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This research aimed to investigate the effect that rational-emotive behavior therapy had on the symptoms of burnout among undergraduate electronics work students in Southeast Nigeria. This study utilized a pretest–posttest design involving a no-intervention group versus an intervention group. Participants were 124 undergraduate electronics work students who met the inclusion criteria of the study. The intervention consisted of 12 weeks of rational-emotive behavior therapy treatment and 2 weeks of follow-up meetings conducted at 6 months. Self-report questionnaire was used for data collection. Repeated measures analysis of variance and t test were used for data analysis. The results show that rational-emotive behavior therapy had a significant effect on the symptoms of burnout syndrome among the electronics work students in the treatment group compared to their counterparts in the no-intervention group. Finally, the positive gains were significantly maintained by the treatment group at the follow-up. The current study suggests that rational-emotive behavior therapy program can be effective for dealing with burnout syndrome among the population of undergraduates in Nigeria. Further clinical evaluation is needed.

Challenging behaviors exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities often hinder the acquisition of academic, social, and life skills. Functional analysis has been useful for assessing challenging behavior in various settings. The purpose of this study was to implement an operant methodology for recognizing the functional properties of challenging behavior in people with intellectual disabilities. Four adults diagnosed with profound intellectual disability received assessment under several experimental conditions using a functional analysis methodology: social attention as positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement such as the termination of demands, positive tangible reinforcements, absence of social contingencies, and escape from noisy stimuli. Results showed that different types of reinforcement or avoiding contingencies affected the rate of aggression, self-injury, disruption, stereotypy, or socially offensive behaviors, and functional analysis may potentially be a viable alternative for identifying challenging behaviors.

Behavioral Activation is a treatment for depression relying on rewards from activities; but it is possible that the effects of punishments should also be considered, as should its generalizability to the healthy population. Effect of rewards and punishments on emotional states and depression were investigated by using the daily diary method. Participants (7 men, 21 women; M age=19.4 yr.) recorded their daily activities and the intensity of rewards and punishments accompanying each activity for one week. Positive and negative affects of participants were assessed using the Japanese version of the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule. Multiple regression analysis indicated that both rewards and punishments predicted depressive symptoms. Moreover, rewards (but not punishments) predicted positive affect, whereas punishments predicted negative affects (and rewards did not). These preliminary results suggest that the effects of both rewards and punishments given for activities should be considered in models of behavioral activation.

The control of cognition is fundamental to psychological well being. One dimension recently explored by Sugiura, Sugiura and Tanno (2013) is the perceived ability to refrain from catastrophic thinking—a construct that could be a marker of several factors. The current paper recommends deeper consideration in terms of metacognitive theory and exemplifies this by testing the effect of a strategy that focuses on abstaining from processes (detached mindfulness) vs. transforming content (acceptance, brief exposure). Fifty-six participants ( M age = 21.5 yr., range = 18–42) were randomly assigned to detached mindfulness, acceptance, exposure, or a control group before watching a stressful film that induced intrusive images. Afterwards, they engaged in their respective strategies for 5 min. and the frequency of intrusive images was rated. Detached mindfulness was the only manipulation that was associated with a statistically significant lower frequency of intrusions than the control condition. It is argued that assessment of perceived skills to refrain from thinking should be conceptualized within a metacognitive framework that distinguish process- and content-oriented strategies and address the question: When is a strategy a true refrain?

Using a sample of 647 Canadian children in kindergarten to Grade 3 (325 boys, 322 girls), the present study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of Skillstreaming (McGinnis & Goldstein, 2003), a widely known social skills program implemented to target the development of four skill sets, i.e., listening, following directions, problem-solving, and knowing when to tell. Results indicated significant postprogram improvements in all skills as well as in ratings of overall pro-sociality obtained from both classroom teachers and mental health staff, with medium to large effect sizes obtained from teachers' and mental health professionals' ratings, respectively. Additional analyses yielded significant but weak moderator effects of grade and preprogram prosocial functioning for teacher ratings but no consistent moderator effects for children's sex or school location (i.e., urban versus rural) regardless of rater.

