This study was concerned with the effects of cardiac information and reinforcement on raising heart rate (HR). The experiment consisted of a 3 × 2 design with three types of cardiac information and two reinforcement conditions. The cardiac information given to Ss consisted of instructions to control an internal response (no specific HR information), instructions to increase HR (specific HR information), or instructions to increase HR while hearing heart beats through earphones (augmented HR information). External reinforcement was given to one‐half of these Ss, while the remaining Ss received no external reinforcement. Sixty female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of these six experimental groups. Analyses of these data indicate that Ss in both the augmented and specific HR information groups were able to increase their HR. The no specific HR information groups showed no increases in HR, suggesting that awareness of the criterion response plays an important role in raising HR. No differences were found between the reinforcement conditions.

Fifty‐four Ss were divided into three instructional groups. One group was instructed to increase their heart rate (HR) every time a signal was presented; a second group was told to decrease their HR; and a control group was not instructed to change their HR in any direction. Results indicate that Ss can increase or decrease their HR in the absence of externalized feedback. These HR changes do not appear to be mediated by respiration or skin resistance variations. In addition, Ss were divided into groups on the basis of their APQ scores. The group with middle APQ scores displayed more HR control in both directions than Ss with high or low APQ scores. The study was replicated with 42 Ss and results support the HR increase but not the HR decrease findings.

This article describes the use of paradoxical interventions with patients who have had an impressive history of prior treatment failure. Six brief case studies are presented which illustrate different interventions such as: prescribing the symptom; restraining change; and using counterrituals. These interventions are explained on the basis of general systems theory.

This paper describes the use of paradoxical interventions to change the resistant behaviors of community home residents who were formerly institutionalized in state hospitals and in state schools for the retarded for an average of 27 years. The paradoxical interventions were used following prior therapeutic failures using more traditional behavioral approaches. Seven brief case studies are presented describing the problem, the paradoxical intervention used, reactions to the intervention, follow-up information, and an explanation of the intervention. Some of the paradoxical interventions used include: prescribing the resistance, symptom, or system; reframing; restraining change; reversals; and rituals. Explanations of these interventions are given based upon general systems theory.

This paper assesses the therapeutic effectiveness of college students working with chronic, hospitalized mental patients. Significant improvement in be havior was found for the patients in the experimental group on the Paranoid Projection, Anxious Intropunitiveness, and Conceptual Disorganization sub scales of the Inpatient Multidimensional Psychiatric Scale. Male patients showed more improvement than did females working with the female college students in the program.