Thirty-one children, aged 7 to 11 years, were selected on the basis of depressive symptomatology over a two week period, as assessed by self-report questionnaires and a diagnostic interview. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups, namely Social Competence Training (SCT), Attention Placebo Control (APC) and No Treatment Control (NTC). Intervention was conducted on a group basis for eight, weekly sessions. The results indicated a decline in depression scores during the treatment period for subjects in all conditions, and this continued during the two month follow-up period to within the normal range. The SCT programme did not produce significantly greater reductions in depression than either the APC or NTC conditions and was not effective in producing improvements on measures of social competence.

The growing body of research indicating that classroom behavioural management strategies can successfully modify the behaviour of mainstream classes of disruptive adolescent pupils is referred to. These “successes” are qualified by the observation that they could make the pupil teacher dependent, whereas pupil self-control is the ideal control state. Feedback strategies have the potential to encourage internalization of control (Van Houton, 1984). An intervention package involving the feedback of level of on-task behaviour as a major component is described. The effect on the individual and the group's level of on-task behaviour in two settings (Religious Education and French lessons) is reported. Claims are made that (1) the intervention promoted levels of on-task behaviour and (2) the group data generally reflected the data of individual pupils. The conclusions are drawn that while it remains to be demonstrated that the behavioural attributional tendencies of the pupils were moved in the direction of “internalization” nonetheless the research can serve as a starting point for further research in this area.

The inherent properties of momentary time sampling (MTS) and partial interval recording (PIR) are examined. Findings derived from computer simulation investigations are discussed in terms of the mode of operation of the two time-sampling techniques. It is seen that the advantage of MTS is that it can, under certain restricted circumstances, estimate absolute duration of behaviour occurring. The important disadvantage of MTS is that it is relatively insensitive when estimating degree of change of behaviour. In contrast, although PIR cannot accurately measure absolute duration it is more sensitive to behaviour change than is MTS. It is concluded that the practitioner who wishes to use one of these methods of time sampling must carefully consider the aims and possible effects of the investigation before deciding which method to use.

The effects of implicit rewards upon adults' performance were examined in a study which replicated the design and procedures of previous research using children as subjects. Data revealed that unlike children, the adults in the present study did not show implicit extinction effects under certain experimental conditions. However, there were significant inconsistencies in performance across the two different conditions contrasted here, indicating effects attributable to the implicit reward paradigm and the order in which it occurs relative to other reward conditions.

A senior nurse with a 10-year history of hospitalization phobia was treated with a combined cognitive therapy, imaginal and in vivo exposure therapy package. All previous medical admissions for the subject had resulted in her being transferred to a psychiatric ward and being treated with neuroleptics. The cognitive therapy provided an explanation for the phobia and a rationale for the treatment, which secured compliance to the exposure therapy. Pre- and post-treatment fear ratings showed a large reduction. Follow-up data showed the subject to be free of all psychiatric symptoms in two subsequent medical admissions. It is suggested that an initial few sessions of cognitive therapy with intransigent phobics may be a pre-requisite for an exposure programme.

A pilot study is reported on a six session didactic large group treatment package for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) patients referred to a primary care service. Thirty patients underwent the course. By combining a didactic therapy element with workshops, the therapy package allowed a much larger number of individuals to attend the group than could be dealt with in “traditional” group therapy. Two psychologists ran the course. There were few practical difficulties involved in running the course and the range of self-report outcome measures suggest that large group didactic therapy may be a clinically and cost-effective treatment for GAD.