Showing papers in "Behavior Modification in 2000"
TL;DR: It is concluded that relationship factors in general have a consistent but moderate impact on CBT outcome.
Abstract: Empirical studies are reviewed, the aim being to investigate characteristics of the therapeutic relationship in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and to identify therapist or patient interpersonal behavior that affects treatment outcome. CBT is characterized by a more active and directive stance on the part of the therapists and higher levels of emotional support than are found in insight-oriented psychotherapies. Therapists express high levels of empathy and unconditional positive regard, similar to those expressed by insight-oriented psychotherapists. Two clusters of interpersonal behavior have been identified that are clearly associated with CBT outcome: (a) the Rogerian therapist variables--empathy, nonpossessive warmth, positive regard, and genuineness; and (b) therapeutic alliance. There is some evidence for the impact on outcome of three additional clusters of patient behavior: (a) the patients' perception of the therapist as being self-confident, skillful, and active; (b) the patients' openness to discuss their problems; and (c) the patients' pretreatment predisposition to change and to accept psychological treatment as a means of achieving this. It is further concluded that relationship factors in general have a consistent but moderate impact on CBT outcome.
221 citations
TL;DR: In this article, three individuals whose destructive behavior was maintained by positive reinforcement were treated using functional communication training (FCT) with extinction (EXT), and procedures used in the basic literature on delayed reinforcement and self-control (reinforcer delay fading, punishment of impulsive responding, and provision of an alternative activity during reinforcer delay) were used to teach participants to tolerate delayed reinforcement.
Abstract: Few clinical investigations have addressed the problem of delayed reinforcement. In this investigation, three individuals whose destructive behavior was maintained by positive reinforcement were treated using functional communication training (FCT) with extinction (EXT). Next, procedures used in the basic literature on delayed reinforcement and self-control (reinforcer delay fading, punishment of impulsive responding, and provision of an alternative activity during reinforcer delay) were used to teach participants to tolerate delayed reinforcement. With the first case, reinforcer delay fading alone was effective at maintaining low rates of destructive behavior while introducing delayed reinforcement. In the second case, the addition of a punishment component reduced destructive behavior to near-zero levels and facilitated reinforcer delay fading. With the third case, reinforcer delay fading was associated with increases in masturbation and head rolling, but prompting and praising the individual for completing work during the delay interval reduced all problem behaviors and facilitated reinforcer delay fading.
174 citations
TL;DR: A review of research derived from related areas such as shyness, social anxiety, self-consciousness, peer neglect, and social withdrawal that contributes to a richer understanding of the etiology of social fears addresses four main factors that may be important to the origins of social phobia.
Abstract: A greater understanding of the origins of social phobia is much needed. The research to date is limited by the relatively small number of studies that sample clinical populations of individuals with social phobia. There is, however, research derived from related areas such as shyness, social anxiety, self-consciousness, peer neglect, and social withdrawal that contributes to a richer understanding of the etiology of social fears. Combining these areas of research, this review addresses four main factors that may be important to the origins of social phobia: (a) genetic factors; (b) family factors; (c) other environmental factors; and (d) developmental factors.
158 citations
TL;DR: This study involved two experiments and results indicated that the condition in which the instructions were clustered was more effective for maintaining correct task performance.
Abstract: This study involved two experiments. In Experiment 1, a computer-aided system for promoting task performance by 6 persons with severe developmental disabilities was compared with a card system. The computer-aided system was portable and presented pictorial task instructions (one instruction per step) and prompts. In Experiment 2, the same systemwas used, but the number of instruction occasions was reduced. In one condition, the system presented all the instructions used in Experiment 1 but mostly in clusters rather than individually. In another, the system presented part of the Experiment 1 instructions. Three Experiment 1 participants also served in Experiment 2. Experiment 1 results indicated all 6 participants had higher percentages of correct steps with the computer system and preferred it to the card system. Experiment 2 results indicated that the condition in which the instructions were clusteredwas more effective for maintaining correct task performance. Implications of the findings were discussed.
90 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that intimacy, empathy, and cognitive distortions are likely to be the most salient domains in the area of sexual aggression.
