Effects of positive reinforcement on physical complaints at a therapeutic summer camp

Two studies were conducted that were designed to investigate the role of a staff nurse as an adjunct in a nonmedical therapeutic camp for emotionally disturbed children. Study I was designed to assess the relationship between somatic complaints and daily interpersonal successes and failures of the camper. While visits to the infirmary tended to increase as social reinforcement available elsewhere decreased, correlations generally failed to reach statistical significance. Study II demonstrated that frequency of requests by campers for medical attention could be altered predictably by varying the amount of social reinforcement dispensed by the nurse who attended camper complaints. Implications for the role of the nurse in a network of mental health service delivery were discussed.