OBJECTIVES. This study describes the prevalence and predictors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors among women living in low-income, inner-city housing developments. METHODS. Anonymous questionnaires were administered to 671 women living in 10 inner-city, low-income housing developments in five US cities to determine their levels of HIV risk behavior and predictors of HIV risk practices. RESULTS. Approximately one third of women were at high risk for HIV because of the risk behavior of their sexual partners. HIV risk was highest among women who accurately perceived themselves to be at increased HIV risk, held strong beliefs about barriers to condom use, and reported weak behavioral intentions to reduce risk. Women at higher risk were also younger and reported higher rates of alcohol and substance use. CONCLUSIONS. HIV prevention efforts are needed for inner-city women. Interventions should focus on overcoming women's barriers to condom use, strengthening their intentions to change behaviors, and managing the risk related to their use of substances.

This article provides a review and analysis of habit reversal, a multicomponent procedure developed by Nunn (1973, 1974) for the treatment of nervous habits, tics, and stuttering. The article starts with a discussion of the behaviors treated with habit reversal, behavioral covariation among habits, and functional analysis and assessment of habits. Research on habit reversal and simplified versions of the procedure is then described. Next the article discusses the limitations of habit reversal and the evidence for its generality. The article concludes with an analysis of the behavioral processes involved in habit reversal and suggestions for future research.DESCRIPTORS: habit reversal, habit disorders, tics, nervous habits, covariation, functional analysis, awareness training, competing response training, social supportThe early 1970s saw the development and evaluation of a number of new behavioral technologies. Azrin and colleagues were responsible for many applications of these behavioral procedures to treat clinical problems such as nervous habits (Azrin & Nunn, 1973), tics (Azrin, Nunn, & Frantz, 1980b), stuttering (Azrin & Nunn, 1974), alcohol abuse (Hunt & Azrin, 1973), enuresis (Azrin & Foxx, 1971), and aggressive and disruptive behaviors (Foxx & Azrin, 1972). Habit reversal, a procedure used to treat nervous habits, tics, and stuttering, was one of the successful treatments developed and evaluated in this era. Like many behavioral interventions at that time, habit reversal was a treatment package consisting of numerous individual treatment components implemented together to achieve maximum reductions in the targeted problem (Azrin & Address all correspondence to Raymond G. Miltenberger, Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58105 (E-mail: miltenbe@badlands.nodak.edu). Nunn, 1973Nunn, , 1977. Because the goal of the early research on habit reversal was to produce immediate and lasting decreases in the occurrence of habit behaviors, analysis of the individual treatment components or elucidation of the behavioral mechanism responsible for the success of the procedure was not a focus of investigation at the time.More recently, researchers have investigated aspects of this robust treatment package, including simplified versions and variations

Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers in the United States. Although avoiding sun exposure and using sun protection reduces skin cancer risk, rates of such behaviors are moderate at best. The present study examined the impact of a multicomponent intervention that aimed to increase the saliency of skin cancer risk while promoting the use of sun protection. Midwestern beachgoers (n ϭ 100) participated in an intervention or questionnaire-only control group. Sun protection, stage of change, and sun exposure were measured at baseline and 2-month follow-up. The intervention group significantly improved in sun protection use and stage of change, but not sun exposure, compared with the control group. Personalizing the risks of unprotected sun exposure combined with providing education about sun protection facilitated healthy changes in behavior and motivation.

This study examined the effects of three community interventions that rely on socially mediated consequences, rather than financial incentives, to promote consumer recycling. Households in the commitment-only group signed a letter making a public commitment to recycle and giving permission to publish their names in a local newspaper. The feedback-only group received weekly feedback on pounds of recyclable paper generated by their group. A combined-intervention group received a combination of the two previous interventions. Relative to baseline, the feedback-only and the combined-intervention groups increased the weight of recyclable paper by 25.47% and 40.00%, respectively. In contrast, neither the commitment-only group nor a no-intervention control group showed substantial changes over the same period. The implications of these interventions for developing community-wide recycling programs are discussed.

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One of the goals of science is the construction of quantitative statements that accurately describe the covariation of two or more variables. The matching law (e.g., Hermstein, 1961) is just such a quantitative statement; it describes a proportional relationship between the allocation of behavior on two concurrent response options and the distribution of reinforcement between the two concurrent behaviors. As with other scientific laws, efforts to assess and extend the generality of the matching law have taken two forms, empirical and conceptual. Systematic replications of the matching law have empirically validated its generality across a range of species, responses, and reinforcement parameters (see de Villiers, 1977 for a review). Others have induced a general behavioral theory from the accumulation of empirical data and offered interpretations and predictions that extend beyond the basic observations (e.g., McDowell, 1982). As interpretations of empirical data, such extrapolations are prone to certain inaccuracies. Occasionally, these extrapolations and the theories they represent prove blatantly false (e.g., Ptolemaic model of the solar system), but most (e.g., Newtonian physics) prove to be incomplete rather than incorrect and are eventually revised and refined (e.g., quantum mechanics) as evidence suggesting the limitations of existing theories accumulates. Never-Iwata for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this artide and to Jay Heckler for suggesting one of the examples used in this artide.Reprints may be obtained from R. Wayne Fuqua, Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008. theless, extrapolations from existing data contribute to the progress of science by promoting and directing research; however, they should be undertaken with a healthy dose of scientific skepticism lest we take an inferential leap and find ourselves landing on something less than solid empirical ground. To paraphrase Josh Billings (a.k.a. Henry Wheeler) "It ain't what we know that gets us in trouble, it's what we know that ain't quite so."In discussing the practical implications of the matching law, Myerson and Hale (1984) have extrapolated from laboratory research on the matching law to socially important human behaviors occurring in applied settings. Their efforts are laudable in that such conceptual interpretations may narrow the gap between basic and applied behavioral research that many have justifiably lamented (e.g., Deitz, 1978;Hayes, Rincover, & Solnick, 1980;Michael, 1980). Furthermore, they have proposed interpretations (e.g., the superiority of variable interval schedules over ratio schedules in competing for the allocation of behavior) and made quantitative predictions that could promote applied research on concurrent behaviors. Nevertheless, their suggestions are based on extrapolations from laboratory research primarily with nonhumans to humans behaving in applied settings and thus merit a skeptical evaluation. My purpose here is not to argue against speculative inte...