Typological description of the chronic low back-pain syndrome using the Million Behavioral Health Inventory.

The Million Behavioral Health Inventory was administered to 67 individuals with chronic low back pain who participated in a rehabilitation program on pain and stress. Base-rate scores from the 20 scales, submitted to cluster analysis using Ward's minimum variance method, gave four subtypes. Discriminant analysis accurately classified 98.51% of the sample. The discriminant functions were interpreted and labeled as I: somatic distress and II: inhibition-dependency. The groups were then examined for differences and similarities with respect to those dimensions, and the groups were labeled I-introversive, II-denial/minimizers, III-conformers, and IV-severe psychophysiological reaction. The types were next compared across medical, vocational, and demographic data. With the exception of sex of subject, no other data were significant by type. The results were discussed, and recommendations for research were made.

Irrational beliefs and emotionality in adolescents with and without bronchial asthma.

Asthmatic adolescents (N = 129) between the ages of 12 and 18 were assembled into three groups on the basis of severity of illness and were compared with each other and with a fourth group of 74 healthy, nonasthmatic adolescents. Differences in selective cognitive (irrational beliefs) and emotional (anxiety, depression, and hostility) characteristics were examined. Multivariate analysis indicated that irrational beliefs in the importance of approval and the lack of control of emotions, along with self-reported anxiety, depression, or hostility, were strongly associated with disease severity. Whereas adolescents with mild asthma closely resembled the physically healthy comparison group, adolescents with moderate and severe asthma exhibited a cognitive-emotional complex that can be described as maladaptive or dysfunctional. Implications of these results for the treatment of asthma are discussed.

Personality patterns of male felons in a correctional halfway house setting: an MMPI typological analysis.

The MMPI profiles of 184 male felons who were residing in a correctional halfway house setting were cluster analyzed using S. Johnson's (1967) method to empirically identify different personality types. The samples ranged in age from 19 to 60 years and included three legal status groups: state parole, federal pre-release, and state furlough. Eight MMPI groups were derived and interpretive summaries provided. The eight types were compared across 13 demographic and descriptive variables with significant differences among groups found for age, prior felony convictions, and prior incarcerations using ANOVA. Diagnostic and treatment concerns were discussed.

Psychological coping and the management of pain with cognitive restructuring and biofeedback: a case study and variation of cognitive experiential therapy.

Pain is generally recognized as being influenced by multiple psychological factors. Cognitive experiential therapy may use cognitive restructuring with imagery and hypnosis. The restructuring of negative cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological states occurs through six stages. This case study illustrates the use of cognitive restructuring and biofeedback with a woman hospitalized for depression and a chronic pain syndrome consisting of tension headache pain. Measures of headache pain (frequency, intensity), skin temperature, and assessment with the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory consisting of broad categories and scales were taken at pretest, posttest and follow-up. The biofeedback treatment alone showed some physiological improvement. Cognitive restructuring and biofeedback resulted in improvements on the Millon, and reduction of headache symptoms at the posttest. Gains on the Millon broad categories of personality coping styles and psychosomatic correlates were maintained at follow-up and chronic headache pain was not reported. Self-report headache frequency and intensity decreased over time with the cognitive restructuring and biofeedback approach.

Typological analysis of MMPI personality patterns of drug dependent men.

This study replicated Types I and II of Berzins, Ross, English and Haley's (1974) initial typological research with a drug dependent sample. In this research, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 447 drug dependent men were submitted to Johnson's (1967) hierarchical clustering procedure. The hierarchical clustering procedure yielded nine small but clinically meaningful personality subtypes. These types were compared to Berzin's (Berzins et al.) profiles and categorized into three diagnostic classes: character disorder, 42% of the sample; neurotic characters, 35% of the sample; and borderline disorder, 23% of the sample. The profiles were discussed with respect to the scale similarity and differences within the diagnostic class. The results were discussed, with implications for treatment and further research efforts with the drug dependent population.

Modification of irrational ideas and test anxiety through rational stage directed hypnotherapy [RSDH].