Research on the relationships of exercise with psychosocial predictors of controlled eating and weight loss may now be capable of informing the development of weight-management treatments. Thus, analysis of moderators of such relationships by personal characteristics is important. Moderation of the expected significant relationships of changes in self-regulation for exercise with self-regulation for controlled eating, and self-efficacy for exercise with self-efficacy for controlled eating was assessed by sex, age, and ethnicity. No significant moderation of the relationships was identified; however, it was suggested that extensions of this research also assess contextual aspects, administration method, and other demographic variables as possible moderators. With continued research, practical treatments based on relationships between exercise- and eating-related variables ultimately may prove to be efficacious, with positive effects that may generalize across participant types and settings.

This paper presents an argument for the use of intervention programs as inoculation agents in adolescents' social behavior, specifically the prevention of abusive and antisocial verbal aggression. The theoretical substance of the intervention is social-cognitive and eclectic, borrowing from several strategies known to be effective. The bridge between theory and curriculum is an inoculation-like process. Inoculation is not a strategy to change beliefs but rather to reinforce prosocial attitudes and assist students in overcoming influences that might lessen their prosocial stance. Results must include a control group to assess the effect of inoculation.

The ABC model underlying Ellis's Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy predicts that people who think more irrationally should display greater trait anger than do people who think less irrationally. This study tested this prediction regarding the ABC model. 186 college students were administered the Survey of Personal Beliefs and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory–Second Edition to measure irrational thinking and trait anger, respectively. Students who scored higher on Overall Irrational Thinking and Low Frustration Tolerance scored significantly higher on Trait Anger than did those who scored lower on Overall Irrational Thinking and Low Frustration Tolerance. This indicates support for the ABC model, especially Ellis's construct of irrational beliefs which is central to the model.

Verbal-nonverbal correspondence training is a behavioral approach recommended in the development of adaptive behaviors and the reduction of problem behaviors. This paper summarizes research findings involving 4 verbal-nonverbal correspondence-training techniques and then illustrates the potential utility of these techniques in general pediatric settings. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies pediatricians could employ to teach patients how to use these techniques effectively to decrease problem behaviors at home (e.g., ADHD, refusing to take the prescribed medication, eating problems) among children seen in outpatient pediatric settings.

The Stage of Change construct from the Transtheoretical Model of behavioral change has been widely utilized in the assessment of various health behaviors. The majority of these tests measure the Stage of Change construct using the single-item, multiple-choice format. This study validated the use of a single-item measure in measuring readiness to comply with taking a prescribed medication. A sample of 161 subjects tested the multiple-item Stage of Change measure, then a refined multiple-item survey was tested with 59 subjects. With the latter survey, discriminating subjects at the differing stages of change dimensions was difficult. A correlation of .91 was found for stage classifications between ratings on the single-item and multiple-item scales. The use of the single-item measure seems reasonable when assessing stage of change in compliance with prescribed medication.

A longitudinal study indicated that a single group of adults living in a large state institution (O'Berry Center in Goldsboro, North Carolina) benefited from receiving active treatment, although no control group was permitted. After five years, 59 individuals with profound mental retardation improved their skills in six general areas of dressing, grooming, eating, toileting, communication, and social interaction. After five more years of active treatment, 51 persons who had remained in the program maintained their skills in dressing, grooming, eating, and communication. Significant improvement in the use of toilet and a loss in social interaction were observed. Although the participants were 10 years older at the end of this study, their adaptive behaviors, in comparison to the date of entry, either improved or were maintained. Therefore, aging was not associated with decline in skills.

The purposes of this study were to examine the type of response to different situations displayed by children with or without conduct disorders and to assess the efficacy of the social skills training program herein proposed for modifying styles of interpersonal relationship in children. The sample included 315 children, 8 to 12 years of age. Those exhibiting conduct problems were 164 boys, and those having no conduct problems were 151 boys. All participants shared a low socioeconomic and cultural status and attended schools located in poor districts of Mendoza City in Argentina. Analysis showed that the groups trained in social skills improved in social interaction by reducing disruptive behaviors, whereas the groups without social skills training showed no behavioral changes. These data were confirmed by the teachers' assessments. These results suggest social skills training seems an efficient therapeutic approach to the attenuation of behavior disorders of boys. Fil: Ison, Mirta Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales; Argentina

40 books on self-help psychology were examined in a 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of covariance design for the number of case illustrations, number of lines of text about case illustrations, and average number of lines per case illustration. The covariate was pages per book and the independent variables were status of the book (bestseller or nonbestseller) and decade of publication (1970–1979 or 1980–1989). It was hypothesized that bestsellers would contain more case illustrations and lines of text describing case illustrations than nonbestsellers. Case illustrations per book in nonbestsellers increased significantly in number over the two decades when compared to bestsellers.

