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ABC Relaxation Theory proposes 15 psychological relaxation-related states (R-States): Sleepiness, Disengagement, Physical Relaxation, Mental Quiet, Rested/Refreshed, At Ease/At Peace, Energized, Aware, Joy, Thankfulness and Love, Prayerfulness, Childlike Innocence, Awe and Wonder, Mystery, and Timeless/Boundless/Infinite. The present study summarizes the results of 13 separate factor analyses of immediate relaxation-related states, states associated with recalled relaxation activities, relaxation dispositions, and relaxation motivations on a combined sample of 1,904 individuals (group average ages ranged from 28-40 yr.). Four exploratory factor analyses of Smith Relaxation Inventories yielded 15 items that most consistently and exclusively load (generally at least .70) on six replicated factors. These items included happy, joyful, energized, rested, at peace, warm, limp, silent, quiet, dozing, drowsy, prayerful, mystery, distant, and indifferent. Subsequent factor analyses restricted to these items and specifying six factors were performed on 13 different data sets. Each yielded the same six-factor solution: Factor 1: Centered Positive Affect, Factor 2: Sleepiness, Factor 3: Disengagement, Factor 4: Physical Relaxation, Factor 5: Mental Quiet, and Factor 6: Spiritual. Implications for ABC Relaxation Theory are discussed.

Two studies found that intentional relaxation under conditions of mental load or stress produces ironic increases in skin conductance level (SCL). In Experiment 1, participants instructed to relax under the high mental load of rehearsing a long number had higher SCL than those instructed to relax under low load, and tended to have higher SCL than those under high load not instructed to relax. In Experiment 2, participants were instructed to relax or were not so instructed while they answered questions described either as measures of IQ or as unimportant. Those in the more loading and stressful situation who were asked to relax had greater SCL during the questions than those not asked to relax.

Cognitively intact anxious elderly subjects were randomly assigned to either a progressive muscle relaxation-training condition or control condition (ns = 15) and then completed selected subtests from the Wechsler Memory Scale - Revised. Despite significant reductions in state anxiety in the relaxation group, no significant differences were detected between the two groups on memory measures. These results are discussed within the context of previous research, and suggestions for further research are made.

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 presession relaxation. These results are consistent with reports of no differences between progressive and imaginal relaxation training.

We contrasted relaxation and active alert hypnotic inductions with or without a specific suggestion for cold pressor pain analgesia. Groups of high (n = 38) and low (n = 27) hypnotizable subjects were tested; hypnotizability had been determined from results of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C. Cold pressor pain data were obtained after counterbalanced exposure to relaxation and active alert inductions. Highly hypnotizable subjects demonstrated lower pain scores than did low hypnotizable ones. Pain reports did not differ between induction conditions. Highly hypnotizable subjects given an analgesic suggestion showed lower pain scores than did those exposed only to hypnosis. The findings, conceptualized within E. R. Hilgard's (1977a) neodissociation theory, show that relaxation is not necessary for hypnotic analgesia.

The effectiveness of a new model for the treatment of obesity was studied. This model assumed that obesity was not an eating disorder but a 'not eating' disoder. Obese individuals do not have a problem eating, they are overly good at it. Obese individuals have a problem not eating. They experience difficulty or anxiety when they do not eat. The model assumed that removal of anxiety associated with 'not eating' would allow obese subjects to lose weight. Wolpe and Lazarus' progressive relaxation techniques were used to decondition anxiety assumed associated with 'not eating' in subject. Inferred anxiety was deconditioned under conditions of 'not eating' when imagining hunger, emotions, and cravings. Twenty-five subjects were instructed not to follow a diet after deconditioning but to eat less and be hungry to lose weight. A control group of 10 was instructed to follow a balanced 1000-calorie diet to lose weight. The former group lost a statistically significant amount of weight (7.5% of their body weight) over 11.9 months, while the control group subjects gained 6.5% of their weight. The model appears to be effective for the treatment of some individuals who wish to lose weight, based upon this preliminary study. Replication with other and larger groups is essential.

This article presents techniques that are designed to help psychotherapists cope with stress and combat burnout. Activities such as creative writing, meditation, painting, and exercise allow psychotherapists to concentrate on their own well-being and temporarily suspend feelings of responsibility towards their clients.

Previous research has demonstrated the facilitative effects of relaxation and inhibitory effects of worry on the emotional processing of imaginal fear exposures. The present study was designed to determine whether these same effects occur in the emotional processing of in vivo exposures to feared stimuli. Forty-two speech-anxious college students were randomly assigned to one of three experimental induction conditions. Participants engaged in either progressive muscle relaxation, a neutral control procedure, or worry immediately before each of five repeated speech presentations while heart period and self-reported fear were monitored. Relative to the relaxation condition, the worry group demonstrated greater subjective anxiety across exposures, despite the fact that all three groups displayed strong and equivalent cardiovascular response to the first speech presentation and showed equivalent heart rate decreases across the repeated presentations. The role of parasympathetic activity in fear reduction was also documented, with decreased parasympathetic activity occurring during initial fear exposure and increased activity across repeated presentations. Implications for the role of relaxation and worry during real-life exposure to feared social situations are discussed.

This study is an attempt to rigorously map the psychological effects of Zen meditation among experienced practitioners. Fifty-nine Zen meditators with at least six years of experience practiced an hour of traditional Zazen seated meditation. A control group of 24 college students spent 60 min silently reading popular magazines. Before relaxation, all participants took the Smith Relaxation States Inventory (SRSI), the Smith Relaxation Dispositions/Motivations Inventory (SRD/MI), and the Smith Relaxation Beliefs Inventory (SRBI). After practice, participants again took the SRSI. Analyses revealed that meditators are less likely to believe in God, more likely to believe in Inner Wisdom, and more likely to display the relaxation dispositions Mental Quiet, Mental Relaxation, and Timeless/Boundless/ Infinite. Pre- and postsession analyses revealed that meditators showed greater increments in the relaxation states Mental Quiet, Love and Thankfulness, and Prayerfulness, as well as reduced Worry. Results support Smith's ABC Relaxation Theory. [C] 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 57: 839-846, 2001. Keywords: ABC Relaxation Theory; meditation; relaxation; relaxation response; Zazen; Zen

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.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether test anxiety could be significantly reduced through regular practice of relaxation exercises or physical exercise. Test anxiety was assessed at pretest and posttest using the 37-item true-false Test Anxiety Questionnaire developed by Sarason. 47 undergraduate students self-selected to participate. The 9 subjects in the group who engaged in a nonmeditative relaxation exercise 3 times per week for 7 weeks showed a significant decline in test anxiety. The 16 subjects in a supervised aerobic dance class 3 times per week for 7 weeks improved their fitness and their test anxiety significantly declined. The 20 control subjects did not meet over the 7-week study and showed no significant change in test anxiety, fitness, or relaxation.

18 female college basketball players were pretested on foul shooting, alternately assigned to relaxation or mental imagery training, and posttested after 4 training sessions over 3 weeks. Analysis of covariance indicated that the predicted improvement of the imagery group did not occur. The relaxation group was marginally superior at posttest.