Teaching personal safety skills for potential prevention of sexual abuse: A comparison of treatments.

71 children from 2 grade groups (kindergarten and 1st grade and 5th and 6th grades) participated in either (a) a filmed program ("Touch"; Illusion Theater Co. & Media Ventures, Inc., 1984); (b) a behavioral skills training (BST) program in which modeling, behavioral rehearsal, and social reinforcement were used to teach safety skills; (c) a combination of the two; or (d) a no-treatment control presentation. In comparison with the control presentation, the BST program, alone or in combination with the film, was more effective than the film alone in enhancing knowledge about sexual abuse. Posttreatment group comparisons suggested the superiority of the BST program for enhancing personal safety skills. The treatments were not differentially effective across gender or age, but older Ss performed significantly better than did younger Ss. The knowledge and skill gains made directly after treatment were maintained for the 3 mo between posttest and follow-up assessments. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral weight-loss intervention at the worksite: Feasibility and maintenance.

Investigated the feasibility of conducting a behavioral weight-loss program at the worksite and evaluated the effectiveness of a structured-maintenance training protocol. A total of 133 20–60 yr olds in 3 groups completed a 10-wk behavioral treatment program. The treatment program included organizational behavior modification techniques in addition to traditional small-group behavior-therapy procedures for weight control. After treatment, 2 groups received a 4-session structured-maintenance program, and 1 group served as a nonspecific (contact time) control. Follow-ups were conducted at 3 and 6 mo. Although attrition rates were high, the results indicate that the 3 groups lost a significant amount of weight during the 18 wks of treatment plus maintenance training. There were no differential effects of either weight loss or attrition among the 3 groups over the course of treatment or maintenance. Comparison of the structured- vs nonspecific-maintenance training groups at 3- and 6-mo follow-up indicates that the structured training group maintained their weight loss significantly better than the nonspecific control group. Results are interpreted to be consistent with the hypothesis that the skills required to lose weight are different from skills necessary to maintain weight loss over time. Although behavioral weight-loss programs at the worksite appear feasible, high attrition remains a significant problem. Results are discussed in terms of cost-effectiveness of worksite weight-loss intervention and directions for future research. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training managers to minimize rating errors in the observation of behavior.

Assigned 60 managers in a large corporation to a workshop, a group discussion, or a control group. The workshop and group discussion involved training directed toward the elimination of rating errors that occur in performance appraisal and selection interviews (i.e., contrast effects, halo effect, similarity, and first impressions.) 6 mo after the training, Ss rated hypothetical candidates who were observed on videotape. Results show that (a) trainees in the control group committed similarity, contrast, and halo errors; (b) trainees in the group discussion committed impression errors; and (c) trainees in the workshop committed none of the errors. The importance of observer training for minimizing the "criterion problem" in industrial psychology is discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of knowledge of social learning principles on enhancing treatment outcome and generalization in a parent training program.

Examined the efficacy of incorporating formal training in social learning principles into a behavioral parent training program as a means of enhancing treatment outcome and generalization. Two groups of parents (n?=?20) received behavioral skill training designed to modify child noncompliance. One group also received formal training in social learning principles throughout the program. Children had a mean age of 61.75 mo. Outcome measures collected prior to and after treatment and at a 2-mo follow-up included home observations by independent observers, parents' perceptions of child adjustment, and a parent consumer-satisfaction measure. Results indicate that after treatment, the group receiving social learning principles tended to perceive their children as better adjusted and tended to be more satisfied with treatment. At follow-up, parents in this group perceived their children as better adjusted and rewarded their children more. Furthermore, their children were significantly more compliant. Results suggest that temporal and setting generality are enhanced by the inclusion of social learning principles into parent training procedures. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A close look at conflictual supervisory relationships: The trainee's perspective.

In a qualitative study of negative supervision, 13 master's and doctoral trainees were interviewed about a supervision experience that had a detrimental effect on their training. Many supervisors were described as not being invested in the relationship and as being unwilling to own their role in conflicts. Many trainees described being overworked without proper supervision, some felt expected to support their supervisors, and many underwent extreme stress and self-doubt. Most participants reported ongoing power struggles with angry supervisors, and most relied on peers, other professionals, and therapists for support. Qualitative themes were consistent with trainees' high scores on the Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Inventory (M.E. Olk & M.L. Friedlander, 1992) and with their low ratings of their supervisors' attractiveness and interpersonal sensitivity on the Supervisory Styles Inventory (M.L. Friedlander & L.G. Ward, 1984). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design of a short-term training program in group facilitation skills.

Describes the program's 3 goals: having trainees develop as a group and examine their own group process, acquiring knowledge about issues in group dynamics, and learning group leadership skills. Feedback exercises to help trainees develop as a group and exercises that focus on conceptual issues in group dynamics are described briefly. The leadership skill, which is emphasized in training, is making interventions in an ongoing group. In a 4-stage process, trainees practice intervening in situations that successively approximate an actual group. A 3-dimensional model for viewing and evaluating interventions is also presented. The training program is intended for use with paraprofessionals or with prepracticum students in professional training programs. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inservice training for clinical supervisors.