The aim of this study is to examine relapse of 72 smokers who stopped smoking with a behavioral smoking cessation program and relapse in the period from the end-of-treatment to the 36-mo. follow-up. The relapse occurred fundamentally between the end-of-treatment and the 6- (53.7% relapse) and the 12-mo. follow-up (61.1% relapse), and more slowly beyond 12-mo. follow-ups with 72.2% and 70.4% relapse at the 24- and 36-mo. follow-up.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of relapse prevention taught as a problem-solving procedure in increasing the efficacy of a behavioral program for smoking cessation at short- and longer-term, 12-mo. follow-up. 75 smokers were assigned randomly to two treatment groups, using an additional 40 smokers who attended an information session but did not receive any treatment session as a control group. The first group ( n = 40) received the standard behavioral multicomponent program of Becoña. The program included motivational contract, self-monitoring, information on smoking, nicotine fading, stimulus control, avoidance of withdrawal symptoms, physiological feedback, and progressive self-control. The second group ( n = 36), the relapse prevention group, were given the above program and an additional component of relapse prevention using a problem solving procedure. Both groups had 8 sessions of treatment. Analysis showed that at the end of treatment abstinence in the two groups was 80.0% and 61.1%, respectively, at the 12-mo. follow-ups 30.0% and 36.1%. These differences were not significant; however, both groups were significantly different from the control group at the end of treatment (0% abstinence) and at 12-mo. follow-ups (2.5% abstinence). These results show that the addition of this relapse prevention does not increase the number of smokers who quit or decrease the number who relapse. Further research should focus on the process of relapse and develop more effective procedures to help maintain abstinence.

This study examined the perceived efficacy of interventions commonly used by teachers of students with behavior disorders. Of 30 interventions used with approximately 1200 students labeled behaviorally disordered, 149 teachers ranked 22 as effective, and 8 were more often ranked as seldom effective. These findings have implications for teachers' preparation and identifying better practices for teaching students with behavior disorders.

This study evaluated the effects of a behavioral stress-management program on anxiety, mood, self-esteem, and T-cell count in a group of HIV-positive men who were asymptomatic except for T-cell counts below 400. The program consisted of 20 biweekly sessions of progressive muscle relaxation and electromyograph biofeedback-assisted relaxation training, meditation, and hypnosis. Ten subjects were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a no-treatment control group, and the 2 groups were compared on pre- to posttreatment changes in the dependent measures. Analysis showed that, compared with the no-treatment group, the treatment group showed significant improvement on all the dependent measures, which was maintained at a 1-mo. follow-up. Since stress is known to compromise the immune system, these results suggest that stress management to reduce arousal of the nervous system and anxiety would be an appropriate component of a treatment regimen for HIV infection.

The transtheoretical model proposes that behavior change is experienced as a series of stages. Interventions tailored to these stages are most likely to be effective in progressing people through the model's hypothesized behavior change continuum. In this study, a stage-tailored, 12-week, exercise behavior intervention based on the transtheoretical model was conducted among a sample of 150 Chinese youth with hearing loss. Participants were randomized into an intervention or control group with all the core transtheoretical model constructs assessed pre-and post-intervention. Participants in the intervention group showed greater advances in their stage of exercise behavior change, decisional balance, and processes of change use compared to those in the control group. The intervention, however, was insufficient for increasing participants' self-efficacy for exercise behavior. The findings partially support the utility of the theory-based intervention for improving the exercise behavior of Chinese youth with hearing loss, while simultaneously helping to identify areas in need of improvement for future applications.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the validity of an instrument of the Adolescent Behavioral Classification Project in predicting behavior patterns of emotionally disturbed adolescents in an inpatient setting. Subjects ( n = 126) were adolescents admitted to a state residential treatment unit across a period of 35 months. Predictor variables were scores on 17 or 25 factors of the instrument from both adolescents' own responses and their mothers' responses on their behalf. Criterion variables were 10 recreational therapy factors, especially 4 temporally stable factors, and length-of-time in treatment. 3 phases of the project were (I) behavior during initial stages of the therapy, (II) behavioral change after 3 months of therapy, and (III) length-of-time in treatment. In Phase I, both mothers' and adolescents' responses produced significant correlations with criteria; however, in Phase II only the adolescent students' 25 ABCP factors predicted behavioral change. In Phase III, adolescents' responses but not their mothers' responses classified the adolescents by length-of-time in treatment.

