The acceptability of three treatments for the maladaptive, but not injurious, repetitive stereotyped behaviour of a mentally retarded child was evaluated. Evaluation was conducted by questionnaires to two groups of staff (nurses and teachers) at two New Zealand institutions for mentally retarded people. A differential reinforcement procedure was found to be most acceptable. A visual screening procedure was judged as being more than moderately acceptable by nurses but less than moderately acceptable by teachers. When visual screening and reinforcement were combined in a treatment package and a rationale for so doing was provided, acceptability was increased significantly for both groups of staff. Teachers rated visual screening, when explicitly prescribed with differential reinforcement, as more than moderately acceptable. The implications of the finding of differential rating of acceptability across and within occupational groups was discussed.

Five groups of males and females (N = 65) were administered the Gambrill and Richey Assertion Inventory. These groups consisted of men and women who were not seeking professional counselling (Men-Control and Women-Control Groups), men and women who were visiting a Counselling Centre (Men-Counselling and Women-Counselling Groups) and women who were residents or ex-residents of a refuge in town (Women-Refuge Group). In general, women seeking counselling and women in the refuge group were less assertive than women who were not seeking counselling, and men who were either seeking counselling or not seeking counselling.

It is argued that earlier models of obsessive-compulsive behaviour have failed to take adequate account of the role of cognitions. A new model is therefore presented, highlighting the major stages of an obsessive-compulsive episode and thereby allowing identification of the point at which cognitive interventions may be made. It is concluded that cognitive techniques may be most useful in assisting patients to “self-expose” and voluntarily instigate response prevention in the absence of the therapist. There is a need for further research in the area, particularly to clarify which cognitive interventions are being used and at which points in the episode.

Marital breakdown is common, and often associated with depression. A model is outlined in which such depression may be maintained by avoidance of depression eliciting stimuli. A 27-year-old recently-separated male with severe depression was treated with systematic exposures to depression eliciting stimuli, with cognitive coping self statements being used during exposures. The worst self ratings of depression reported by the client and scores on the Beck Depression Inventory improved greatly from baseline to treatment phases. Gains were maintained at 4 week, 3 and 6 month follow-ups. Further research is warranted to evaluate the efficacy of this potentially useful approach to treating marital breakdown, and possibly other adjustment disorders, which are associated with depressed mood.

A brief physical restraint procedure combined with differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour was used to reduce the tantrum behaviour of a five-year-old severely intellectually disabled girl in a classroom setting. Daily frequency recording of tantrum behaviour demonstrated a marked reduction of tantrums in classroom settings following intervention which was maintained at followup. Staff also reported concomitant increases in the subject's participation in class activities. Spontaneous generalization of reductions in tantrum behaviour to non-programmed settings and staff was not found.

Difficulties in settling children to sleep and night waking are common problems faced by parents with young children. The effectiveness of parent-managed behavioural intervention is examined in this study of four children which employs a multiple-baseline-design across subjects. Components of the intervention included: establishing regular bedtime routines; paying attention to the children before bed in the living areas and staying with the children only briefly when settling them in bed; adopting procedures for ignoring disruptive bedtime behaviour and night waking; and giving praise for appropriate behaviour. Complete success in settling the three children who were difficult at bedtime was achieved in five to fourteen days. Persistent night waking in all four children was eliminated in five to thirteen nights.