For the treatment of writer’s cramp and stuttering, therapist hypothesized as followings.
1. Symptoms shall be learned behaviors.
2. Symptoms shall be able to be treated by relearning.
3. The following techniques for relearning shall be efficient:
① Reciprocal inhibition by autogenic training or progressive relaxation.
② Reactive inhibition by negative practice and conditioned inhibition by aversive condition ing.
③ Operant reinforcement and extinction.
In case of the treatment of writer’s cramp, for negative practice and aversive conditioning, an apparatus as Fig I was used. The client was trained again and again piercing through the many kinds of hole (5㎜, 4㎜, 3㎜, 2㎜ in diameter) bored on iron plate and following on the taped letters on the other iron plate with an iron pen. If client made an error, he should be shocked on the left hand.
When the numbers of error were decreased, therapist reinforced immediately by verbal praising.
Before training of aboves, The client practised autogenic training for reciprocal inhibition.
The effect of the treatment was as seeing in letters 1 and letters 2.
In case of the treatment of stuttering, systematic desensitization was used according' to anxiety hierarchy by autogenic training.
For negative practice, the client was followed the many kinds of verbal reading (in contents and reading speed) by headphone. The reason of using headphone was aimed the effect of the treatment of masking too.
When the numbers of verbal blocking, stuttering or misreading were decreased, therapist reinforced immediately by verbal praising.
The client became not to be stuttered in case of conversation with therapist, unknown men or women in the street or tea room and by telephone.
Because of the results of the successful treatments, hypotheses were demonstrated.