Abstract: The major theoretical frameworks all invoke, often implicitly, social competency deficits as part of their causal explanations for sexual aggression. In this article, the authors review the evidence for this general position, noting both that social competency is not best seen as being equivalent to social skill and that domain specificity is likely to be important. They argue that intimacy, empathy, and cognitive distortions are likely to be the most salient domains in the area of sexual aggression. Recent use of attachment theory to conceptualize intimacy suggests that this approach may have more utility in both classification and intervention planning. An information processing view of empathy, together with likelihood of situational constraints on deficits, has usefully advanced this area. The possible relationships between such deficits and cognitive distortions are noted. Current literature on cognitive distortions is also briefly reviewed. Finally, suggestions for a helpful research agenda are made.
89 citations
TL;DR: A younger age at time of victimization, a greater number of incidents, a longer period of waiting to report the abuse, and a lower level of perceived family support postrevelation of the abuse were found to be predictive of subsequent sexual perpetration.
Abstract: Structural equation modeling was used to delineate the relationship between sexual victimization and personality variables in the prediction of patterns of child molestation in adolescent males. Two hundred thirty-five adolescents, representing subsamples of sexually victimized and nonvictimized, perpetrating and nonperpetrating, and emotionally maladjusted and nonmaladjusted youths, participated in the study. Juvenile child molesters were found to have more pessimistic explanatory styles and deficits in self-sufficiency relative to nonoffending youths. A younger age at time of victimization, a greater number of incidents, a longer period ofwaiting to report the abuse, and a lower level of perceived family support postrevelation of the abuse were found to be predictive of subsequent sexual perpetration. Implications for treatment are discussed.
87 citations
TL;DR: The thought suppression research is reviewed, methodological issues relevant to application of the thought suppression paradox to obsessional problems are discussed, and recommendations for future research are offered.
Abstract: According to recent research, deliberate suppression of unwanted thoughts may result in a paradoxical increase in their frequency. Recent cognitive-behavioral theories of obsessive-compulsive disorder now consider active thought suppression to be a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of obsessions. However, there are considerable inconsistencies in the results of studies investigating the thought suppression paradox that make it difficult to apply findings to obsessional problems. Furthermore, many studies have low ecological validity for obsessional problems. This article reviews the thought suppression research, discusses methodological issues relevant to application of the thought suppression paradox to obsessional problems, and offers recommendations for future research.
82 citations
TL;DR: The behavioral treatments that have been used in treating individuals with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are reviewed and the strengths and weaknesses of these methods are discussed.
Abstract: Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is a genetic disorder resulting in hyperuricemia, choreoathetosis, mental retardation, and self-mutilation. The most salient feature of this disorder is the self-injurious behavior (SIB). Although the utility of behavioral interventions with SIB has been well documented, behavioral interventions with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome have been limited in number and long-term success. This article reviews the behavioral treatments that have been used in treating individuals with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of these methods. Suggestions for future directions in the use of behavioral interventions for controlling SIB in Lesch-Nyhan syndrome are provided.
65 citations
TL;DR: Research into characteristics of women in jail and literature relating to treatment programs for incarcerated women are reviewed and a case example and treatment intervention are presented.
Abstract: Women who have been incarcerated are a high-risk group for criminal recidivism, and criminal justice statistics indicate that females are increasing in numbers more rapidly than the male detainee population. According to data from epidemiologic studies, incarcerated women are often young, single, mothers from ethnic minority backgrounds who have little education and poor work histories. Mental illness, drug abuse, and risky behaviors relating to contracting HIV/AIDS are common problems among female detainees. In this report, research into characteristics of women in jail and literature relating to treatment programs for incarcerated women are reviewed. Implications relating to treatment needs, program development, and further research are discussed. A case example and treatment intervention are presented based on this review.
60 citations
TL;DR: A3-year-old child with multiple medical disorders and chronic food refusal was treated successfully using a program that incorporated antecedent control procedures combined with positive reinforcement, and learned to feed himself as an outcome of treatment.
Abstract: A 3-year-old child with multiple medical disorders and chronic food refusal was treated successfully using a program that incorporated antecedent control procedures combined with positive reinforcement. The antecedent manipulations included visual cueing of a criterion number of self-feeding responses that were required during meals to receive reinforcement and a gradual increase in the imposed criterion (demand fading) that was based on improved frequency of oral consumption. As evaluated in a changing criterion design, the child learned to feed himself as an outcome of treatment. One year following intervention, he was consuming a variety of foods and had gained weight. Advantages of antecedent control methods for the treatment of chronic food refusal are discussed.
