Effects of explicit time-limits on the initial therapeutic alliance.

This study investigated the hypothesis that the setting of explicit time-limits in individual counseling enhances the formation of the therapeutic alliance. Students at a university-based counseling center were randomly assigned to a 5-session, time-limited therapy condition (n = 16) or a time-unlimited therapy condition (n = 15). Contrary to the hypothesis, statistical analyses showed no differences between audiotaped segments from the second and third therapy sessions rated on the Vanderbilt Therapeutic Alliance Scale.

The effects of suggestion on the total respiratory resistance of nonasthmatic female subjects.

Bronchodilation suggestion, bronchoconstriction suggestion, or neutral suggestion was given to thirty nonasthmatic female subjects; the effect of the suggestion on the total respiratory resistance (Rt) of the subjects was examined. Subjects were told either (a) that they would inhale a substance which would make their breathing better, (b) that they would inhale a substance which would make their breathing worse, or (c) that they would inhale a substance which would have no effect on their breathing. In actuality, no subject inhaled any substance. Those subjects who were told that their breathing would worsen exhibited a reliable increase in R1, whereas those subjects who were told that their breathing would become better or that their breathing would not be affected exhibited no reliable change in Rt. This study confirmed earlier work, showing that bronchoconstriction suggestion increases Rt in healthy individuals. Furthermore, this study showed that bronchodilation suggestion alone is not sufficient to produce a decrease in Rt.

Respiratory airway changes in response to suggestion in normal individuals.

Thirty normal individuals were told they were inhaling a substance that would either cause breathing difficulty (N = 15) or not affect breathing (N = 15). Total respiratory resistance was measured prior to and during inhalation. In reality, the subjects inhaled no substance; inhalation consisted of breathing normally into a respiratory resistance recorder. Individuals who received the former suggestion exhibited increased total respiratory resistance during inhalation, whereas individuals who received the latter suggestion did not. These observations demonstrated that the ability of suggestion to affect the respiratory airway is not limited to asthmatic individuals.

Initial relaxation response: contrasts between clinical patients and normal volunteers.

The effectiveness of EMG biofeedback, progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, and self-relaxation were compared using a within-subjects design. Thirteen clinical subjects and 48 normal volunteers participated in 4 counterbalanced relaxation sessions using one of the techniques. Frontalis EMG and surface skin temperature were monitored throughout the sessions. For reducing EMG, biofeedback was more effective than the other three techniques. A significant interaction of treatment X subjects was found for changes in skin temperature. Clinical subjects had the greatest increase in skin temperature with EMG biofeedback and analog subjects responded best to self-relaxation. There were no significant differences in initial measures of EMG or skin temperature for the two samples.