Clinical supervisors have had to rely heavily on their training as psychotherapists to meet their responsibilities as supervisors. A 2-day training program in supervision skills designed to broaden the repertoire and enhance the professional development of practicing supervisors is described. The training laboratory is divided into 3 parts: (a) examination of baseline supervisor behaviors, with particular attention given to focus and role; (b) presentation of 4 distinct models of supervision (Discrimination, Interpersonal Process Recall, Microtraining, and Live Supervision); and (c) training in ethical/legal issues, which includes evaluation, emergency situations, and ethical and/or legal dilemmas. The in-service training program is designed to give participants an opportunity to practice the skills presented. Furthermore, an attempt is made to integrate the laboratory materials so that the supervisor is trained to use different behaviors discriminately. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relocation of institutionalized elderly.

20 low- and 20 high-functioning nursing home residents (aged 37–88 yrs) were assessed prior to, immediately after, and 3 mo following relocation. Measures included the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale, and Face Hand Test. Half of the low-functioning Ss participated in a behavioral skills program, which consisted of graduated exposure to postmove stimuli and behavioral response training. Half of the high-functioning Ss participated in a cognitive skills program, which consisted of coping skills and problem-solving skills training. The influence of relocation proved to be less dramatic than indicated by several earlier investigations. As hypothesized, low-functioning Ss exhibited an increase in passive-withdrawn behaviors following relocation. High-functioning Ss, however, unexpectedly tended to exhibit an increase in active-outgoing behavior following relocation. Although the behavioral skills program overall led to favorable postrelocation changes, the cognitive skills program did not. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctoral students' comparative evaluations of best and worst psychotherapy supervision.

68 male and 74 female advanced clinical and counseling psychology graduate students from 37 programs completed questionnaires comparing their best and worst supervisory experiences in terms of context, personal attributes of the supervisor, and specific interactional aspects. Results indicate that quality of supervision was not related to self-reported intellectual or emotional resources of trainees; training site; population serviced; or the gender, experience, sociability, or primary career activity of the supervisor. The best discriminators of quality were perceived expertise and trustworthiness of the supervisor, duration of training, and an emphasis on personal growth issues over the teaching of technical skills. Highly regarded supervisors were psychodynamic as opposed to behavioral, established supportive relationships, and communicated expectations and feedback clearly. Sexist behavior and authoritarian treatment were particularly detrimental to quality of supervision. These differences were not mediated by prior experience, gender, or theoretical orientation of the respondents. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of programs for teaching personal safety skills to preschoolers.

We compared the relative effectiveness of two educational approaches for teaching personal safety skills with 100 preschoolers. A behavioral skills training program was compared with a feelings-based program, which instructs children to trust their feelings when making safety decisions. Children's abilities to discriminate between appropriate- and inappropriate-touch requests, their prevention skills, and levels of emotional distress were assessed before, immediately, and one month after program participation. Parents and teachers were surveyed regarding children's reactions. Compared with a control presentation, both programs were effective in enhancing children's knowledge and prevention skills without making them fearful, suggesting that preschool children can benefit from such programs. However, children in the feelings-based program had difficulty recognizing the appropriateness of certain touch requests, suggesting that this approach may have limited utility with preschool-age children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of training in procedural justice on perceptions of disciplinary fairness by unionized employees and disciplinary subject matter experts.

A training program, based on procedural justice theory, was developed for teaching supervisors to take effective disciplinary action with employees. Canadian supervisors of unionized employees were randomly assigned to the training (n?=?35) or the control group (n?=?36). Analyses of variance revealed that both supervisory self-efficacy and outcome expectancies were significantly higher in the training than in the control conditions. Following simulated role-play exercises derived from organizational incidents, both unionized employees and disciplinary subject matter experts (managers, union officials, and attorneys) rated the trained supervisors higher on disciplinary fairness behavior than the supervisors in the control group. Self-efficacy was found to mediate the relationship between training and perceptions of disciplinary fairness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The counsellor trainee as client: Client process as a predictor of counselling skill acquisition.

This study was based on C. R. Rogers's (1951) proposition that openness to and expressiveness of inner experiencing relates to the individual's ability to be sensitive to and acceptant of others. 34 participants in a human relations training program were first interviewed by experienced therapists. The Ss' capacities to process themselves as clients were assessed by use of an experiencing scale developed by E. T. Gendlin and E. M. Tomlinson (1961), and a process measure of this scale was used as a predictor of counseling skill acquisition during the program. It was found that there was no relationship between the predictor and skill acquisition during the initial phase of the training program. However, between the middle and final phase of the program, the High Mode Experiencing Ss sustained their facilitative communication despite a shift of training focus to action-oriented skills, whereas the facilitative communication of the Low Mode Experiencing Ss deteriorated during this period. It is concluded that the capacity to process themselves as clients may have little bearing on whether or not trainees can achieve low levels of facilitative functioning when these skills are explicitly addressed. However, this variable may have considerable bearing on the extent to which trainees can maintain the empathic attitude while extending their total range of functioning. (French abstract) (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual behavior between clinical supervisors and trainees: Implications for professional standards.

