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GROUP DESENSITIZATION FOR “ANXIOUS” CHILDREN
WITH READING PROBLEMS
SARAH DENNEY MULLER AND CHARLES H. MADSEN, JR.
Florida State University
Since the development of systematic desensitization (Wolpe,
1954; 1958)
as
an individual treatment method, the procedure has been used with groups of adults
(Lazarus,
1961)
and with groups of children (Ritter,
1968).
The present research
involves the use of group desensitization techniques with behaviors other than specific
fears (recommended by Rachman,
1967).
Reading problems in twelve-year-olds
were the focus of study.
It
was assumed that the breakdown in efficient classroom
performance (reading) was related to tense behaviors commonly defined as anxiety.
Probably one of the first uses of desensitization procedures with reading in-
volved an eighth-grade girl who was unable to read in class (Coyle,
1968).
The
problem had also generalized to other school subjects. The girl was able to read
aloud after treatment which included “in vivo” desensitization.
It
was suggested
that “in vivo” methods may more effectively deal with school-related anxiety than
emotive imagery.
Behaviors which are generally summarized as reading anxiety are practically
defined similar to Phillips’
(1968)
definition of school anxiety. The behaviors ‘may
be a function of a reinforcement history which has produced reactions to many
diverse stimuli as well as being specific to the reading situation. Theoretical dis-
cussions are presented by Sarason, Davidson, Lighthall, Waite, and Ruebush
(1960).
The present study attempted to facilitate reading improvement by re-
ducing negative reactions elicited by classroom reading.
METHOD
Subjects
Twenty-eight seventh raders
(16
boys,
12
girls;
mean age
=
12.8)
at the Florida State Uni-
venity School were selected%ased upon
scores
for both the Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (Casta-
neda, McCandless,
&
Palermo,
1956),
and a Self-Report Reading Scale specific
to
reading construc-
ted for
this
study, and who were at
or
below the
class
mean standard score on portions of the Calif-
ornia Achievement Test (Form
W,
Tiegs
&
Clark,
1957).
The total seventh grade population included
83 students. Following selection,
14
of the remaining
55
were chosen
as
no contact controls.
Scores
for no-contact controls were matched with experimental groups. (Mean differences were
.07
for general
anxiety and
.OO
for specific reading “anxiety
’
ratings.)
Procedure
Reading Materials.
The Science Research Associates Reading Laboratory
111s
kit
and a series
of
short stories were used for oral reading
(Good
Times through Literature,
Pooley, Poley, Leyda,
&
Zellhoefer,
1951
;
An Anthology
of
Distinguished Contemporary American Short
Stories,
Prescott,
1958).
Test Reliabilities.
The Self-Report Reading Scale was correlated with the Children’s Manifest
Anxiety Scale
(.44
pretest and
.48
posttest; Pearson
r;
N
=
83).
Test-retest reliability e ualled
.70
for
28
treatment subjects. The Reading Anxiety Behavioral Rating Scale on which tea%ers rated
children had a test-retest reliability of
.70
for
28
treatment subjects.
Treatment
Conditions.
Four. similar grou
8
of seven were randomly assigned
to
either deaensitiza-
tion
or
reading placebo.
All
subiects receiveftwo 30-minute sessions per week with make-up sessions
when necessary due to absences.
‘Sincere a preciation
is
extended
to
thegrincipal of the Florida State University Laboratory
School, Clay &shop; Guidance Director,
E
gar Moorhead; Director of Language Arts, Michael
Angelotti; and the Seventh Grade English teachers for their support and cooperation during the
planning and execution of this study. This report
19
based upon a thesis submitted by the senior
author
to
Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a M.S. degree. Re-
prints may be obtained from Charles
H.
Madsen,
Jr.,
Department of Psychology, Florida State
university, Tallahassee, Florida 32306.