59 citations
TL;DR: Anxious avoiders were more likely to have experienced more invasive and less noninvasive dental treatment; they feared pain more and were more negative about dentistry than those whose anxiety had remitted.
Abstract: From the literature, it is increasingly apparent that dentally anxious individuals are not a homogeneous group and that the development and maintenance of dental anxiety are complex phenomena. In this study, individuals who had avoided dental treatment in the past due to fear but were no longer fearful were compared with others who had avoided and were still fearful on a number of demographic, experiential, and attitudinal variables under the assumption that avoidance is likely to prevent the emotional processing of dental anxiety. The groups differed markedly in their experience of dentistry; anxious avoiders were more likely to have experienced more invasive and less noninvasive dental treatment; they feared pain more and were more negative about dentistry than those whose anxiety had remitted. In addition, the remitted avoiders were less likely to claim frightening or embarrassing dental experiences as well as being less reactive to these experiences than the others.
TL;DR: Different behavioral approaches to the problems of obesity are outlined and reviewed, specifically, those that target (a) body weight or composition, (b) lifestyle factors and other health-related variables, and (c) related psychological variables such as self-esteem and assertiveness.
Abstract: Obesity is a complex and increasingly prevalent disorder that can confer a number of medical, social, and psychological difficulties. As a result, an array of treatment strategies falling under the generic umbrella of “behavior therapy” have been developed and continue to be refined and expanded. In this article, different behavioral approaches to the problems of obesity are outlined and reviewed, specifically, those that target (a) body weight or composition, (b) lifestyle factors and other health-related variables, and (c) related psychological variables such as self-esteem and assertiveness, as well as negative attitudes toward obese persons held by nonobese individuals. For each of these targets of change, approaches to both individual- and group-level interventions are considered. Suggestions for future research and clinical work are offered. Throughout, the importance of conceptualizing obesity as a multifaceted problem is underscored. The necessity for explicit target goals when attempting to modify behavior is also highlighted.
TL;DR: The authors developed a self-report procedure for assessing parenting practices involving preadolescent and adolescent children, the Loeber Youth Questionnaire, and preliminary reliability and concurrent validity data were quite encouraging.
Abstract: Parenting behaviors have played critical roles in various theoretical and clinical models that have sought to explain the development and course of deviant child behavior. Notwithstanding the importance of this topic, the extant literature reveals very few adequate instruments for describing such patterns. To address 3this need, the authors developed a self-report procedure for assessing parenting practices involving preadolescent and adolescent children, the Loeber Youth Questionnaire. Preliminary reliability and concurrent validity data were quite encouraging, and the instrument’s two major dimensions (affect and control) fit well with the existing clinical and research literature. Limitations and future research directions are addressed.
TL;DR: The main effect model of social support was operating in this study, and social support had a direct influence on smoking cessation and long-term maintenance.
Abstract: To better understand how social support operates in smoking cessation, three models of support were tested: main effect, stress-buffering, and indirect. Employees from 61 worksites received (a) self-help manuals (SH); (b) self-help manuals and incentives (I); or (c) self-help manuals, incentives, and social support groups (G). At 24 months, results suggest that the main effect model of social support was operating in this study. That is, social support had a direct influence on smoking cessation. The group intervention significantly enhanced positive partner support across all time points, and partner support facilitated quitting smoking. Higher levels of appraisal support also significantly predicted successful quitting. The beneficial effects of social support were sustained throughout the process of quitting and long-term maintenance.
TL;DR: A 3-year-old medically fragile girl who refused to eat after prolonged and frequent hospitalizations was started on a feeding program in the home and school settings, which showed marked increases in the amount of food consumed at home, which then generalized to the school setting.
Abstract: A 3-year-old medically fragile girl who refused to eat after prolonged and frequent hospitalizations was started on a feeding program in the home and school settings. She exhibited food aversions and received all nourishment via a gastronomy tube. Preevaluation observations of her feeding behavior revealed that she refused all presented drinks and foods. Treatment was two-fold. First, food acceptance was followed by social praise and access to preferred toy play, and second, food refusal and disruptive behaviors were ignored. Gagging, vomiting, and crying occurred periodically during initial feedings. In addition, there were medical complications during the course of treatment necessitating continuous modifications of the program. Results of a multiple-phase design showed marked increases in the amount of food consumed at home, which then generalized to the school setting.
