title: The effects of feedback and contingent reinforcement on the exercise behavior of chronic pain patients.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to increase knowledge through research in the area of operant management of chronic back pain, using a strong experimental design. Reinforcement was made contingent on rate of walking, and feedback about progress was provided at certain intervals during each observation session. The changing criterion experimental design for a single subject indicated important systematic increases in walking rate, while the no-reinforcement and non-contingent reinforcement procedures produced no systematic effect. Pre-post ratings showed an average decrease in reported pain.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL 33620 USA.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geiger
authors.forename: Dennis D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Hewitt B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Shashidhar H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D016138:Walking