Book Description

Progress in Behavior Modification, Volume 1 reviews advances in the understanding of behavior modification, with emphasis on theoretical underpinnings, research findings and methodologies, and assessment techniques. Control of psychophysiological processes and ethical issues in behavioral control are considered, along with the effects of social influences on behavior and the contribution of behavior therapy to the treatment of physical illness. Comprised of eight chapters, this volume begins with a discussion on the evolution of behavior modification, with particular reference to its application as a methodological approach to the study and treatment of psychological disorders. The next chapter offers an interpersonal analysis of depression from theoretical, research, and therapeutic standpoints, followed by an analysis of developments in the behavioral treatment of phobic and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The ethical and legal ramifications of behavior therapy are also evaluated, paying attention to court decisions, the issue of patients' rights, and the efficacy of the behavioral approach compared to other systems of treatment. The remaining chapters focus on the contribution of behavior modification to the field of juvenile delinquency; advances in token economy research; individual behavior therapy; and the complementary roles of drugs and behavior modification. This book should be of interest to theoreticians, researchers, or practitioners in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and behavior therapy as well as social work, speech therapy, education, and rehabilitation.