TL;DR: Five women prisoners with a history of being battered and who met the DSM-IV criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder were assessed and provided with structured relaxation training, followed by eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which did not result in any clinical improvements.
Abstract: Five women prisoners with a history of being battered and who met the DSM-IV criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder were assessed (A phase) and provided with structured relaxation training (RT) (B phase, or placebo treatment), followed by eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy (C phase). Using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Impact of Events Scale’s avoidance behavior and intrusive thoughts subscales as outcome measures, RT alone did not result in any clinical improvements. The subsequent provision of EMDR did not improve upon this lack of success with 4 of the 5 participants; 1 did improve on anxiety and intrusive thoughts. The apparent ineffectiveness of EMDR with these participants may be attributed to several explanations. Foremost perhaps is the hypothesis that EMDR is not sufficient to ameliorate the effects of chronic abuse.
TL;DR: Two experiments in which claustrophobic fear during mock diagnostic imaging was attenuated and allowed to return so the experiments could be evaluated and return of fear studied are offered as models for programmatic research.
Abstract: Fear sometimes returns after attenuation via exposure. Return of fear is poorly understood due to conflicting results from diverse experiments. This article reports on two experiments in which claustrophobic fear during mock diagnostic imaging was attenuated and allowed to return so the experiments could be evaluated and return of fear studied. Attentional focus versus distraction during exposure was a between-subjects independent variable. Attempts were made to predict return of fear, return of heart-rate responsivity, and behavioral avoidance using levels of fear and heart-rate during initial mock diagnostic imaging as predictor variables. One third of participants displayed return of fear, heart-rate response, or avoidance 1 week after fear reduction. Heart-rate response during initial mock imaging predicted posttreatment return-of-fear classification; level of fear during initial imaging did not. Neither initial heart rate nor initial fear predicted return of heart-rate reactivity or avoidance. The experiments are offered as models for programmatic research.
TL;DR: The OCD clinical profile that is correlated to organicity is described and reasons for lack of response in organic OCD patients, based on cerebral anatomical changes, are discussed.
Abstract: Though pharmacological and/or behavioral interventions have proven highly effective, 20 to 30% of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) population is treatment refractory. This study describes the OCD clinical profile that is correlated to organicity. Two groups of OCD patients were presented: an organic group and a control nonorganic group. The 9 organic patients exhibit an indifference to their illness, a lack of motivation, are nonanxious even during exposure exercises, are nondepressed, have rigid and concrete thinking, are treatment refractory, and have some type of organic impairment. The 10 nonorganic patients are also treatment refractory but do not exhibit the clinical profile correlated to the organic OCD patients. Furthermore, MRI results indicate that no organic impairment exists in this control group. All of these patients were tried on medication and behavior therapy to no avail. Reasons for lack of response in organic OCD patients, based on cerebral anatomical changes, are discussed.
TL;DR: Research carried out in cooperation with the survivors of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry sinking in 1987 is reviewed, charting the psychological status of a sample of the surviving population on a number of self-report and information processing measures.
Abstract: The present article reviews research carried out in cooperation with the survivors of the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry sinking in 1987. The research comprises a series of longitudinal investigations charting the psychological status of a sample of the surviving population on a number of self-report and information processing measures.
TL;DR: Improved oral consumption and increases in weight were achieved under negative reinforcement conditions and these results were maintained at follow-up intervals of 1 and 3 months.
Abstract: A negative reinforcement-based treatment package was associated with desirable weight gain in a 22-year-old woman with developmental disabilities who demonstrated chronic food refusal. Treatments including extinction of escape and continuous access to preferred foods were not successful in increasing her weight. The negative reinforcement intervention included escape from eating and the dining area contingent upon the consumption of food. Improved oral consumption and increases in weight were achieved under negative reinforcement conditions and these results were maintained at follow-up intervals of 1 and 3 months.
TL;DR: It is hypothesized that individual differences in reinforcer preference may be related to consistent differences in behavior such as those observed in personality traits.
