TM course for both semesters; the other took an alternative course in self-development for the…

This description of a weight reduction program, based on generalizations derived from eight years of work with overweight persons, discusses the clients' rationalization of overeating behaviors. In this behavior modification program, the client is required to permanently give up one high calorie food and to write down all foods eaten before actual…