Approval need in self-reports of addicts and family members

Ample evidence documents the tendency of research subjects to attribute to themselves socially desirable traits and to deny having socially undesirable qualities. This tendency is particularly marked among subjects who are defensive, lacking in self-esteem, or sensitive to status differences. Drug addicts often have all of these characteristics. This paper examines the extent to which need for social approval is reflected in methadone patients' and family members' self-reports of personal and family functioning. Results demonstrate the importance of taking the approval motive into account when conducting research with this population. Addicts tend to deny negative things about themselves and their families, while family members tend to exaggerate their own and their families' positive qualities. Implications for drug treatment programs and researchers are discussed.

Methadone applicant dropouts: impact of requiring involvement of friends or family in treatment

This paper examines attrition among applicants to a methadone maintenance program before and after it began to require that applicants have a relative or close friend willing to act as a treatment sponsor. Few applicants were unable to locate sponsors. The dropout rate was greater for Blacks than for Hispanics and Anglo Whites both before and after the sponsor requirement was introduced. However, young addicts, addicts with recent drug histories, and singles were somewhat less likely to enter treatment after the requirement was introduced. Implications for drug treatment clinicians and administrators are discussed.

Multi-level couple therapy: applying a metacommunicational framework of couple interactions

Excerpts from a couple therapy case are cited to illustrate the practical significance of a multi-level framework in understanding couple interactions. The clinical implications of the metacommunicational framework, as a metaphor for examining and understanding relational processes, are discussed. Also, the pragmatics of following "process" at a variety of levels when working with punctuational differences, developing therapy strategies and goals, and measuring the progress of couple therapy are discussed.

Vicarious eyelid conditioning

This study attempted to demonstrate that elicited electromyographic (EMG) reactions in observers may become conditioned to environmental events during the observation of a modeling sequence. Observers were shown a videotape of a model in a simulated direct eyelid discriminative conditioning situation involving adaptation, acquisition, and extinction trials. Various EMG measures were obtained in order to determine the occurrence of vicarious instigation and conditioning. The results demonstrated vicarious EMG eyelid responses. Also, the motor reactions were found to be localized to specific muscular activity rather than a result of general arousal. Some theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Vicarious eyelid conditioning

This study attempted to demonstrate that elicited electromyographic (EMG) reactions in observers may become conditioned to environmental events during the observation of a modeling sequence. Observers were shown a videotape of a model in a simulated direct eyelid discriminative conditioning situation involving adaptation, acquisition, and extinction trials. Various EMG measures were obtained in order to determine the occurrence of vicarious instigation and conditioning. The results demonstrated vicarious EMG eyelid responses. Also, the motor reactions were found to be localized to specific muscular activity rather than a result of general arousal. Some theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.