Behavioral approaches to weight control: An updated review

Recent developments in the behavioral treatment of obesity were surveyed. Since the earlier review (Abramson, 1973) no studies of aversive therapy have been published. Three studies of covert sensitization have yielded discouraging results. Any positive effects of this technique appear to be the result of non-specific demand characteristics rather than aversive conditioning. Several demonstrations of the effects of therapist controlled reinforcement indicate that this technique can promote weight loss while the contingencies are in effect. The weight is rapidly regained, however, after the contingencies are withdrawn. It is concluded that self-control treatments, especially complex self-control, are the most consistently successful treatment approaches. Several methodological problems are presented and unresolved issues are discussed.     

Phenomenology and pastoral care

The author discusses phenomenology as a potential resource for pastoral care generally and then illustrates its implications in two specific areas of pastoral care. After a brief discussion of the development of phenomenology, he defines pastoral care and identifies its methodological problem. Phenomenology, it is argued, offers potentially helpful methods and interpretative categories in its attitude, its attempts at self-aware, ordered discernment, and its anthropology. It serves to militate against the temptation in pastoral care to understand human problems in terms of individual and social pathology, in the case of individuals, and to illumine the ways the community functions as a dimension of pastoral care.He is the author ofEcclesial Man.     

What do you do after you say hello? Observing,coding, and analyzing parent-infant interactions

Procedures for observing, coding, and analyzing parent-infant interactions are described. Sample data are presented to illustrate the outcome of these procedures and the manner in which developmental issues can be addressed using the hardware and software systems described.     

Performing item- and subject-based analyses using ALICE

By using the program ALICE, we are able to perform subject- and item-based analyses of randomly ordered sets of data without the usual computational effort. The program allows us to transform data and combine, partition, or systematically manipulate them by simple, readily interpretable instructions. Of equal importance to us is the ease with which students and staff learn to use the program independently.     

Metacognitive Therapy in Major Depression: An Open Trial of Comorbid Cases

This open trial investigated the transdiagnostic effects of metacognitive therapy (MCT) in patients with severe major depressive disorder and comorbid psychiatric disorder. Ten patients were treated with MCT over 10 sessions and were assessed with measures of depression, anxiety, rumination, and metacognitions at pre- and posttreatment and at 6 months follow-up. None of the patients were diagnosed as depressed at posttreatment, and of the initial 21 total diagnoses at pretreatment only 3 diagnoses remained at postintervention. The effect sizes were large for symptoms of depression, rumination, and worry. At 6 months follow-up standardized recovery criteria on the BDI showed that 70% were recovered, 20% improved, and 10% unchanged. The results indicate that MCT was associated with high rates of transdiagnostic improvement.     

The psychophysiology of combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans

The psychophysiological responses of heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, skin conductance level and forehead electromyogram were compared during: rest, mental arithmetic and combat sounds of gradually increasing intensity for five groups of Ss: Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Vietnam veterans without PTSD but with comparable levels of combat experience; Vietnam veterans with other psychiatric disorders; Vietnam-era veterans; and nonveteran phobics. HR response to low-intensity combat sounds provided good discrimination between veterans with PTSD and the other groups and seems to resemble a conditioned emotional response.