Acting out in group psychotherapy

Acting out is a common occurrence in group psychotherapy. After a brief review of relevant psychoanalytic and group psychotherapy literature, this paper presents various kinds of acting out by the individual group members and the handling of such acting out by the therapist, discusses acting out by the group as a whole, and gives a brief overview of acting out by the group therapist. Specific examples are given of acting out and ways of dealing with it.     

Sexual behavior, drugs, and relationship patterns on a college campus over thirteen years

Three samples of college students at a small New England liberal arts college received questionnaires regarding their sexual philosophies, behavior, relationship with most recent partner, self-perceived attractiveness, relationship with parents, use of drugs and alcohol, attitudes toward marriage and abortion, and other subjects. The college was sampled in 1974, 1979, and 1986. Sexual behavior increased dramatically from 1974 to 1979 and then decreased in 1986 to approximately where it was in 1974. The reason for this change, and findings regarding the relationships between sexual behavior and many of the variables cited above are discussed.     

AN ANALYSIS OF SOME VARIABLES INFLUENCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REPRIMANDS

Although several studies have shown that social reprimands can function as punishers, no study reported to date has isolated any of the factors influencing reprimand efficacy. Three experiments were conducted to investigate several factors. Experiment 1 used an alternating treatments design and was conducted on two elementary school boys, one of whom was in a special education class. Results showed that verbal reprimands delivered with eye contact and firm grasp of the student's shoulders reduced disruptive behavior to a greater extent than did verbal reprimands delivered without eye contact and grasp. Both types of reprimand were more effective than a baseline condition during which disruptive behavior was ignored. Experiment 2 also used an alternating treatments design and was conducted on one elementary school boy. Results demonstrated that reprimands delivered from one meter away were considerably more effective than reprimands delivered from seven meters away. Experiment 3 used a reversal design and was conducted on two pairs of elementary school children, one a pair of boys and the other a pair of girls. Results demonstrated that reprimands delivered to just one member of the pair reduced the disruptive behavior of both members of the pair. Thus, the effects of reprimands “spilled” over to nonreprimanded students.     

Family systems and the attachment dynamic

Using attachment theory as a theoretical framework, the concept of the attachment dynamic is introduced as a model to explain (1) how individual members of a family behave as though they constituted a system (2) the extent to which the complementary activities of attachment and care-giving behaviour (a) govern the movements of family members towards or away from each other; (b) affect the degree to which they each engage in creative exploratory activities; and (c) influence the internal representation each family member builds of him or herself in action with others or acting alone. The attachment dynamic is considered to be played out in many forms which range along a continuum from highly adaptive to grossly maladaptive. The characteristics of effective care-giving behaviour, adaptive attachment behaviour and exploratory behaviour, integrated within adaptive forms of the attachment dynamic, are contrasted with ineffective care-giving, continuing unassuaged attachment behaviour and anxious, frustrated or inhibited exploratory behaviour which are found in maladaptive forms of the dynamic. The implications of this model for family therapy are outlined.     

An analysis of the behaviour of day- and night-wetting children: Towards a model of micturition control

Recent research has suggested that features of daytime bladder control are of importance in predicting the treatment response of nocturnal enuretics to the enuresis alarm. This paper suggests that a detailed analysis of daytime toileting behaviour should be carried out. A study is described where 22 children with day and night wetting and 22 matched normal controls were observed after they had consumed a considerable amount of fluid. The limb movements and postures were reliably rated by two observers and wetting events and visits to the toilet were recorded. Various deficits in bladder control were shown by the enuretic children. A working model of daytime bladder control is described which draws attention to significant components which may be disturbed in abnormal bladder control. The models implies that treatment regimes should be based upon a behavioural analysis of the particular dysfunction shown by the enuretic child.     

Bayesian inference and the classical test theory model: Reliability and true scores

A general one-way analysis of variance components with unequal replication numbers is used to provide unbiased estimates of the true and error score variance of classical test theory. The inadequacy of the ANOVA theory is noted and the foundations for a Bayesian approach are detailed. The choice of prior distribution is discussed and a justification for the Tiao-Tan prior is found in the particular context of the “n-split” technique. The posterior distributions of reliability, error score variance, observed score variance and true score variance are presented with some extensions of the original work of Tiao and Tan. Special attention is given to simple approximations that are available in important cases and also to the problems that arise when the ANOVA estimate of true score variance is negative. Bayesian methods derived by Box and Tiao and by Lindley are studied numerically in relation to the problem of estimating true score. Each is found to be useful and the advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed and related to the classical test-theoretic methods. Finally, some general relationships between Bayesian inference and classical test theory are discussed. Supported in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under Research Grant 1 PO1 HDO1762. Reproduction, translation, use or disposal by or for the United States Government is permitted.     

A comparison of different measures of response strength in the study of stimulus generalization

In Experiment 1, three pigeons were given variable interval training to peck at a light of 550 mmu and then were tested for stimulus generalization in extinction to several different wavelengths. A gradient was obtained for latency of the first response in each test period, for the number of test periods in which responding occurred, and for the measure of response rate. When the response rate gradient was corrected for differences in initial latency and in number of responded trials, the change was minimal, indicating that the major component of response rate as usually measured is rate of responding having once responded. In Experiment 2, three other pigeons were trained to respond to 550 mmu (for variable interval reinforcement) and not to 570 mmu (extinguished). Analysis of generalization gradients dictated the same conclusion as that reported for generalization following single stimulus training.     

One little boy

Pastoral Psychology -