An innovative course for teaching communication and interpersonal relationships was delivered to 29 environmental and occupational health professionals. This course aimed to highlight interpersonal and emotional aspects in the professional-client interaction and incumbent communication aspects when consulting team members, colleagues, and nonprofessionals in the occupational arena. Various experiential and other teaching techniques were used. Assessment showed that participants reported the positive features of such a course although few changes in either psychosocial abilities or awareness were evident. Possible ramifications of the findings are discussed.

In cognitive-behavioral treatments for obesity, self-regulation is thought to be a strong predictor of behavioral change, but it is rarely directly measured in intervention research. Thus, how self-regulation interacts with other psychological variables regarding treatment effects is largely unknown. In this preliminary field study, self-regulatory skills were directly measured and were found to be significantly associated with both volume of exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption in severely obese adults ( N = 116) enrolled in a behavioral weight management program. Significant partial and complete mediation of the relationship between self-regulation for physical activity and physical activity, and self-regulation for appropriate eating and fruit and vegetable intake, respectively, were found by reported negative mood. Self-efficacy was not found to be a significant mediator of these relationships. The bivariate relationship between baseline scores of self-regulation for physical activity and self-regulation for appropriate eating was significant ( r = .46), which supported the premise that self-regulation is a traitlike personal characteristic. Volume of exercise and fruit and vegetable consumption significantly predicted weight loss over 6 months ( R2 = .35). Results were consistent with the few laboratory-based findings available and, after replication, may extend theory related to obesity treatment.

We tested a multicomponent behavioural package to stop smoking that contained nicotine fading and smokeholding techniques. 73 smokers were randomly assigned to one of five treatment programmes: (1) nicotine fading and cigarette fading, (2) nicotine fading and concurrent smokeholding, (3) nicotine fading and subsequent smokeholding, (4) a nonintensive smokeholding programme, and (5) an intensive smokeholding programme (daily sessions). Common components of the programmes were self-monitoring, information on smoking, stimulus control, CO feedback, and strategies to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Each treatment was carried out during a total of 10 sessions over 4 weeks (Treatments 1-4) or 2 weeks (Treatment 5). End-of-treatment quit rates ranged from 85% to 91%. At 12-mo. follow-up, the most effective package proved to have been nicotine fading and cigarette fading, with an abstinence rate of 57% as against 25 to 37% for the other treatments.

50 children with a mean age of 7.8 yr. were treated using the conditioning technique originally developed by Mowrer and Mowrer in 1938. The parents were trained to handle the equipment and to keep records of progress. The treatment was administered in the respective homes by the parents under the supervision of a clinical psychologist. Analysis indicated that the treatment was successful after one treatment for 72% ( n = 36) of the children, after one relapse and two treatments for an additional 10% ( n = 5), and after two relapses and three treatments for an additional 8% ( n = 4). 10% ( n = 5) of the children experienced a third relapse after the third treatment. The observed differences in patterns of recovery during treatment, such as number of learning opportunities, significantly differentiated the successful cases from the less successful ones, but a discriminant analysis indicated difficulties in classifying individual cases. It was concluded that process variables are not sufficient to predict success of the present treatment method.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of implementation intentions on leisure-time physical activity, taking into account the stability of intention. At baseline (T0), 349 participants completed a psychosocial questionnaire and were randomly assigned to implementation intention or control condition. Three months after baseline assessment (T1), participants in the experimental group were asked to plan where, when, and how they would exercise. Leisure-time physical activity was assessed 3 mo. later (i.e., at 6-mo. follow-up; T2). The intervention had no significant effect on physical activity at 6-mo. follow-up. However, a significant interaction of group and intention stability was observed, with the effect of the intervention on behaviour statistically significant only among those with unstable intention. Intention stability thus moderated the effect of the intervention, i.e., the intervention was more successful among individuals who needed support to change (unstable intenders).