Abstract: New techniques for measuring preference between reinforcers have emerged in a field known as behavioral economics. Preference is assessed from the relative shapes of reinforcer demand functions, shown in graphs in which rate of reinforcement is plotted against schedule requirement. In economic terminology, a schedule requirement sets the price of a reinforcer as it sets the numbers of responses needed to obtain a reinforcer. Relative shapes of demand functions for alternative reinforcers are interpreted using the principle of revealed preference, as the shape of a demand function reflects the numbers of responses emitted to obtain reinforcers at each schedule requirement. Individual preferences between reinforcers are measured from differences in shapes of demand functions. Demand functions from two single subject experiments are examined to assess the hypothesis that individuals may generate differently shaped demand functions for the same reinforcers. It is hypothesized that individual differences in reinforcer preference may be related to consistent differences in behavior such as those observed in personality traits.
TL;DR: This study failed to support the oft-claimed superiority of long-duration PPOC and suggested that the different durations were equally effective in reducing the stereotypic behaviors to near-zero levels.
Abstract: Positive practice overcorrection (PPOC) has long played a significant role in the behavioral treatment of serious self-stimulatory behavior. Three experiments comparing the effectiveness of 30-seco...
TL;DR: The authors use emotionally neutralword pairs to examine the illusory correlation phenomenon in three diagnostic groups: nonparanoid schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia or delusional disorder, and depression, and one-way analysis of variance shows that the three groups do not differ in their tendency to make illusories.
Abstract: This study reexamines the possibility that paranoid individuals are unusually prone to perceive illusory correlations. The authors use emotionally neutralword pairs to examine the illusory correlat...
TL;DR: This article articulate how the activation of the metacognitive level theoretically mediates conflicts between short-term and long-term consequences, thereby facilitating therapeutic change and reducing resistance, and unifies principles of behaviorism and contemporary clinical cognitive theory.
Abstract: Evidence from both experimental laboratory studies and clinical observation supports the behavioral principle that immediate (compared with delayed) consequences are most influential in shaping future actions. This presents the theoretical possibility of conflicts of consequences (e.g., short-term positive vs. long-term negative). As one example, resistance to completing therapeutic homework assignments that instruct clients to approach feared situations may result in short-term positive outcomes, such as freedom from negative emotional experience (emotional avoidance), but is dysfunctional over time. Thus, temporal conflicts of consequences is one theoretic source of resistance in clinical treatment. In this article, the authors articulate how the activation of the metacognitive level theoretically mediates conflicts between short-term (immediate) and long-term (delayed) consequences, thereby facilitating therapeutic change and reducing resistance. This synthesis unifies principles of behaviorism and contemporary clinical cognitive theory.
TL;DR: The Attitude Toward Father Scale was developed and validated using three independent samples of college undergraduates and was found effective in examining associations between father-child relationship scores and scores on adjustment measures.
Abstract: Numerous measures assess how parental influences may relate to children's development of psychological difficulties. The majority of such measures focuses specifically on the mother-child relationship or assume both parents contribute equally and similarly to their children's psychological well-being. Previous research has largely ignored the need to assess the father-child relationship when examining parental influences on behavior problems. The goal of the present study was to develop and validate a self-report questionnaire to assess the father-child relationship. The Attitude Toward Father Scale was developed and validated using three independent samples of college undergraduates. The scale, which includes three subscales, was shown to have good psychometric properties. It was found effective in examining associations between father-child relationship scores and scores on adjustment measures. Findings showed total scale and subscale scores associated with measures of stress, alcoholism, hostility, depression, anxiety, and paranoia. Implications of findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
TL;DR: The effects of jointly applying behavioral methods and psychophysical methods to improve two severely brain-injured survivors’ attending and reporting on auditory test stimuli presentation are described.
Abstract: Bedside hearing screenings are routinely conducted by speech and language pathologists for brain injury survivors during rehabilitation. Cognitive deficits resulting from brain injury, however, may interfere with obtaining estimates of auditory thresholds. Poor comprehension or attention deficits often compromise patient abilities to follow procedural instructions. This article describes the effects of jointly applying behavioral methods and psychophysical methods to improve two severely brain-injured survivors' attending and reporting on auditory test stimuli presentation. Treatment consisted of stimulus control training that involved differentially reinforcing responding in the presence and absence of an auditory test tone. Subsequent hearing screenings were conducted with novel auditory test tones and a common titration procedure. Results showed that prior stimulus control training improved attending and reporting such that hearing screenings were conducted and estimates of auditory thresholds were obtained.
