Social skill training in an integrated preschool program.

This study examined the effectiveness of a commercially available social skills training program plus classroom reinforcement for use with preschoolers with developmental delays. Two groups of 19 participants (mean age 49.73–52.9 mo old) each received either the combined treatment package or classroom reinforcement of target behaviors only. An additional 20 participants served as a control group. The combination of social skills training plus classroom reinforcement of target behaviors resulted in statistically significant increases in sharing behavior over those obtained by both control participants and participants receiving reinforcement of classroom behavior alone. Group behavior was increased over that shown by control participants through the use of either the social skills plus classroom reinforcement treatment package or classroom reinforcement alone. Social skills interventions were viewed favorably by both classroom teachers and preschool participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of attributional retraining on strategy-based reading comprehension in learning-disabled students.

Learning-disabled students received instructions about both summarization strategies and their personal beliefs about causality that were designed to improve reading comprehension. 75 upper elementary school students were assigned to 4 treatment groups. The main experimental condition received attributional retraining on paired-associate and sort-recall tasks (which were unrelated to the target comprehension tests), instructions on the use of a summarization strategy, attributional statements about the efficacy of the instructed strategy, and posttests by which we assessed reading skills and general attributional beliefs. Students in another experimental condition received an identical treatment package without prior attributional retraining on unrelated paired-associate and sort-recall tasks but with attributional statements embedded in the summarization strategy. Ss in one control condition received strategy training (without attributional retraining), whereas those in the other received neither strategy nor attribution instructions. Results suggested that attributional training enhanced the maintenance of the summarization strategy and selectivity facilitated generalization. Domain-specific attributional beliefs seemed to provide important orientating and perseverating characteristics that enhanced goal-directed, strategic processing in learning-impaired students. In spite of performance improvements, however, long-standing, antecedent attributional beliefs were unaltered by program-specific attributional training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schoolwide social skills training: Providing preventive services to students at-risk.

Describes a schoolwide social skills assessment and training model including a 2-gate student identification procedure (i.e., in-class social skills training for all students and small group intensive training for at-risk target students). The model is directed at reducing future serious problems by addressing identified difficulties early (i.e., through secondary prevention procedures). Specific and model objectives are to (1) use a comprehensive, multigate procedure to identify students at risk; (2) implement schoolwide training procedures to teach a number of important prosocial skills identified by teachers; (3) treat a subgroup of target Ss considered at highest risk for developing pervasive social problems; and (4) implement procedures to encourage the transfer and generalization of all students' skills across untrained stimuli, settings, and situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A demonstration of generalization of performance across settings, materials, and motor responses for students with profound mental retardation

A treatment package, consisting of multiple exemplar training and community-based instruction, was evaluated for its effectiveness in teaching four students with profound mental retardation and multiple disabilities to participate in two sets of community-living tasks. All training took place in community settings, and each student demonstrated improved performance on at least one task set. In addition, all students demonstrated improved performance on a series of tasks selected to assess generalization of performance across settings, materials, and/or motoric responses required to complete the target task. Maintenance of performance over a 4- to 5-month period was assessed and achieved for two of the students. The results of this investigation are discussed in terms of the implications for programming for students with profound mental retardation.     

Experimental component analysis of a behavioral HIV–AIDS prevention intervention for inner-city women.

A component analysis of a behavioral HIV risk reduction intervention was conducted among 87 women recruited from an inner-city community. Women were randomly assigned to an intervention consisting of (a) sexual communication skills training, (b) self-management skills training, (c) a combination of sexual communication and self-management skills, or (d) HIV education and risk sensitization. Results showed that all 4 intervention conditions increased AIDS knowledge and intentions to reduce risk behaviors. Communication skills training resulted in higher rates of risk reduction conversations and risk refusals. However, the combined skills training condition showed the lowest rates of unprotected sexual intercourse at the 3-month follow-up. This study is the first to experimentally control HIV risk reduction elements in an analysis of a skills-based HIV prevention intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initial impact of the fast track prevention trial for conduct problems: I. The high-risk sample.

Fast Track is a multisite, multicomponent preventive intervention for young children at high risk for long-term antisocial behavior. Based on a comprehensive developmental model, intervention included a universal-level classroom program plus social skills training, academic tutoring, parent training, and home visiting to improve competencies and reduce problems in a high-risk group of children selected in kindergarten. At the end of Grade 1, there were moderate positive effects on children's social, emotional, and academic skills; peer interactions and social status; and conduct problems and special-education use. Parents reported less physical discipline and greater parenting satisfaction/ease of parenting and engaged in more appropriate/consistent discipline, warmth/positive involvement, and involvement with the school. Evidence of differential intervention effects across child gender, race, site, and cohort was minimal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kinder training: Play-based consultation to improve the school adjustment of discouraged kindergarten and first grade students.

