A Review of: “Woolfolk,R. L., & Allen,L. A. (2007). Treating Somatization: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach.”

A 5-year old subject was treated for molestation-induced behavior problems consisting of excessive verbal ruminations and concamitant negative emotional responding. Treatment invovled utilization of a modified operant DRO procedure using the subject's mother as primary behavior change agent. Data based observations predicated on home-environment and generalization probe sources demonstrated dramatic reductions in problem behaviors targeted for intervention. Treatment gains remained stable over a 12-month period as indicated by extended follow-up assessment queries.     

A Review of: “Fairburn,C. G. (2008). Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders.”

Successful reports of behavioral treatment of encopresis describe interventions as unpleasant as the disorder: hospitalization, laxatives, prompted toileting, aversive consequences. The focus on soiling rather than on the constant constipation that precedes encopresis, on the reduction of soiling rather than on the acquisition of effective toilet use. Five normal chronically constipated children (four of whom were encopretic) were treated at home with combinations of: preparatory instructions, rewards for clean pants, reward for appropriate toileting (bowel movement in toilet). Once soiling was eliminated and appropriate bowel movements occured regularly, all families were taught to fade treatment contingencies. To determine the contribution of the toileting reward to treatment effectiveness, this reward was added to the other two treatment components in a multiple baseline across four cases; it provided a significant ingredient in short-term success. A fifth child achieved short-term success with only the instructions and the clean pants reward. Long-term results (11-20 months) revealed that the fifth child, who never received the toileting reward, was the only one who relapsed.     

A Review of: “Greenwald,R. (2009). Treating Problem Behaviors: A Trauma-Informed Approach.”

This single-case-design experiment examined an intervention to decrease bed-sharing in children, ages 2 through 6. Three sessions were conducted with each parent. At the first session, parents described bed-sharing history and began collecting baseline data. At the second session, parents were instructed to employ the intervention. At the third session, parents were interviewed and offered continued support, if needed. Participants included three children who slept with their parents 4 or more nights per week. The intervention resulted in a substantial decrease in bed-sharing behavior for all participants, and parents reported being satisfied with the intervention.     

A Review of: “Nelson,C. Ellis. (2008). Growing up Christian: A Congregational Strategy for Nurturing Disciples”

A quasi-experimental design was used to statistically compare academic achievement among 277 students in single-grade and multigrade classrooms in the Pacific Northwest. Adjustments were made using analysis of covariance to help insure comparable group means. Results indicate that academic achievement with a single exception is not related to enrollment in single grade or multigrade classrooms even after the effects of gender and length of years in classroom were held constant. Less direct instruction and more process time was observed in multigrade rooms.     

A Review of: “Hollander,M. (2008). Helping Teens Who Cut: Understanding and Ending Self Injury.”

Based upon informal observation of adverse effects arising during behaviorally oriented parent-training programs, 119 parents attending such programs answered a structured questionnaire regarding six specific adverse effects. Each of the “side effects” were reported by a substantial portion of the participants. In most cases, the severity of effects was not extreme. The mean number of side effects reported by each parent was 1.70. Based upon these findings, clinicians conducting such parent-training programs are encouraged to provide content material to prevent or ameliorate these adverse effects.     

A Review of: “Barkley,R. A., & Robin,A. L. (2008). Your Defiant Teen: 10 Steps to Resolve Conflict and Rebuild Your Relationship.”

We report a study that addressed behavior data recording by direct-care staff at a child services program. In response to a decreasing percentage of daily data recording in two community-based group homes, a supervisory intervention was implemented, consisting of a revised data recording form and providing performance feedback to the direct-care staff. The intervention increased and maintained the percentage of daily data recording each month across the two group homes and seven sets of child behavior data. The study represents one approach toward staff performance improvement within child services programs.     

A review of: “Philosophy and psychotherapy”

E. Erwin (1997) Philosophy and Psychotherapy, London: Sage, pp. 192, $37.50 (hb), $12.95 (pb)