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In this study we compared the efficacy of integrated cognitive restructuring plus exposure with exposure alone in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (social phobia). Compared to a wait-list control condition, both treatments resulted in significant improvements and maintained their effects on some dependent variables. Although no significant differences were found between the effects of the two active treatments, effect size analysis did suggest certain effect differences.

The Irrational Beliefs Inventory gives a measure of irrational beliefs, as postulated by Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior therapy. Given the increasing cross-cultural use of psychometric scales, it is important to assess whether the psychometric properties of the inventory are consistent across cultures. In the present study cross-cultural applicability, in terms of internal consistency and independence of subscales, was investigated for an ad hoc sample of White ( n = 100, M age = 21.3 yr., SD = 4.0) and Black ( n = 82, M age = 19.8 yr., SD = 2.2) undergraduate South African university students. Cronbach coefficients alpha for the subscales and Pearson correlations between subscales for American and Dutch students, as reported by Bridges and Sanderman, were compared with those indices for the South African students. The magnitude and rank order of Cronbach α, as well as the correlations between subscales for the three groups showed strong similarities. Values of alpha for the Black South African students were lower in magnitude on all subscales than those for American, Dutch, and White South African samples, but intercorrelations between subscale scores were consistent. Findings in the present study are supportive of the cross-cultural applicability of the Irrational Beliefs Inventory to White South African students but not to South African Black students.

This study investigated the scope and nature of complaints, related to unethical behaviour, that have been lodged against South African psychologists with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) between 1990 and 1999. Certain biographical characteristics of the complainants and their accused also received attention. During this period, complaints were lodged annually against approximately 1% of South African psychologists, of which approximately 15% resulted indisciplinary inquiries. Only 5% of the total number of complaints and 34% of the disciplinary inquiries led to convictions. However, almost 50% of the disciplinary inquiries had not yet been concluded at the time of this investigation. Most complaints (21.3%) involved neglect to renew annual registration. As far as the rendering of services to the public is concerned, most complaints were related to accounts (16%). Other complaints included, among others, problems with psychologists' reports (13.1%), incompetence (12.9%) and improper behaviour (11.5%). It appears that complainants were family members (34%) rather than the clients/patients themselves (26%). The two penalties imposed most often were either a warning or a suspension in the form of a suspended sentence. Recommendations for reducing complaints of unethical behaviour are made.

To test the hypothesis that the major irrational evaluative beliefs postulated by Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy are related to marital conflict, 15 married couples participated in a thought-listing procedure. During this procedure, three idiosyncratic scenes portraying marital conflict and three control scenes free of conflict were identified for and presented to each member of the dyad. Analysis indicated that the conflict-portraying scenes were associated with significantly more irrational evaluative beliefs and significantly fewer rational cognitions than the control scenes.

A sample of 44 male Type A insurance representatives, selected by means of the Videotaped Structured Interview, were randomly assigned to a treatment ( n = 22) and a delayed treatment control group ( n = 22). The treatment group participated in 9 weekly sessions of group Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy and were followed up after 10 weeks. After the control period, the delayed treatment control group received the same treatment program. Repeated measurements were obtained by means of the Videotaped Structured Interview, Jenkins Activity Survey, Cook-Medley Hostility Scale, and Type A Cognitive Questionnaire. Self and spouse/friend ratings of Type A behavior were obtained by means of the Bortner Rating Scale. Analysis indicated that, compared to the control condition, the therapy significantly reduced the intensity of Type A behavior and its time urgency component. These improvements were maintained at follow-up and were accompanied by self-reports of significant positive changes in Type A behavior and irrational beliefs.

The relationship between problem-solving efficiency, defined in terms of the quality of alternative soludons selected, and measures of behavioral competence (self-efficacy and locus of control) was investigated as well as the effectiveness of a problem-solving training program. Subjects were 29 undergraduate students assigned to an effective ( n = 16) and an ineffective ( n = 13) problem-solving group. Analysis indicated that the ineffective problem-solvers appraised their problem-solving skills more negatively and reported low self-efficacy expectations and an external control orientation. Problem-solving training led to improved general self-efficacy expectancies, greater confidence in problem-solving, a more internal control orientation, and improved problem-solving skills. These improvements were maintained at follow-up after two months.

This study investigated the incidence of depression, posttraumatic stress symptomatology, anger, and guilt in a sample of 40 battered women in a shelter. Analysis indicated that 63% of the 40 scored moderate to severe on depression, 59% manifested high posttraumatic stress symptoms, while 38.4% and 54.5% reported problems with anger and guilt, respectively. Frequency and severity of physical abuse were not correlated with depressive or posttraumatic stress symptomatology.

40 undergraduate students participated in an emotional Stroop task to test the hypothesis that individuals with high interest in and formal knowledge of interpersonal relationships will react with significantly longer latencies to social-related threat words than individuals without such an interest or formal knowledge. The results did not support the hypothesis; however, an association between interference scores and order of card presentation was found.

To compare three different methods of assessing personal space, 88 subjects were tested during a therapeutic interview by means of in vivo participation, photographic observation, and a model technique. The results suggested that use of the photographs and the model fall into the same category (both are projective techniques) but that use of the model gives a closer prediction of actual behavior than the photographs.