To examine the influence of asthma on patients' self-perceptions, 48 children with light to moderate asthma and 41 healthy children were selected to complete Harter's Self-perception Profile for children. No differences between the groups were observed. Then, to assess the effects of a psychological asthma treatment programme on self-perception, 27 of the asthmatic children were selected and allocated to three groups of 9 patients. The first of these groups received an asthma self-management programme, the second received that programme plus training in progressive relaxation, and the third (as control) only standard pharmacological treatment. Immediately after intervention and at 6- and 12-mo. follow-ups subjects again completed Harter's profile on which no significant changes were observed.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the STAR Parenting Program, designed specifically for parents with children between the ages of 1 and 5 yr. The 8-hr. program was completed by 35 parents. There was a significant increase in parents' favorability and a significant decrease in anxiety afterwards. Parents also significantly lowered their expectations, reduced the emotionality of their reactions to their child's problem behaviors, and increased their use of time-out and tangible rewards following training. These changes were maintained at a 6-wk. follow-up.

The present study examined parents' perceived programming needs of their children with mental retardation. Parents (44 mothers, 8 fathers) of individuals attending programming in an agency for mental retardation responded to a telephone survey. Analysis showed parents were most concerned about future housing needs. A significant difference was found between older and younger parents in their perception of future needs.

This report looked at the effects of treatment using contingency contracts and token economy procedures in three children, two 14 yr. and one 8 yr., who were wards of the court and attending a mainstream school. Students presented problems of adaptation to school, such as making constant noises with the mouth, hands, or pencil on the desk; frequently emitted raucous cries in the classroom; destruction of school resource materials; verbal aggression to classmates and teachers; verbal rejection of all academic work, refusing to do it, making negative comments prior to starting any school activity, in addition to lack of motivation for undertaking school activities. A 4-mo. individual treatment using contingency contracts and token economy behavioral procedures was implemented, with several follow-up sessions. The results indicated an adaptation of behavior to the school environment, confirmed by teachers, significantly reducing the incidence of insults, the destruction of school materials, and indolence during class sessions. These students are at high risk for social exclusion. Interventions have potential social importance in possible prevention of adult criminality, increasing academic achievement, and decreasing social exclusion.

Research has consistently supported facial screening as an effective treatment technique capable of reducing a plethora of aberrant behaviors. As yet few data are available, suggesting less than enthusiastic support for this behavioral consequence. The present investigation found facial screening accelerated the rate of stereotypy after prior reports of effective reduction of the rate of stereotypy with this individual. The advantages of rapid evaluation strategies and the need for publication of negative results are discussed.

Neurolinguistic programming training is based on principles that should enable the trainee to be more “present”-oriented, inner-directed, flexible, self-aware, and responsive to others, that is, more self-actualized. This study reports within-person changes on self-actualization measures of the Personal Orientation Inventory following a 21-day residential training in neurolinguistic programming. Significant positive mean changes were found for 18 master practitioners on nine of the 12 scales and for 36 practitioners on 10 of the 12 scales. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that training increases individual self-actualization scores.

Exposure plus response prevention has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of bulimia nervosa. However, when done individually, it is labor intensive and cost-ineffective. In the present study exposure plus response prevention was used in the context of a 6-wk., 12-session behavioral group. In addition to the exposure plus response-prevention component, other techniques included self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, eating-habit stabilization and problem-solving. Eight bulimic women, vomiting a minimum of five times per week for at least a year, participated in the group. At the end of treatment significant reductions in bingeing and vomiting behaviors were reported by all but one subject, substantiated by significantly lower depression scores (Beck Depression Inventory) and binge-eating scores (Binge Eating Scale). At 6 mo. and 1 yr. posttreatment, 6 of 8 subjects reported averaging less than one binge-purge episode per week, one subject continued unchanged, and one subject had relapsed. A group of wait-list control subjects reported essentially no change in binge-purge frequency over the treatment period. Exposure plus response prevention conducted in a behavioral group context appears to be a cost-effective alternative to individual treatment.