Examined the effects of four treatment conditions on the modification of Irrational Ideas and test anxiety in female nursing students. The treatments were Rational Stage Directed Hypnotherapy, a cognitive behavioral approach that utilized hypnosis and vivid-emotive-imagery, a hypnosis-only treatment, a placebo condition, and a no-treatment control. The 48 Ss were assigned randomly to one of these treatment groups, which met for 1 hour per week for 6 consecutive weeks with in-vivo homework assignments also utilized. Statistically significant treatment effects on cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological measures were noted for both the RSDH and hypnosis group at the posttest and at a 2-month follow-up. Post-hoc analyses revealed the RSDH treatment group to be significantly more effective than the hypnosis only group on both the post- and follow-up tests. The placebo and control groups showed no significant effects either at post-treatment or at follow-up.

Typological analysis of MMPI personality patterns of drug dependent females.

This study examined the heterogeneity of a female drug dependent sample, with respect to personality and symptomatology. The sample of (n = 178 was tested with the MMPI. These data were analyzed by Johnson's (1967) hierarchical clustering procedure-maximum method in an effort to group the profiles into separate relatively homogeneous clusters that are different from each other. Seven significantly different groups were yielded, suggesting a heterogeneous sample. Implications for future research and treatment were discussed.

Women alcoholics; a typological description using the MMPI.

The mean profile of a group of woman alcoholics was almost identical to that of a group of men alcoholics studied previously, the highest T-scores being on the D and Pd scales. In the five types of women identified, character disturbances were prominent in three and neurotic problems in two.

Some personality patterns and dimensions of male alcoholics: a multivariate description.

The assumption that alcoholics form a homogeneous population has been found to be questionable. Recent research has been done to empirically define possible personality subtypes of alcoholics. This study extended the typological work done previously by Goldstein and Linden (1969a) and Whitelock, Overall, and Patrick (1971). They each found four alcoholic subtypes, three of which replicated across studies. For this research, MMPI profiles of 208 male alcoholics were submitted to a hierarchical clustering procedure. Seven subtypes were found. These results were compared to the results of the prior two studies, in addition to actuarial MMPI types previously delineated in clinical settings. Using a hierarchical factor analysis, these data were analyzed to determine the higher order interrelationships among MMPI scales for this alcoholic sample. These results were discussed, especially in terms of the implications for treatment and further research in alcoholism.

A cognitive-experiential approach to the interpersonal and intrapersonal development of counselors and therapists.

Examined the effects of a training program for counselors and therapists based upon configurations of (a) systematic human relations training; (b) cognitive restructuring of counselor beliefs; and (c) systematic performance feedback. Criterion measures consisted of post vs. pre-gain scores on selected scales of the Personal Orientation Inventory and the seven Carkhuff scales. Results indicated that the most significant gains made on the criterion measures were evidenced by those Ss who participated in the training program that consisted of all three of the training conditions.

The effects of rational stage directed imagery on self-concept and reduction of psychological stress in adolescent delinquent females.

This study examined the effect of four treatment conditions on self-concept and reduction of psychological stress in adolescent delinquent females. The treatments were Rational State Directed Imagery, a cognitive behavioral approach that utilized intensive muscle relaxation and vivid-emotive-imagery, a rational (cognitive) restructuring treatment, a placebo condition, and a no treatment control. Ss were assigned randomly to one of these treatment groups, which met 1 hour per week for 6 consecutive weeks, with in-vivo homework assignments also utilized. Statistically scale were noted for the RSDI group at the posttest and at a 2-month follow-up, which supports the therapeutic efficacy of this treatment. Support was found for the effectiveness of the rational (cognitive) restructuring approach immediately posttreatment; however these effects disappeared at the 2-month follow-up. The placebo and control groups showed no significant effects at either posttreatment or the follow-up. These results suggest that RSDI has potential for use as a short-term psychotherapeutic approach when self-concept modification is a primary goal.

The personal beliefs inventory: a factor-analytic study.

An exploratory study into the factor structure of the Personal Beliefs Inventory (PBI) was conducted. The Wherry-Wherry hierarchical factor analysis was employed to analyze the 60 X 60 intercorrelation matrix of PBI items. The hierarchical solution revealed a general PBI factor structure that implies low self-worth, an attitude consistent with Ellis's theory of emotional disturbance. In addition, six interpretable lower-order factors were revealed and discussed.

The measurement of self-actualization: a critical review of the Personal Orientation Inventory.

Shostrom's Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) was reviewed in terms of its reliability and validity. The use of the POI in counseling and psychotherapeutic settings was emphasized. Faking and social desirability were also discussed in light of existing evidence. It was concluded that the POI offers great potential for use in counseling contexts but in its present state should be considered a research instrument.