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Abstract

We introduce a relaxation assessment device (RAD) to monitor clients' home relaxation practice unobtrusively. The RAD is a conventional, portable tape recorder with a relaxation tape sealed in the tape compartment and a cumulative stopwatch with associated electronics sealed in the battery compartment. The stopwatch is activated only when the PLAY button is depressed, thereby logging cumulative relaxation practice time. Details on the instrument's electronics are presented, as well as data documenting its functional reliability. Preliminary data on the clinical application of the RAD with samples of anxious and hypertensive individuals suggest that self-reported frequency of relaxation practice is spurious, and compliance to home practice instructions is variable but skewed in the direction of low compliance.

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A Device for Unobtrusive Surveillance of Home Relaxation Practice

Abstract

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