VTechWorks staff will be away for the winter holidays starting Tuesday, December 24, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025, and will not be replying to requests during this time. Thank you for your patience, and happy holidays!

Browsing by Author "Stefanek, Michael E."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Progressive muscle relaxation: effects of expectancy and type of training on measures of anxiety
    Stefanek, Michael E. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1982)
    The present study compared live versus taped and self relaxation training conditions under high and low expectancy conditions. Anxious college students (N = 54) were stratified according to scores on the screening instrument employed (S-R Inventory of General Trait Anxiousness) and randomly assigned to one of six training/expectancy conditions for two relaxation sessions: live-high, taped-high, self-high, live-low, taped-low, or self-low. Physiological measures of anxiety included heart rate, spontaneous skin fluctuation responses, and finger pulse volume amplitude. The Anxiety Differential was used to assess self report of anxiety. Finally, within-session relaxation ratings were elicited to evaluate differences between live and taped training conditions. Results indicated that subjects in the high expectancy condition showed a significantly greater decrease in heart rate and spontaneous skin fluctuation responses than low expectancy subjects, but no differences were found with the self report measure of anxiety. There were no differences due to type of training (live, taped, self). Within-session relaxation ratings indicated increased relaxation across sessions, but no differences across type of training. Results were discussed in terms of the multidimensionality of the anxiety construct and. the role of expectancy factors in progressive muscle relaxation procedures.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Self statement utilization and social skills training with elementary school-aged children
    Stefanek, Michael E. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1984)
    The present study included two investigations examining social skills in fourth grade elementary school children. The first investigation involved the examination of the use of inhibiting and facilitating self-statements (i.e., self-statements that would make it harder or easier to deliver on effective social response) by groups of withdrawn (n=33), aggressive (n=32), and popular (n=27) children across types of interpersonal situations (conflict, initiation of interactions) and relationships (friend, stranger). Results indicated that popular children showed significantly greater facilitating-inhibiting change scores on a self-report measure devised for the present investigation (Socialization Self-Statement Test), completed following the four behavioral analogue situations (Conflict Friend, Conflict Stranger, Initiate Friend, Initiate stranger). There was no significant difference between aggressive and withdrawn children on this measure. In addition, results indicated a greater tendency for children to endorse facilitative vs. inhibiting self-statements in those situations involving friends (vs. strangers) and the initiating of social behavior (vs. conflict situations). Finally, a Relationship x Situation interaction was found, indicating significantly higher facilitating-inhibiting scores in situations involving initiating interactions with friends. In the second investigation, unpopular aggressive (n=24) and withdrawn (n=24) children were randomly assigned within sociometric categories to a behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, or attention control group and evaluated on a number of measures related to social competence (peer ratings, teacher ratings, direct observations, self-report). Results indicated no significant between-treatment group differences across assessment measures, although several significant within treatment group pre-post differences were found. The lack of between treatment group differences is discussed, along with some findings related to status group differences and correlational findings. Finally, suggestions for future research are introduced.