Safety signals provide "relief" through predicting the absence of an aversive event. At issue is whether these signals also act as instrumental reinforcers. Four experiments were conducted using a free-operant lever-press avoidance paradigm in which each press avoided shock and was followed by the presentation of a 5-sec auditory safety…

Scientifically validated methods of reducing tension and alleviating tension disorders are reported in the papers presented at this convention. Treatment for the physical manifestations of anxiety such as sleeplessness, speech difficulties, and forgetfulness is described in several papers. The effectiveness of hypnosis and coordination of the…

The theoretical basis for Wolpe's systematic desensitization, with its principle of reciprocal inhibition and its emphasis on the role of physiological relaxation, is explained. The author examines the literature relevant to the effectiveness of desensitization with, and without, relaxation, as well as the effectiveness of relaxation alone. All 3…

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 influence of two of the variables in Leitenberg's graduated exposure technique for treating phobias, graduated exposure and subject control of the exposure time, was investigated using 15 snake-phobic subjects. Subjective fear significantly decreased from pretesting to posttesting. (Author)

Studies using fear-conditioning paradigms have found that anxiety patients are more conditionable than individuals without these disorders, but these effects have been demonstrated inconsistently. It is unclear whether these findings have etiological significance or whether enhanced conditionability is linked only to certain anxiety…

In a case of claustrophobia and in another with fears of flying, Japanese defense activities of the Karate type proved to be effective counter conditioners of anxiety. They were used in the former case in vivo and in the later case both in imagination and in vivo. (Author)

Describes the use of systematic desensitization with a group to reduce anxiety about public speaking. (EJT)

Forty-five youngsters rehearsed one of three types of mediating response, involving different types of sentences. Analyses revealed that different training significantly influenced duration and intensity settings, with the "competence" group generally superior to the "stimulus" and "neutral" verbalization groups. (Author)

In this paper 14 anxiety-reduction techniques are discussed. The sex therapist can integrate these techniques into the sex therapy contract with individuals or couples and use them either singly or in a sequential multiple technique format to reduce sexual anxiety. (Author)

This study investigates whether six women who previously had received 15 sessions of group systematic desensitization (SD) for their sexual anxiety would report additional treatment gains from participation in a sexual-enchantment workshop with their partners. The women reported a significant decrease in sexual anxiety. (Author)

This article describes the basic procedures of the technique of systematic desensitization, and suggests that social welfare practitioners make use of this extensively tested approach to dysfunctional behavior. (ST)

Designed to study implosive therapy with groups, this use of a behavioristic technique, which reduces unadaptive anxiety by emphasizing the presentation of the highly anxiety-evoking stimulus until the stimulus is no longer able to evoke anxiety, failed to produce a significant difference between control and therapy groups. (Author/KM)

A comparison was made between the traditional counterconditioning paradigm and a self-control paradigm of systematic desensitization. College students reporting high test anxiety and indicating interest in receiving treatment were assigned to counterconditioning, self-control, or wait-list control conditions. As predicted, self-control procedures…