MMPI Profiles of Liver and Heart Transplant Candidates With and Without Significant Histories of Heavy Alcohol Use

This study compared the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of liver and heart transplant candidates with (n = 104) and without (n = 253) significant histories of heavy alcohol consumption. The alcohol and nonalcohol groups had similar overall mean profiles with significant or marginally significant (i.e., T 69) clinical elevations on Scales 1, 2, and 3. However, significantly higher proportions of those in the liver transplant group than in the heart transplant group scored within the clinical range on Scales F, 4, 6, and 8. In addition, the proportions of respondents obtaining clinically elevated scores were significantly higher for the alcohol than for the nonalcohol group on Scale 4 and the MacAndrew Scale; the proportion was higher for the nonalcohol than for the alcohol group on Scale K. The overall similarity of the mean profiles indicates that candidates for liver or heart transplantation with and without histories of heavy alcohol use generally display similar psychological presentations. The observed differences between the liver and the heart transplant groups may reflect impairments in mental status among liver transplant candidates due to metabolic consequences of liver disease. The differences between the alcohol and the nonalcohol groups may be more a reflection of past behavioral patterns than present psychological status.     

Possible differences in family patterns in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

This paper examines the interactions in three families, one where the daughter had anorexia nervosa and two where the daughters had bulimia nervosa, and proposes some differences in the families’ patterns of enmeshment. It is hypothesized that these may be linked to differences in the development of the mother—child relationship. Implications for the choice of therapeutic strategies are discussed.     

Teaching performance management using behavior analysis

A special undergraduate track in performance management, taught using behavior analysis principles, is described. The key elements of the program are presented, including the point systems and other reinforcement contingencies in the classes, the goals of the instructional activities, and many of the requirements used to evaluate student performance. Finally, the article provides examples of the performance management projects students have conducted with local businesses.     

Addictions Counseling Certification: An Emerging Counseling Specialty

This article summarizes the national standards for addictions counseling of 4 different professional groups or boards. The new addictions specialty certification standards that are being developed jointly by the National Board for Certified Counselors and the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (a division of the American Counseling Association) are compared with the standards of 3 other groups.     

Increasing recycling in office environments: The effects of specific, informative cues

We investigated the effects of prompts on the recycling behavior of approximately 217 faculty, staff, and graduate students in two academic departments of a large university. During the intervention, two signs were posted in each department. One sign prompted recycling (posted above the recycling receptacle), and the other sign prompted proper disposal of trash (posted above the trash receptacle). Results of a multiple baseline design across the two departments indicated that the sign prompt increased recycling behavior. Installation of the sign prompts in close proximity to receptacles in Department A resulted in a 54% improvement over baseline. Posting of sign prompts over containers 4 m apart in Department B resulted in a 17% improvement, whereas positioning the signs and receptacles in close proximity resulted in a 29% improvement over baseline.     

MOMENTUM VERSUS EXTINCTION EFFECTS IN THE TREATMENT OF SELF-INJURIOUS ESCAPE BEHAVIOR

An individual's self-injurious escape behavior was treated using a high-probability instructional sequence with and without extinction. When presented alone, the high-probability sequence did not reduce self-injurious behavior. When escape extinction was implemented either alone or in combination with the high-probability sequence, self-injury decreased and compliance increased, suggesting that extinction may be a necessary component of the treatment for behavior problems maintained by escape.