Effectiveness of a computer-facilitated interactive social skills training program for boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at significant risk for a variety of comorbid conditions, including social skills deficits. Although interventions addressing various aspects of social difficulties with these children have been developed, few researchers have integrated new technology with existing social skills intervention literature and investigated such approaches empirically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a computer-mediated social skills training program for children diagnosed with ADHD. The program presented specific social skill sequences to four children with ADHD in a variety of computer-facilitated formats with video peer modeling, social problem-solving, and reinforcement components. Participants' abilities to demonstrate specific social problem-solving skills effectively in a behavioral analogue environment were evaluated. The study used a multiple-probe variation of the multiple-baseline design (MBD) across participants. All participants demonstrated improvements in ability to demonstrate effective social problem-solving skills in analogue role-play assessments with live peers. Follow-up data at 3 and 6 week intervals indicated that participants maintained their gains over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Report of conference on an ideal training program for psychotherapists.

32 representatives of the fields of clinical psychology, social work, psychiatry, and psychoanalysis discussed a set of 14 working papers. The 3 principal preparations for psychotherapeutic practice today are psychiatric residency, doctoral and postdoctoral programs in clinical psychology, and social work school, plus supervised work in a social work agency. Each has valuable contributions to make. Several types of pilot plans for improved training were proposed as being worth trying. Several kinds of potential institutional settings for such programs were considered. Regarding curriculum, "there was unanimous agreement that supervised experience in doing psychotherapy was of primary importance." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessing program effects in the presence of treatment—baseline interactions: A latent curve approach.

Methods for assessing treatment effects of longitudinal randomized intervention are considered. The focus is on modeling the nonlinear relationship between treatment effects and baseline often observed in prevention programs designed for at-risk populations. Piecewise linear growth modeling was used to study treatment effects during the different periods of development. A multistep multiple-group analysis procedure is proposed for assessing treatment effects in the presence of nonlinear treatment-baseline interactions. Standard errors of the estimates from this multistep procedure were obtained using a bootstrap approach. The methods are illustrated using data from the Johns Hopkins Prevention Research Center involving an intervention aimed at improving classroom behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social isolation vs. interaction with adults in relation to aggression in preschool children.

"In an attempt to clarify the effects of social isolation on the motivations of the child, the aggressive behavior of 48 children in a 10-minute modified doll play situation was studied in relation to other experimental conditions of isolation and interaction with adult experimenters, order of conditions, sex of child, and sex of experimenter. The major findings were: (a) the children showed a significantly greater frequency of aggressive behavior in doll play preceded by isolation than in doll play preceded by interaction experience; (b) boys were more aggressive than girls." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An integrated components preventive intervention for aggressive elementary school children: The Early Risers program.

The Early Risers prevention program aims to alter the developmental trajectory of children with early onset aggressive behavior. The program features 4 CORE components: (a) an annual 6-week summer school program, (b) a teacher consultation and student mentoring program, (c) child social skills groups, and (d) parent education and skills-training groups, all delivered in tandem with a FLEX family support program individually tailored to address the unique needs of families. At baseline, the mean age of the sample was 6.6 years. Following 2 years of intervention, program children showed significant improvement relative to controls in academic achievement and school behaviors. Change on behavioral self-regulation was moderated by level of child aggression, with intervention effects found for only the most severely aggressive children. Parents with high program attendance rates showed improvement in discipline methods. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relative success of a self-help and a group-based memory training program for older adults.

This study evaluates self-help and group-based memory training programs to test for their differential impact on memory beliefs and performance. Self-help participants used a manual that presented strategies for name, story, and list recall and practice exercises. Matched content from that same manual was presented by the trainer in 2-hr weekly group sessions for the group-based trainees. Relative to a wait-list control group, most memory measures showed significant gains for both self-help and group-based training, with no significant training condition differences, and these gains were maintained at follow-up. Belief measures showed that locus of control was significantly higher for the self-help and group-based training than the control group; memory self-efficacy significantly declined for controls, increased for group-trained participants, and remained constant in the self-help group. Self-efficacy change in a self-help group may require more opportunities for interacting with peers and/or an instructor emphasizing one’s potential for memory change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social dominance in preschool classrooms.

The authors examined preschoolers' aggressive and cooperative behaviors and their associations with social dominance. First and as predicted, directly observed aggressive interactions decreased across the school year, and same-sex aggression occurred more frequently than cross-sex aggression. Next, the authors examined the relation between aggression and reconciliation, cooperation, and social display variables. Teacher ratings of children's aggression related to observed aggression but not to observed "wins" of aggressive bouts. Instead, wins were related to cooperation and display variables. Finally, they examined the relative power of wins and cooperation in predicting 2 measures of social dominance. After age was controlled, wins alone predicted teacher-rated social dominance. Results are discussed in terms of different forms of competition and how school ethos affects these forms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between peer-play interactions in the family context and dimensions of school readiness for low-income preschool children.

Relationships between parental report of children's peer play at home and indicators of children's school readiness were examined. Behavior ratings and observational data were collected for 242 preschool children from a large urban Head Start program. Relationships between children's home-based, peer-play behaviors and 4 measures of children's classroom behaviors (i.e., school-based peer play, approaches to learning, self-regulation, and behavior problems) were analyzed using bivariate correlational and multivariate methods. Play competencies exhibited in the home environment were significantly associated with prosocial behavior in the classroom, motivation to learn, task persistence, and autonomy. Disruptive or disconnected play behaviors were significantly related to patterns of disruptive and dysregulated experiences in the classroom with peers and with the learning process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Initial behavior outcomes for the PeaceBuilders universal school-based violence prevention program.

