Based on behavioral theory, it has been hypothesized that spouse solicitous responses to the pain behaviors of chronic pain patients may contribute to the maintenance of pain behaviors and disability. Self-report data support this hypothesis, but direct observational measures have not been used to study this association. In this study, 50 chronic pain patients and their spouses were videotaped while engaging in common household activities. and patient pain behaviors and spouse solicitous behaviors were coded from the tapes. Spouse solicitous responses to non-verbal pain behaviors were significant predictors of physical disability in the more depressed patients, and were significant predictors of rate of non-verbal pain behavior in patients who reported greater pain. Spouse solicitous responses did not predict psychosocial dysfunction or total self-reported pain behaviors. The result support behavioral theory and indicate the need for further study of the association between spouse solicitousness and patient pain behaviors/disability.

Social reinforcers such as spouse behaviors have been hypothesized to be important in maintaining chronic pain behavior. This study used direct observation to test whether solicitous and aggressive spouse behaviors systematically precede and follow patient pain behaviors. Fifty chronic pain patients and spouses and 33 control couples were videotaped performing specified tasks. Spouse solicitous behaviors were significantly more likely to precede and follow nonverbal pain behaviors, and nonverbal pain behaviors were significantly less likely to follow spouse aggressive behaviors in pain than in control couples. Within couples, spouse solicitous behaviors preceded and followed verbal and nonverbal pain behaviors beyond chance levels more often in pain than in control couples. Results support an operant conceptualization of factors maintaining chronic pain behaviors.

No abstract

The role of emotional and other affective states as causes and consequences of sexual offending is emerging as an important area for theoretical analysis and for empirical research. In this paper we focus on whether affective and emotional states serve as causal antecedents for sexual offending. Firstly, we identify five sources of evidence relating to whether emotion is causal. We conclude that the evidence broadly supports the notion that a causal relationship exists, at least for some offenders. We then address attempts to identify mechanisms to explain how such effects are mediated. Finally we discuss the implications of this work for therapeutic interventions with sex offenders.

No abstract