Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-10, Section: B, page: 4799. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 30-12, Section: B, page: 5702. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1969.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 31-10, Section: B, page: 6263. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1970.

This study involved a systematic evaluation of the differential effectiveness of vibration presented contingently in a DRO schedule and vibration presented noncontingently as compared to no treatment in the reduction of self-injurious stereotypy in ten retarded individuals. Through the use of a yoked-subjects design, amount of vibration was equated for both subjects of a pair, and a no-treatment probe, used periodically throughout the study, provided evidence of functional control. Overall, vibration was moderately effective in reducing self-injurious behavior and had the beneficial side effect of increasing the sociability of the subjects. However, for most subjects, the effectiveness of vibration was transient, losing strength either within the daily observation periods or over days of the experiment. Noncontingent vibration was slightly more effective overall and would be much easier and more cost effective to administer. Subject variability of response to vibration in general, and to the two types of vibration in particular, warrants further investigation of this cost effective, nonaversive procedure. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-10, Section: B, page: 3381. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

Sixty-two children, aged 7 through 12, were administered the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Birleson's self-rating scale for depressive disorder in childhood during the evening of their day of admission to a regional medical center for routine surgical or diagnostic procedures. Their behavior that evening was rated for depressive symptoms by their nurse and a parent. At discharge, their physician rated their psychological and physical adjustment to their hospitalization and treatment, and other data related to adjustment was also obtained from the hospital charts. The validity of the two self-rating scales was assessed by examining their relationships with each other, the observer ratings of behavior, physician ratings of adjustment, and the other indications of adjustment obtained from the charts. The two self-rating scales were found to be correlated at r(,s) = .48 (p = .001). In general, the study failed to find support for the self-report measures being related to any of the other data, and thus failed to support the validity of these two measures. A test of the reliability of children's self-report of depressive symptoms was also done. This involved examining the consistency of the children's responses between eight items of the CDI and eight items of the Birleson which comprised pairs of items similar in content. It was found that the children's self-reports were not consistent, raising serious questions about the use of children's self-reports in assessing depression. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-12, Section: B, page: 4157. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

This study was designed to determine what factors were most influential in making determinations about the final judicial decisions of competency to stand trial and placement of the mentally retarded defendant. The study focused on the judicial system because of its importance in moving the mentally retarded defendant through the legal system with the least amount of difficulties and the greatest assurance that the legal rights of these defendants would not be violated. Factors such as demographic variables, prior hospitalizations, behavior problems, specifics of hospitalization in a competency training program and current charges were considered to determine their effect on judicial decisions. Eighty-one incompetent mentally retarded defendants were included and a record search was conducted to gather specifics about those variables of interest. Discriminant analyses and chi-square tests of significance of relationships between variables were performed. The most significant finding was the judge's tendency to adjudicate the mentally retarded defendant as incompetent to stand trial regardless of previous recommendations by the competency training program staff that the defendant was clearly competent to stand trial. Reasons for this finding included: (1) the judge's lack of knowledge about mental retardation and (2) the judge's tendency to equate low intelligence with incompetency due to a limited ability to learn. Poor predictive ability was noted for those variables influential in determining final placement for the mentally retarded defendant. Possible causes included: (1) a lack of available placements for these defendants and (2) variables included in this study may have been influenced by other sources of variance such as characteristics of the judge and individual characteristics of the subjects. It was suggested that the ultimate solution to the / problems inherent in judicial dispositions for the mentally retarded defendant would be the establishment of a special court for these individuals with trained officials who are aware of the needs of these individuals. Also, provisions for additional placements for these defendants seem necessary to prevent incarceration without a trial and the use of the incompetency to stand trial issue as a means for involuntary commitment perhaps for life. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-12, Section: B, page: 4166. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The present investigation was a follow-up to a recent study by Traub and May (1983). They examined the effects of false failure feedback on biofeedback and cognitive performance. In one sample, false failure biofeedback lead to enhanced performance on a subsequent veridical biofeedback relaxation task. In the other sample, unsolvable arithmetic problems lead to impaired performance on a later solvable arithmetic task. In both cases, the results were attributed to a reduction of effort. / In the present study, both the biofeedback and arithmetic tasks were combined into one larger sample. Although the results were in the same direction as reported by Traub and May (1983), they were not statistically significant. In further analyses, it was found that self-esteem and level of depression interacted with pretreatment experience in determining the amount of effort expended in the subsequent tasks. Finally, a series of correlational analyses supported the hypothesis that as effort expenditure increases, cognitive performance increases and the ability to relax with biofeedback decreases. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-09, Section: B, page: 3087. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