Examined the effects of Kinder Training on selected kindergarten and first grade students' behavior, social skills, and early literacy skills, as well as its effects on teacher behavior in the classroom. Kinder Training involves the teacher in play sessions with a child who is exhibiting discouragement in the classroom. The participants in this study included 7 kindergarten teachers, 4 kindergarten paraprofessionals, 3 first grade teachers, and their 14 selected students (median age 5 yrs, 9 mo). The teacher conducts play sessions while receiving supervision from a counselor, learning skills that are both appropriate for the playroom and valuable for the classroom. As a result of the play sessions, the teacher–student relationship is enhanced, the student feels more encouraged in the classroom, and the teacher transfers the newly obtained skills to his or her work with other students. This transfer included an increase in facilitative statements, encouragement, and limit-setting. Additionally, the teachers decreased the number of praise statements and ineffective limit-setting. The results suggest that Kinder Training is an effective intervention for struggling students and a successful proactive approach for teacher skill development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Achievement goals in the classroom: Students' learning strategies and motivation processes.

We studied how specific motivational processes are related to the salience of mastery and performance goals in actual classroom settings. One hundred seventy-six students attending a junior high/high school for academically advanced students were randomly selected from one of their classes and responded to a questionnaire on their perceptions of the classroom goal orientation, use of effective learning strategies, task choices, attitudes, and causal attributions. Students who perceived an emphasis on mastery goals in the classroom reported using more effective strategies, preferred challenging tasks, had a more positive attitude toward the class, and had a stronger belief that success follows from one's effort. Students who perceived performance goals as salient tended to focus on their ability, evaluating their ability negatively and attributing failure to lack of ability. The pattern and strength of the findings suggest that the classroom goal orientation may facilitate the maintenance of adaptive motivation patterns when mastery goals are salient and are adopted by students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of schema-based instruction on the mathematical word-problem-solving performance of students with learning disabilities

This study examined the effects of a schema-based direct instruction strategy on the word-problem-solving performance of three third- and fourth-grade students (2 girls, 1 boy) with learning disabilities. An adapted multiple-probe-across-students design was used. Results indicated that the intervention was successful in increasing the percentage of correct solutions to word problems for all 3 students. In addition, maintenance of word-problem solving was seen 2 to 3 weeks after the study. Student interviews indicated that the strategy was beneficial. Further research with different students and problem types (e.g., multistep) and an investigation of the long-term effects of the strategy and its use in novel settings appear warranted.     

Cognitive-relaxation and social skills treatments of anger: A year later.

The present study provides a 12-month follow-up of a study by Deffenbacher, Story, Stark, Hogg, and Brandon (1987) that compared cognitive-relaxation and social skills training interventions for general anger reduction in college students. After 1 year both cognitive-relaxation and social skills subjects reported less general anger, personal-situational anger, anger-related psychophysiological reactivity, and trait anxiety than untreated controls. These findings suggested longterm maintenance of anger reduction and a generalization to anxiety that was not found posttreatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Faculty consultation: An emerging role for the counseling psychologist.

Considers that a recent trend for counseling psychologists working in higher education settings has been an increasing repertoire of effective therapeutic interventions. The traditional role of one-to-one and small group intervention is being expanded to include associational group and institutional and community intervention. Consultation with college and university faculty is one expression of this emerging role. In response to requests from faculty members, a university counseling center staff developed a training procedure designed to help students acquire the skills needed to interact productively in small groups with the purpose of learning academic material. The history, theoretical basis, and operations of this program, entitled "Education Through Student Interaction," is described. The emphasis was later changed to teach faculty how to train their students by means of this procedure. The extensive use of paraprofessionals and student assistants added to the effectiveness of the consultation program. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School-based, behavioral self-management: A review and analysis.

Evaluated behavioral self-management interventions with elementary school students. Studies were selected from PsycINFO and ERIC databases if they investigated the use of school-based, behavioral, self-management interventions with children of normal intellectual functioning. The review presents an analysis of this technology including treatment effect size, generalization, social validity, and cost-effectiveness data. Results indicate that observation, evaluation, and selection and administration of reinforcers were the intervention components most frequently student-managed. Additionally, results show a positive relationship between the degree of student management and treatment effect size. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief coping skills treatment for cocaine abuse: substance use outcomes at three months

AIMS: Coping skills training, a promising treatment approach for alcoholics, was adapted for use with cocaine abusers and effects on outcome were investigated. DESIGN: A cocaine-specific coping skills training (CST) package was compared to an attention placebo control when both were added to a comprehensive treatment program. SETTING: The sites were two private substance abuse treatment facilities, one residential and rural, and one an urban partial hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Substance abusers in treatment with cocaine abuse or dependence were selected. INTERVENTION: The CST intervention was conducted in individual sessions. It involved functional analysis of high risk situations and coping skills training based on the functional analysis. FINDINGS: Clients who received CST had significantly fewer cocaine use days and the length of their longest binge was significantly shorter during the 3-month follow-up period compared to clients in the control condition. CST did not affect relapse rates or use of other substances. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the notion that cocaine-specific CST is a promising adjunct to treatment for cocaine abusers.     

