Adherence to a mental skill training program through self monitoring and contractual agreement
Date
1993
Authors
Bock, Susan
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of self monitoring plus contractual agreement. upon the adherence to a relaxation training program. Data were collected from 32 students (13 male: 19 female) who were assigned to either a control or a treatment condition. which combined a self monitoring and contractual agreement intervention. Before implementing the training program. all subjects completed baseline measures of the Relaxation lnventory. and the biofeedback test of forearm flexor tension. All subjects attended a three week supervised relaxation training program. and were then retested on the baseline measures. This was followed by a six week unsupervised phase. during which the intervention was implemented among the treatment group. At the end of the program. final measures of the Relaxation lnventory and forearm flexor tension levels were recorded to attain confirmation of the self-reported adherence rates. Analysis of the data was conducted using a series of repeated measures MANOVAs for the subjects involved in all treatment and testing conditions. In addition. a series of one-way ANOVAs with repeated measures. and paired t-tests were conducted using the data for all subjects. Significant between group differences were found for the variables of adherence frequency and duration. F(1.30) = 6.04. p<.05. and F(1.30) = 6.14. p<.05 respectively. and significant time effects within the groups for the variables of adherence fre4uency and duration. F(1.30) = 4.88. p<.05, and F(1.30) = 4.04. p<.05 respectively. No significant between group differences were found for the Relaxation Inventory subscale scores. across all stages of testing. However. significant within group differences were found between various testing stages. The treatment group differed significantly on the Relaxation Inventory subscale of physical tension between tests 1 and 2 (t(15) = 1.71, p<.05), and test 1 and 3 (t(15) = 1.85. p<.05). and for the subscale physical assessment between tests 1 and 2 (t(15) = 1.92, p<.05). and tests 1 and 3 (t(15) = 2.02. p<.05). The control group differed significantly on the subscale of physical assessment between tests 1 and 2 (t(15) = 2.11. p<.05). and for the subscale of cognitive tension. between tests I and 2 (t(15) = 2.49. p<.05). o significance between group differences were found for the muscular tension stores at any of the testing stages. However. significant within group differences were demonstrated for the treatment group between tests 1 and 2: tests 2 and 3. and tests 1 and 3 (t(15) = -2.98. p<.01: t(15) = -2.25.
p<.02. and t(15) = -3.17. p<.01 respectively), and for the control group between rests 1 and 2. and tests 1 and 3 (t(15) = -3.70. p<.01: t(15) = -3033. p<.01 respectively). Finally, a significant between group difference was found for the variable of dropout rate, t(10) = 3.13. p<.01, with the control group demonstrating a significantly higher dropout total. It was concluded that self monitoring and contractual agreement were effective in enhancing adherence to the stipulated training program. but were ineffective 111 achieving desired performance outcome improvements as a result of the program.