Exposure to the rationale of treatment program or regimen has been found to be effective in increasing patients' compliance to medication regimens and attendance to psychotherapy. Such exposure, however, has not been tested as a means to increase compliance to a psychotherapeutic assignment. Fifty-two subjects who reported difficulty dealing with stress and anxiety were randomly assigned to one of two videotape pretraining conditions; rationale or no rationale. Following this presentation, all subjects were trained in progressive muscle relaxation by instructors blind to the manipulation. Compliance to the relaxation exercises were monitored during the subsequent week via electronic rewind counters embedded in the issued cassette players as well as by self-report and the subjects' performance of relaxation at the second session one week later. Anxiety was measured following each session using the state-section of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. / No significant effect of the rationale condition was found for any of the compliance or anxiety measures. Although the subjects' self-report of practice and objective and subjective measures of relaxation proficiency in the second session were significantly correlated, the electronic rewind counter measure was not significantly correlated with the measures. Two variables, the subject's rating of the videotape presenter's experience and the number of problems performing the relaxation exercises, accounted for 20 percent of the variance of the rewind counter measure of compliance. A discriminant analysis correctly predicted compliance (defined as five or more cassette plays) in 65 percent of the cases. Possible explanations for the lack of significant effect of the rationale exposure were offered and research and clinical applications of the findings were discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-09, Section: B, page: 3081. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

In a multiple-baseline, single subject design, two methods of biofeedback, indirectly related to blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and thermal, were evaluated for effectiveness in achieving across-session and within-session blood pressure decreases in essential hypertensives. The hypothesis that relaxation pretraining would enhance acquisition of feedback was also tested. Twelve male subjects with a physician's diagnosis of essential hypertension were recruited through newspaper advertisements, and participated in the study over a three to four month period (23 to 38 sessions). Mean blood pressure measures initially were 143.4 mm Hg systolic/93.3 mm Hg diastolic pressure. / Subjects were assigned to one of four sequences of training in which the order of presentation of PWV or thermal feedback, and presence of absence of relaxation pretraining were varied. The overall effectiveness of the treatment program was demonstrated by average blood pressure decreases at the end of the program and at follow-up one month later. Mean blood pressure levels during last three sessions of training were 133.2 mm Hg systolic/87.5 mm Hg diastolic pressure, with systolic but not diastolic pressures significantly lower, t(10) = 2.606, p < .05, than means of initial measures plus first two sessions of baseline. Means at one month follow-up were 134.8 mm Hg systolic and 89.2 mm Hg diastolic pressure. Systolic pressures were again significantly lower at follow-up, t(10) = 2.593, p < .05. In addition, three subjects had ceased taking any blood pressure medication by follow-up, and maintained normal (< 140/90) or nearly normal blood pressure. / The study provided support for the hypothesized effectiveness of thermal feedback across-sessions, although within-sessions blood pressure decreases with thermal feedback were significantly less than with PWV feedback, or during baseline. The effectiveness of relaxation pretraining was demonstrated by the fact that relaxation pretrained subjects attained significantly greater blood pressure decreases (measured as percentage change) from baseline to last three sessions of training, and by the fact that relaxation pretraining appeared critical in the acquisition of PWV feedback training. / Measures of four physiological parameters, frontalis EMG, fingertip skin temperature, heart rate, and pulse transit time, were taken throughout the study. An SPSS computer program multiple regression analysis of within-session changes of these parameters and on blood pressure measures indicated considerable variability among subjects in correlates of blood pressure change. / Results from this study are discussed as providing support for a hypothesized shaping of a more and more specific cardiovascular response through training of the Relaxation Response of Benson. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2519. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Twenty-four parents of young children were instructed in child management techniques taught by one of two methods: lecture-discussion or role-playing. Outcome measures were an analogue questionnaire and home observations collected after two weeks and four weeks of training. The role-play method of presentation was shown to be superior to the lecture-discussion method after both two weeks and four weeks of training on the analogue questionnaire. There were no differences between groups according to home observations after two weeks of training. After four weeks of training, the lecture-discussion method of presentation was the most effective in teaching parents how to give appropriate commands to their children. Improving parents' skills in applying correct contingencies was found to be more effective in changing childrens' compliance rate than was improving parents'a skills giving correct commands. The results of the present study call into question the generalization of results in parent training studies which use either analogue measures or short-term training procedures. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: B, page: 2522. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.