Behavioral assessment of relaxation: the validity of a Behavioral Rating Scale.

Poppen (Behavior Relaxation Training and Assessment, 1988) has developed an observational method of assessing the degree to which individuals show a relaxation response. Although promising, this method, the Behavioral Rating Scale (BRS), has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Subjects in this study were randomly assigned to a progressive relaxation training group or an attention-control group. Following a training period, subjects participated in a laboratory session in which self-report measures of relaxation were obtained, physiological measures were monitored, and behavioral observations were made using the BRS. Results supported the use of the BRS as a valid, observable measure of an individual's relaxation response. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by between-group differences on the BRS and construct validity was shown by significant correlations between changes on the BRS and changes on self-report and physiological measures. It is argued that, though alternative explanations are feasible, this study's results support the use of the BRS as an effective assessment tool when measuring an individual's response to progressive muscle relaxation.

The stress response in headache sufferers: physiological and psychological reactivity.

When examining headache sufferers' reactivity to stress, few studies attend to differing characteristics of the environment. In this study, we evaluated the influence of the clarity/ambiguity and positive/negative valence of an event on subjects' physiological and psychological reactivity. Migraine (n = 30), tension (n = 39), and control (n = 35) subjects participated in a laboratory experience in which they had to practice and then deliver a news story to a videocamera (similar to a newscaster on television). During this experience, they received performance feedback and were instructed to try to use the information to improve their performance. In reality, this feedback was noncontingent, with subjects semirandomly assigned to either a positive, negative, or ambiguous feedback condition. Physiological and psychological measures were collected prior to this experience, during an anticipation or practice period prior to the newscast, and during a recovery period following the delivery of the news story. Results suggested that tension subjects might not attend to information from their environment when assessing, responding, or reevaluating potentially stressful events: relying instead on more global beliefs or attributions. Results also indicated that migraine might be associated with a prolonged cardiovascular response (i.e., delayed recovery) following a stressful experience.

Sense of coherence: its effects on psychological and physiological processes prior to, during, and after a stressful situation.

This study examined whether Antonovsky's (1987) stress-resistance construct, sense of coherence (SOC), affected individuals' psychological and/or physiological responses to a controlled stressful situation. Subjects were assessed for SOC level and then completed a battery of questionnaires before and after a stressful situation. Physiological responses were monitored during baseline, anticipation, and recovery periods. Analyses examined differences among low, middle, and high SOC groups and revealed group differences in psychological distress, cognitive appraisal, coping processes, and pulse rate. These results provide some support for the validity and utility of Antonovsky's SOC construct by indicating that low SOC subjects show more distress and appraise and cope with stressful situations in ways less likely to resolve or eliminate their distress.

Assessing nicotine dependence: a comparison of the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) in a clinical sample.

A recent effort to improve the psychometric properties of the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) resulted in the revised Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). We endeavored to replicate and extend findings suggesting the superiority of the FTND by examining the psychometric properties of both instruments, as well as their relationship to self-report and biochemical variables associated with nicotine dependence in 110 smoking clinic participants. Results verified that the FTND represents a modest improvement over the FTQ, however, the need for continued development of self-report measures of nicotine dependence is noted.