PeaceBuilders is a universal, elementary-school-based violence prevention program that attempts to alter the climate of a school by teaching students and staff simple rules and activities aimed at improving child social competence and reducing aggressive behavior. Eight matched schools (N > 4,000 students in Grades K-5) were randomly assigned to either immediate postbaseline intervention (PBI) or to a delayed intervention 1 year later (PBD). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze results from assessments in the fall and spring of 2 consecutive school years. In Year 1, significant gains in teacher-reported social competence for students in Grades K-2, in child self-reported peace-building behavior in Grades K-5, and reductions in aggressive behavior in Grades 3-5 were found for PBI but not PBD schools. Differential effects in Year 1 were also observed for aggression and prosocial behavior. Most effects were maintained in Year 2 for PBI schools, including increases in child prosocial behavior in Grades K-2. Implications for early universal school-based prevention and challenges related to evaluating large-scale prevention trials are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctoral dissertations in clinical training programs: 1948-1953.

An analysis of the distributions of doctoral dissertations by school as well as a breakdown in terms of area of study, e.g., general, experimental, theoretical, or personality and social processes, etc. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Up close and personal: An inside look at university training programs in school psychology.

This issue of Professional School Psychology marks the third in-depth presentation of a major school psychology training program. While reading these accounts of the development of graduate training programs, one raises the "what if" questions. Raising such questions highlights the complex nature of graduate program development. As we continue to present programs, we will attempt to look further for threads of similarity that connect these unique training settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accredited internship and postdoctoral programs for training in psychology: 2002.

This is the official listing of accredited internship and postdoctoral residency programs for training in psychology. It reflects all committee decisions through July 28, 2002. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developing an inpatient practicum program for patients with serious and persistent mental illness.

Training psychology students to treat patients with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) can provide an excellent opportunity for psychologists to help an historically disenfranchised and ignored population. With proper training, psychologists can play an important role in the development, provision, and administration of services to people with SPMI. We outline some of the issues to be considered in developing such a training program for practicum students, discuss the clinical skills and systemic issues that need to be mastered at the graduate level, and delineate the process by which this can be achieved in an inpatient, acute-care setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social justice in the training of professional psychologists: Moving forward.

The Special Section for Social Justice in Training of the journal for Training and Education in Professional Psychology adds to the growing social justice literature and offers advances in training. This article reflects on the main themes presented in the Special Section including the prevalent role of developmental perspectives, multiculturalism, implementation of learning through action, and organizational recommendations. Further, we highlight areas for additional consideration including the importance of examining values and assumptions of the profession, issues of power within training programs, the need to provide training in navigating and negotiating in systems, benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration, pragmatic and ethical issues in shifting to a social justice framework, and professional development needs of faculty and supervisors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Graduate training in clinical psychology: Student perspectives on selecting a program.

Although graduate programs in clinical psychology spend considerable energy and resources selecting students, there is limited information regarding the factors students consider important when they choose a training program. A review of recent literature found one study that looked at how first-year graduate students rated the importance of a number of factors in their decision-making process when selecting a clinical psychology training program (Walfish, Stenmark, Shealy, & Shealy, 1989). The current study extends this research by comparing reports from first-year graduate students enrolled in traditional “Boulder model” programs with those enrolled in professional “Vail model” programs. As part of a larger survey project, students answered questions about factors they considered important when they made decisions about applying to and selecting a graduate program to attend. Responses from students enrolled in traditional programs were compared with students attending professional programs. These differences are discussed, as well as their implications for program directors engaged in student recruitment and selection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social Effectiveness Therapy for Children: Three-Year Follow-Up.

This study reports the results of a 3-year follow-up assessment of children and adolescents diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (social phobia) and treated with Social Effectiveness Therapy for Children (SET-C), a comprehensive behavioral treatment program combining social skills training, peer generalization, and individualized exposure. Among 32 children initially treated with the protocol, 29 completed the follow-up assessment and were evaluated with a multidimensional assessment strategy, including self-report, parental report, clinician ratings, and behavioral assessment. Results indicated that the majority of posttreatment gains were maintained at 3-year follow-up, and 72% of treated children continued to be free of a social phobia diagnosis 3 years later. These findings support the long-term efficacy of SET-C for children and adolescents suffering from social phobia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social justice in practicum training: Competencies and developmental implications.

This article addresses the challenge in the predoctoral education of professional psychologists of providing practicum training experiences with a strong social justice focus while also ensuring that students are acquiring the full range of foundational competencies expected of practicing psychologists. The theory-based distinction between interactional, procedural, and distributive justice will be discussed as a framework for considering a developmental progression in practicum training, moving from individually focused skills to more advanced competencies emphasizing social/institutional change. The article concludes with aspirational recommendations for any academic program seriously committed to the pursuit of social justice as part of its training mission. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of training in verbal self-guidance on performance effectiveness in a MBA program.

The present field experiment examined the effects of training in verbal self-guidance (VSG) and a motivational intervention, goal setting, on the performance effectiveness of students in a MBA program. Performance effectiveness was assessed in terms of outcome (i.e., GPA) and behavioural (i.e., interpersonal skills) measures as well as a composite criterion (performance effectiveness). MBA students (n = 126) were randomly assigned to a 2 (VSG training/control) × 2 (goal setting/do your best) factorial design. The results revealed a main effect for VSG on performance effectiveness. There was an interaction effect such that participants who were trained in VSG and set goals had the highest level of performance effectiveness. A subsequent analysis revealed that the main effect for VSG on performance was spurious due to an ordinal interaction effect. Hence, VSG may be most effective when combined with goal setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)