Hamid Hekmat

Coping with cold-pressor pain: effects of mood and covert imaginal modeling

Thirty volunteers participated in cold-pressor pain hand-immersions to investigate the effects of moods on imaginai model interventions. Participants (N = 30) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments. Pleasant and unpleasant imageries induced participant mood states. Participants experienced either (a) pleasant imaginai scenes followed by imaginai models, (b) unpleasant imaginai scenes followed by imaginai models or, (c) no intervention. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVAS) and a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were conducted. Unpleasant mood induction participants reported more negative moods (i.e., sadness, worry) than no treatment controls. Pleasant mood induction participants reported a significant decrease in anger. Pleasant mood induction participants showed significant increases in pain tolerance after treatment. Other groups showed nonsignificant differences in ability to tolerate pain. Hypotheses are given for the results. Results suggest that pleasant moods may have beneficial effects on pain coping interventions.

Cognitive and Behavioral Regulation of Pain: The Facilitative Effects of Analgesic Suggestions

This study investigated the effects of analgesic suggestions on tolerance of noxious stimulation measured by cold pressor test. Seventy-two people who volunteered for this project were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: Group 1 received Kanfer’s verbal/symbolic intervention with analgesic suggestions. Group 2 received verbal/symbolic treatment with neutral suggestions. Group 3 received Lamaze breathing relaxation with analgesic suggestions. Group 4 received breathing relaxation with neutral suggestions. Group 5 (control) received biofeedback instructions with analgesic suggestions; and Group 6 (control) received biofeedback instructions with neutral suggestions.Measures of hand immersion duration and subjective discomfort ratings were obtained on pre- and postassessment schedules. Results indicated that duration of hand immersion increased significantly in verbal/symbolic-analgesic suggestions, verbal/symbolic-neutral suggestions, and Lamaze breathing/relaxation-analgesic suggestions groups. Results indicated that analgesic suggestions enhanced significantly the pain-coping effects of verbal/symbolic and breathing/relaxation.

Three techniques of reinforcement modification: A comparison

Three techniques for altering the reinforcement potential of the verbal reinforcer “mmm-hmm” were compared. Group I, reinforcement potency attribution, involved pairing semantically induced pleasant images to the verbal reinforcer “mmm-hmm”; Group II, reinforcement potency attenuation, involved conditioning negative meaning to the verbal reinforcer “mmm-hmm”; Group III received reinforcement potency satiation by repeated exposure to the verbal reinforcer “mmm-hmm.” Groups IV and V were exposed to a buffer task. Immediately after reinforcement modification, affective selfreferences were reinforced in a quasitherapeutic interview with “mmm-hmm” serving as a verbal reinforcer for the experimental groups and control Group IV. Control Group V received no reinforcement in verbal conditioning. Reinforcement potency attribution enhanced the pleasant evaluative meaning to the verbal reinforcer “mmm-hmm” and subsequently induced the greatest verbal conditioning effect. Reinforcement potency attenuation and reinforcement potency satiation both reduced the pleasant connotation of “mmm-hmm” significantly and resulted in no verbal conditioning effect. The reinforcement potency attenuation and reinforcement potency satiation treatments were not significantly different from each other in terms of inducing negative connotations or in promoting verbal conditioning. Verbal conditioning was independent of awareness. Implications for therapy were discussed.

Advantages of a unified science and a unified theory of pain

Sullivan astutely raises interesting questions and issues that we can use in elaborating principles of unification. He agrees with PB in that pain involves emotional reactions-that pain is a response to a nociceptive stimulus, a response that involves the same central nervous system mechanisms as negative emotional responses. He agrees that the pain response follows the principles of emotional responding and accordingly should be related to the study of emotions. He also agrees with PB theory in that it is important to integrate the biomedical consideration of pain with the effects of culture and is concerned with how emotion can be included in this integration. His discussion, however, highlights the need for developing one framework theory with one theory language. The separate theories have developed separate theory languages. He uses a cognitive theory language (a social constructionist language) in considering mat-

Promoting healthy nutritional habits by paradigmatic behavior therapy

Paradigmatic behavior therapy was applied to alter the maladaptive nutritional habits of a 41-year-old depressed female. The clients activities, affect, and cognitions were self-monitored, along with daily intake of processed sugar and fruits and vegetables. The intervention program included contingency contracting and the production of pleasant affective states. The program promoted a favorable attitude toward fruits and vegetables and led to a significant increase in their consumption with significant decrements in sugar intake. The client became less tense and depressed. The favorable effects were maintained at a 5-month follow-up.