Neville J. King

The Therapeutic Management of an Autistic Child's Phobia Using Laughter as the Anxiety Inhibitor

This paper describes the treatment of a 4½-year-old autistic boy who exhibited phobic responses to the sounds of flushing toilets. He was successfully treated using reinforcement and laughter: the latter service as an anxiety inhibitor. At 3- and 6-month follow-ups the child was symptom-free.

The behavioral management of asthma and asthma-related problems in children: a critical review of the literature.

This review focuses upon the behavioral approach to childhood asthma. Asthma is defined as intermittent, variable, and reversible airways obstruction with a complex multidimensional etiology. The major measures of asthma include physiological, symptomatic, and collateral measures. The behavioral management of childhood asthma has been restricted to relaxation training, systematic desensitization, assertive training, biofeedback, and deconditioning of exercise induced asthma. The efficacy of such intervention strategies for asthmatic children is in doubt, although the management of asthma-related problems in children appears to be a more promising area of research. The author suggests that the power of intervention programs for asthmatic children may be strengthened by the development of multifaceted treatment programs contingent upon the antecedents and consequences of the individual case. Also, behavior therapy may be of assistance to mild asthmatic children.

The emotive imagery treatment of a child's trauma-induced phobia

A 512-year-old boy was desensitized to an extreme fear of the dark and associated fears through the use of emotive imagery and a response induction aid (a torch). The program successfully treated the boy in four widely spaced sessions. Follow-ups conducted 1, 2, 3, 15 and 18 months from the end of treatment found that treatment gains were maintained.

The self-control of human peripheral (finger) temperature: An exploration of somatic maneuvers as aids to biofeedback training

The present investigation was based on the belief that somatic maneuvers deserve to be treated as independent variables in biofeedback research. Two experiments are reported in which the potency of somatic maneuvers was examined in the biofeedback induced self-control of human peripheral (finger) temperature. In Experiment 1, reliable increases in finger temperature were obtained only under those conditions in which subjects were permitted to engage in muscular maneuvers in addition to response contingent feedback. In Experiment 2, bidirectional changes (increases or decreases) in finger temperature were possible under these conditions. The theoretical and clinical implications of the data are briefly discussed.

Social Skills Assessment and Training for Mentally Retarded Persons: A Review of Research

We review research developments in the assessment and training of social skills with mentally retarded populations. Social skills of mentally retarded people are usually assessed via role-play tests, which may be criticized for their lack of external validity. The typical social skills training package includes instructions, modelling, behaviour rehearsal, feedback and possibly incentives. Favouring mildly retarded subjects, researchers have produced appropriate verbal and nonverbal responses in previously socially inept individuals. Training mentally retarded subjects in job interview skills is a recent variation of social-skills training. A number of issues are discussed including the need for individually tailored programmes, and the incorporation of the more subtle aspects of social competency into social skills training. Procedures to enhance the maintenance and generalization of social skills are outlined.

A component analysis of biofeedback induced self-control of peripheral (finger) temperature ☆

Most of the research on biofeedback induced peripheral temperature control is open to serious methodological and theoretical criticisms. In the present research investigation, increase in peripheral (finger) temperature was targeted because of the possible therapeutic implications for the treatment of migraine and Raynauds disease. Two experiments are reported in which the pretest-posttest control group design was employed to test the power of the variables in biofeedback induced self-control of finger temperature, and the necessity for subjects to engage in somatic manoeuvres. Significant increases in within-session and absolute finger temperature occurred in a test for self-control only for those subjects who had undergoing contingent feedback-somatic activity training conditions. It is suggested that future research should examine the role of mediational strategies in biofeedback-temperature training.

Parents and siblings as behavior modifiers in the control of a common developmental problem (thumbsucking)

A home based intervention program for an 8 year old girl with a chronic thumbsucking problem was evaluated using an AB, AB2 design. Data on thumbsucking was gathered for television viewing and sleep time. In the first phase of treatment (B,), the mother implemented 5 minutes of time out from television viewing for thumbsucking that occurred during observational checks. In the second phase of treatment (B2), the power of the program was improved with the addition of a reinforcement system (star chart and books). A self‐control strategy was also taught. Thumbsucking was reduced by about 65 percent during television viewing, with generalization to sleep. At 6 month follow‐up, thumbsucking had not resumed.

Behavioural Job-Interview Skills Programmes: How Effective Are They?

Behavioural programmes in job-interview skills training are described and evaluated. Through the employment of a social skills package consisting of instructions, modelling, rehearsal, feedback and reinforcement, clients have been trained in a variety of responses considered important for a successful job-interview. Such responses have included nonverbal behaviours such as eye contact, voice tone, voice volume and body posture, and verbal behaviours such as expressing interest and enthusiasm, giving positive information, and asking job-relevant questions. Job-interview programmes are discussed according to whether they have employed group comparison designs or multiple baseline designs. The problems associated with assessing generalization of treatment gains to the real-life situation are discussed. Another major problem discussed concerns the content and predictive validities of role play tests.