Psychophysiologic research indicates that muscle-contraction headache often is not characterized by excessive or unusual muscular activity, and muscular changes seldom accompany headache improvement resulting from treatment. Multidimensional models have been proposed, which emphasize the interdependence of physiological and psychological systems in the ontology of recurrent headache. In the present study, intervention targeted behavior patterns associated with the onset, maintenance and process of coping with headache. Patients were instructed to identify headache-related cognitions and pain behaviors, then encouraged to employ alternative coping behaviors in response to cognitions that previously cued pain behaviors. Headache activity, pain behaviors and negative mood states were analyzed through time-series analysis. The results indicated a decline in headache index for 7 of the 9 patients. A decline was also observed in performance of pain-related behaviors and dysphoric mood states. No significant changes were found in other measures of psychological symptoms or the frequency of stressful environmental events. (LLL)