Components analysis of cognitive strategy instruction: Effects on learning disabled students' compositions and self-efficacy.

The viability of self-instructional strategy training among learning disabled (LD) students exhibiting composition deficiencies was investigated. Furthermore, the theoretically proposed incremental effects of explicit self-regulation procedures were examined in terms of writing performance measures at posttest, maintenance, and generalization, and in terms of Ss' self-efficacy. Ss were 22 LD and 11 normally achieving students in the 5th and 6th grades. Results indicated that self-instructional strategy training produced meaningful and lasting effects on Ss' composition skills and a significantly heightened sense of self-efficacy. Explicit self-regulation procedures did not significantly augment strategy-instruction effects for either writing performance or self-efficacy. Composition performance after instruction among LD Ss did not differ significantly in terms of story grammar elements from that of a contrast group of normally achieving, competent writers. However, normally achieving students' compositions were longer and received significantly higher quality ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the Job versus Graduate School Training of Forensic Engineers—An Instructor and Professional Engineer’s View

This paper provides insights from a graduate forensic engineering course for civil engineers and analyses its success from the instructor and student perspectives. The objective of the study was to evaluate teaching methods and settings for training of forensic engineers in light of new body of knowledge needs for the profession. The assessment methodology used student feedback before, during, and after the semester-long course and the instructor’s observations and prior forensic engineering consulting experience. The course was structured around student learning objectives that paralleled actual engineer training in professional consulting firms. The students used hands-on learning, field investigations, library-based research, and report writing. Focus was placed on learning basic research skills and applying scientific method which were at low levels among students. This is of concern to the profession as these skills, along with analytical ability, form part of the basic tool set of most engineers. By the end of the course, writing and review skills had improved significantly and student perceptions of the specialized skills turned more favorable. The students overwhelmingly appreciated inclusion of guest lectures by forensic engineers to demonstrate the relevance of this field. It was concluded that inadequate technical writing and reading skills, symptomatic of students in many engineering programs can be corrected through a forensic engineering course.     

Social-skills interventions with adolescents. Current issues and procedures

During adolescence, the interpersonal interactions and behaviors necessary for successful social functioning become increasingly complex. In recent years, social-skills training with adolescents has made a variety of advances beyond basic skill acquisition toward techniques designed to promote generalization and maintenance of an effective interpersonal repertoire. This article reviews relevant empirical literature for current issues and procedures in social-skills training with adolescents, including use of social-skills interventions for a variety of adolescent populations and problems, use of innovative and promising intervention procedures, and issues regarding generalization and social validity of intervention procedures.     

Expert modeling, self-observation using videotape, and acquisition of basic therapy skills.

Self-observation and observation of an experienced therapist were evaluated as aids in learning listening skills. 48 female college students interviewed mock clients before and after training. Training groups observed a videotape of an experienced therapist lecturing about listening skills, an experienced therapist modeling listening skills, a novice therapist attempting to use listening skills, or the S's own pretraining interview. All groups' skills improved significantly. Ss completed measures regarding feelings during interviews and about training. Trends indicated that Ss observing themselves improved least on all measures of both skill and feelings, and yet expressed most positive reaction to their training. Ss observing the experienced model improved most of all the groups in use of skills. Results raise questions about the usefulness of videotaping and support greater use of expert modeling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of a say-then-do training sequence on children's social behavior.

A say-then-do training sequence was used to teach 3 behaviorally impaired 4–5 yr olds to give and take objects appropriately in a classroom. During Training Phase 1, Ss were taught to self-instruct appropriate behavior before relinquishing or receiving objects from adults and peers in a treatment setting. During Training Phase 2, adult supervision was faded from the treatment, and Ss were required to continue to self-instruct while playing with their peers. Data were collected on appropriate social behavior of Ss in both treatment and extratreatment settings. Results show that the procedures were effective for each S. Ss rapidly acquired the target behavior and were successful in generalizing and maintaining the behavior in an extratreatment setting. Results are discussed as they relate to Ss' initial acquisition of the target behavior, generalization of the target behavior to an extratreatment setting, maintenance of the behavior over time, and the applicability of the training procedures. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in the acquisition of salary negotiation skills: The role of goals, self-efficacy, and perceived control.

Examined the effectiveness of different training programs in men's and women's acquisition of salary negotiation skills. MBA students received a 2-stage training program that provided initial content instruction in negotiation tactics, followed by supplemental training in either goal setting or self-management. After both training sessions, participants conducted salary negotiations with trained confederates who used standardized guides to award salary increases. Results indicated that, although women negotiated lower salaries than men following the initial training, controlling for goals eliminated this difference. Analysis of salary improvements following supplemental training revealed that gender differences were reduced for self-management participants only. Changes in perceived control over the negotiation appeared to mediate this effect. Implications of these findings for understanding training effectiveness are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)