In this study was evaluated the relationship between self-reported smoking rate and expired air carbon monoxide in 208 smokers who had attended a behavioral program for smoking cessation. A close relationship between carbon monoxide levels and self-reports was found at the end of treatment and in all follow-ups (6 and 12 mo.), around 100% concordance. Thus, support was found for the use of an expired air carbon monoxide measure as a valid and easy way of corroborating self-report data when required.

Dissociative identity disorder and borderline personality disorder resemble each other in trauma histories and comorbidity. Each disorder is frequently comorbid with the other. Treatment outcome data for Dialectical Behavior Therapy of borderline personality disorder and Trauma Model Therapy of dissociative identity disorder are reviewed. The author proposes a psychotherapy treatment study in which there are three subject groups and two treatment conditions. The subject groups are borderline personality disorder without dissociative identity disorder; dissociative identity disorder without borderline personality disorder; and both conditions present concurrently. Subjects would be randomized to receive Dialectical Behavior Therapy or Trauma Model Therapy. Such a study could provide answers to controversies in the field about a better treatment approach for dissociative identity disorder and potentially could broaden and strengthen the indications for Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of therapeutic paradox within the contextual-behavioral treatment called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Emphasis is on the difference between inherent and constructed paradox, expanding on previous work and emphasizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy's relationship to Logotherapy.

The Treatment Evaluation Inventory of Kazdin, French, and Sherick is a 19-item measure of the perceived acceptability of behavioural treatments. Development of two brief forms was based on data from two sources. For Study 1, data from 218 completed questionnaires were used to develop internally consistent brief scales. In Study 2 internal consistency and the validity of the brief forms were estimated for a set of 131 questionnaires. Item reduction was achieved by analysis of item-total minus item correlations. Brief forms with 3, 6, 9, and 12 items were proposed. Their internal consistency (Cronbach α) and construct validity were based on correlations of scores on each short form with the full scale scores and on comparing means of different forms. Discriminant validity was based on the difference between two groups (estimated effect size 0.7). Scores for all forms showed high internal consistency and correlated highly with total scale scores. Only the 12-item brief scale yielded mean scores similar to the full scale. The 3-item form could be used as a quick screen, and the 12-item form for more intensive purposes as it is most similar to the full-scale.

The personality, psychopathological, and demographic differences between 330 alcoholic men referred for behavioral problems and 104 alcoholic men referred for medical problems were examined. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 indicated that those referred for behavioral problems showed more antisocial characteristics, while those referred for medical reasons had more subjective distress, were more highly introverted, and showed greater somatic preoccupation. Hispanic alcoholic men had a significantly higher proportion of medical referrals than Caucasian and African-American alcoholic men.

The ABC model underlying Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy predicts that people who think more irrationally should respond to daily stressors or hassles differently than do people who think less irrationally. This study tested this aspect of the ABC model. 192 college students were administered the Survey of Personal Beliefs and the Hassles Scale to measure irrational thinking and daily hassles, respectively. Students who scored higher on overall irrational thinking reported a significantly higher frequency of hassles than did those who scored lower on overall irrational thinking, while students who scored higher on awfulizing and low frustration tolerance reported a significantly greater intensity of hassles than did those who scored lower on awfulizing and low frustration tolerance. This indicates support for the ABC model, especially Ellis's construct of irrational beliefs central to this model.

The use of the term paradox in the domain of psychotherapy is fundamentally different from its use in philosophy. Paradoxical interventions are not statements that can be both true and false but rather are agents of therapeutic change. However, this reified usage of the term has made it difficult to clarify the process by which paradoxical treatments become efficacious. These treatments can be viewed as epistemological paradoxes because they challenge traditional assumptions about the nature of psychological problems. Based on this analysis, it is argued that the effects of paradoxical treatments are mediated by a self-evaluation process that leads to a change in the meaning clients attribute to their symptoms.

48 adolescents placed into a short-term diagnostic group home with a behavior modification program in place were studied. Each subject was administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Ill and the Screener version of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. Assessment data were used to predict the subjects' conduct within the behavioral program as a method of strengthening pretreatment recommendations for planning. Analysis showed that verbal and mathematical skills were significant predictors of the criterion behaviors. These results support the use of cognitive assessment as valid methods of predicting the behavior of teenagers within residential behavior modification programs.