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Biomedical subjects

H C Rickard

Publications and source records attributed to H C Rickard.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

A "fair" comparison of progressive and imaginal relaxation.

Progressive and imaginal relaxation-training procedures are difficult to compare because the latter takes many forms. In this study, an imaginal procedure was used that closely followed progressive operations except that muscle tension was imagined rather than experienced. The dependent variable was the total score on the Relaxation Inventory. College students were placed in groups (ns = 50) high and low on suggestibility based on scores on the Creative Imagination Scale, assigned in equal numbers to the imaginal and progressive relaxation conditions and given four sessions of relaxation training. The pre- and posttrials effects were significant within each of the four training sessions. There were no significant differences in reports of relaxation by the progressive and imaginal treatments. The expected cumulative effect of relaxation training across the four sessions was not found; in fact, the imaginal condition showed a significant decrease. The only significant suggestibility effect was an interaction between suggestibility and trials in which highly suggestible subjects reported less pre-session relaxation. These results are consistent with reports of no differences between progressive and imaginal relaxation training.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Relaxation training for psychiatric inpatients.

In Exp. 1 the effects of progressive and imaginal relaxation training were examined for 51 psychiatric inpatients. Relaxation Inventory scores indicated significant changes in the direction of greater relaxation for each training procedure; there were no significant differences in responses to the two types of training. Significant relaxation effects were found for each of three training sessions, but the effects were not cumulative. Only one patient was withdrawn because reaction to training was overtly negative. Exp. 2 was an analysis of Exp. 1 data in combination with data from a prior study. Patients and college students responded much alike but students reached greater relaxation within sessions. Further experimentation on relaxation training with psychiatric inpatients appears justified.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Progressive and imaginal relaxation training for elderly persons with subjective anxiety.

Elders exposed to either progressive or imaginal relaxation procedures reported significant relaxation effects and showed improvement on measures of personal functioning. The results of the Physical Assessment Scale of the Relaxation Inventory indicated that relaxation responses were acquired within and across sessions. Large, consistent changes in relaxation occurred in all 4 sessions. The Symptom Checklist-90-R, which measures self-reported personal adjustment, showed significant positive changes following relaxation training and at 1-month follow-up. Elders who imagined muscle tension release profited as much as those engaged in actual muscle tension-release activities. This finding is of importance for older adults who may experience physical limitations that contraindicate muscle-tension-release procedures.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Relaxation training side effects reported by seriously disturbed inpatients.

The extent to which seriously disturbed inpatients report side effects related to passive and progressive relaxation training was examined. Most reported few side effects; only 1 of 64 subjects was removed because of a negative reaction to training. There was no significant difference in side effects reported in response to the two training procedures. Comparisons were made with data from a survey of therapists who practice relaxation training.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The Relaxation Inventory: self-report scales of relaxation training effects.

The development of a self-report measure to assess the effects of relaxation training was examined. A rigorous statistical method of scale construction consisting of a modification of the scale discrimination technique was employed, resulting in a 45-item questionnaire representing three orthogonally derived scales. The three scales, Physiological Tension, Physical Assessment, and Cognitive Tension, demonstrated adequate internal consistency with KR20 reliability coefficients of .89, .95, and .81, respectively. In a second study of predictive validity, 40 individuals were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: relaxation training, tension inducement, pre-postcontrol, or postcontrol. Univariate analysis of variance indicated significant findings for each of the three dimensions of the inventory. The Physiological Tension Scale detected significant increases in tension following tension inducement, whereas the Physical Assessment Scale and Cognitive Tension Scale detected increases in relaxation following relaxation training. Recommendations were made for future research on the inventory.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Progressive relaxation as a function of procedural variations and anxiety level.

Progressive relaxation is subject to many procedural variations. Although most investigators follow the 5-7 s tension interval advocated by Bernstein and Borkovec (1973), longer tension intervals may contribute to greater relaxation effects. This study compared tension intervals of 5, 15, and 45 s. Since the development of control over muscle tension requires attention to feedback signals, a focus on internal proprioceptive sensations was contrasted with an external condition in which the subjects silently subtracted numbers immediately following the tension-release cycle. Longer periods of tension resulted in lower EMG levels, with the 45-s tension interval producing the greatest relaxation. Those individuals who focused on physiological sensations during training were able to achieve greater levels of relaxation after the training phase was completed. There was a significant interaction between tension interval duration and focusing; subjects in the 45-s interval who focused on physiological functioning showed the greatest arousal reduction. Anxiety level did not differentially influence the effects of procedural variations in training. Clearly, additional parametric studies in relaxation training are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Contingency management of self-report and cleaning behavior.

The effects of a contingency management program utilizing a reinforcing event (breakfast) were investigated in respect to cabin-cleaning and self-report behaviors in a group of nine male campers, ranging in age from 11 to 13. Control of cabin-cleaning behavior was clearly demonstrated. The large discrepancy between camper self-ratings and counselor ratings disappeared when the opportunity to line up for breakfast was made contingent upon both accuracy of self-report and improved cleaning performance.

Adolescent↗