TL;DR: A single-case, multiple-baseline study of a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure in a 28-year-old, brain-injured male with aggressive behavior problems successfully reduced the frequency of problem behavior and was maintained at 1-month follow-up.
Abstract: Severe brain injury can result in significant neurobehavioral and social functioning impairment. In rehabilitation settings, behavioral problems of aggression and nonadherence to therapeutic activities can pose barriers to maximal recovery of function. Behavioral interventions seem to be effective in reducing problem behavior among individuals recovering from severe brain trauma, but well-controlled studies examining the efficacy of such interventions are sparse. This article presents a single-case, multiple-baseline study of a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure in a 28-year-old, brain-injured male with aggressive behavior problems. The procedure successfully reduced the frequency of problem behavior by up to 74%, maintained at 1-month follow-up. Implications of this intervention for individuals with brain injury are discussed, and testing of this procedure using a between-group design seems indicated.
TL;DR: The results show that treatment for generalized anxiety disorder was highly related to change in intolerance of uncertainty, and the goal is to help patients become more tolerant of uncertainty by discriminating between both types of worry and applying the correct strategy to each type.
Abstract: This study evaluates the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) that addresses two types of worries: (a) those about situations that are amenable to problem solving, and (b) those about situations that are not. The treatment's goal is to help patients become more tolerant of uncertainty by discriminating between both types of worry and applying the correct strategy to each type. A multiple baseline design was used and subjects were 4 adults with a primary diagnosis of GAD. Treatment outcome was assessed with daily self-monitoring, self-report questionnaires, and standardized clinician ratings. At posttest and 6-month follow-up, 3 of 4 subjects no longer met diagnostic criteria for GAD and had attained high end-state functioning. At 12-month follow-up, none of the subjects met GAD diagnostic criteria but end-state functioning was variable. The results also show that treatment outcome was highly related to change in intolerance of uncertainty.
TL;DR: The research reviewed indicates that self-efficacy perceptions generalize across idiosyncratic sets of situations relating to schematic personal attributes and distinct aspects of selfefficacy appraisal can be organized by distinguishing between perceived self- efficacy for executing strategies and for attaining goals.
Abstract: People's perceptions of their capabilities for performance, or self-efficacy perceptions, are a cognitive mechanism underlying behavioral change. This article addresses three questions in the study of perceived self-efficacy: Do self-efficacy perceptions generalize across situations? Do affective states influence perceived self-efficacy? Do people have a singular level of perceived self-efficacy in any domain, or are there multiple aspects to self-efficacy perception? These questions are answered by analyzing the cognitive processes through which people appraise their efficacy for performance. The research reviewed indicates that (a) self-efficacy perceptions generalize across idiosyncratic sets of situations relating to schematic personal attributes; (b) induced negative mood does not reliably influence perceived self-efficacy but does raise performance standards, creating efficacy-standards discrepancies; (c) distinct aspects of self-efficacy appraisal can be organized by distinguishing between perceived self-efficacy for executing strategies and for attaining goals.
TL;DR: Within-subject analyses that controlled for autocorrelation and linear trends in the time series revealed that 40% of the women experienced significantly higher sexual motivation on greater sexual desire days, and evidence for the addition of sexual motivation as a distinct phase in the human sexual response cycle is explored.
Abstract: Fifty-four female participants with hypoactive sexual desire disorder supplied daily reports of their sexual desire and motivation. The relation between desire and motivation remained statistically significant when controlling for sexual compatibility, sexual stress, sexual fantasy, and marital and sexual satisfaction. Findings suggest that (a) women higher in sexual compatibility experience greater sexual motivation regardless of their marital and sexual satisfaction, their sexual desire intensity, and depressive symptomatology; and (b) the relation between sexual compatibility and sexual desire is mediated by the propensity of those women high in sexual compatibility to have greater marital and sexual satisfaction. Within-subject analyses that controlled for autocorrelation and linear trends in the time series revealed that 40% of the women experienced significantly higher sexual motivation on greater sexual desire days. A discussion of these findings and evidence for the addition of sexual motivation as a distinct phase in the human sexual response cycle are explored.