Comments that sexual behavior between clinical supervisors and trainees presents a challenge to professional psychology. At least 4 areas need attention: the prevalence and nature of such sexual contact, its effects on clinical training, ethical implications, and the potential legal liability of supervisors who engage in sexual intimacies with trainees. The extent to which sexual behavior in the supervisory relationship may have negative effects on the teaching and learning of professional skills remains unknown until it becomes a legitimate subject of research and discussion. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of behavioral versus traditional procedures for increasing job interview skills.

A job interview skills workshop model based on behavioral procedures such as modeling, role playing, and directed feedback was compared with the traditional lecture-discussion group approach. 45 college seniors were randomly assigned to a behavioral, discussion, or no-treatment control group. Ss participated in a videotaped, simulated job interview prior to and following each workshop. Results from 1 self-report and 8 behavioral measures indicate that the behavioral group made significant gains in percentage of eye contact maintained during the interview. The discussion group was found to be superior to the behavioral and control groups in ratings of ability to explain individual skills and expression of feelings and personal opinions relevant to the interview. Also the discussion group was found to result in a significant increase in length of speaking. A model of combining the most effective components of the behavioral and discussion groups is presented as offering the most promising approach to job interview skills training. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of learning processes during critical incident training: Implications for the development of adaptable trainees.

Three experiments are reported that examined the process by which trainees learn decision-making skills during a critical incident training program. Formal theories of category learning were used to identify two processes that may be responsible for the acquisition of decision-making skills: rule learning and exemplar learning. Experiments 1 and 2 used the process dissociation procedure (L. L. Jacoby, 1998) to evaluate the contribution of these processes to performance. The results suggest that trainees used a mixture of rule and exemplar learning. Furthermore, these learning processes were influenced by different aspects of training structure and design. The goal of Experiment 3 was to develop training techniques that enable trainees to use a rule adaptively. Trainees were tested on cases that represented exceptions to the rule. Unexpectedly, the results suggest that providing general instruction regarding the kinds of conditions in which a decision rule does not apply caused them to fixate on the specific conditions mentioned and impaired their ability to identify other conditions in which the rule might not apply. The theoretical, methodological, and practical implications of the results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inosine 5''-monophosphate dehydrogenase from sarcoma 180 cells-substrate and inhibitor specificity

Navy recruits, all 51 volunteers for a preliminary underwater demolition team (UDT) training program, were followed through 4 weeks of training; 27 men passed and 24 failed the training course. Serum uric acid and serum cholesterol levels, as well as psychological moods data were collected on all volunteers at the start of training and at the end of each of the four training weeks. Men who passed training were compared to those who failed. In addition, these same measures were carried out with a control group of 66 naval recruits. Pre-UDT trainees who passed the program demonstrated high levels of positive moods, early peaks in serum uric acid level, and stable serum cholesterol levels throughout training. These findings supported previous work with successful UDT trainees. Pre-UDT trainees who failed the program demonstrated intermediate levels of positive moods, a midtraining period peak in serum uric acid, and a significant rise in serum cholesterol during the final 2 weeks of the course. The serum cholesterol rise seen during a period shortly prior to failure substantiates previous findings. A comparison group showed low levels of positive moods, an initial peak in serum uric acid, and stable serum cholesterol levels. Two mood scales had siginificant correlations with serum uric acid for only men who passed training. A motivation scale, given at the start of training, correlated with serum uric acid levels for men who failed training.     

A controlled evaluation of behavior modification with conduct problem children.

Evaluated a behavioral intervention program for conduct problem children with both behavioral and academic difficulties in elementary school. 16 Ss were each assigned to either a treatment or a "no-contact" control group. A standardized 20-hr treatment program involving the child, parents, and the teacher was provided by clinical psychologists. Both observational recordings and teacher ratings of social and academic behavior demonstrated that significantly greater behavioral improvement had occurred for treated than for control children. However, at a 9-mo follow-up, the control group had improved sufficiently that these differences were no longer significant. Although no differences existed between treated and untreated children in achievement test performance (California Achievement Test) or grades at termination, follow-up revealed that the treated Ss had significantly better achievement scores and grades 9 mo after termination. Ratings of therapists by teachers and parents were uniformly positive, and there were no dropouts during the 3-4 mo course of treatment. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping modeling problem solving versus mastery modeling: Effects on adherence, in-session process, and skill acquisition in a residential parent-training program.

This trial compared 2 approaches used to introduce parenting skills in a residential staff training program. 50 staff were randomly assigned to mastery modeling in which videotaped models demonstrated new skills, coping modeling problem solving (CMPS) in which participants formulated their own solutions to the errors depicted by videotaped models, or a waiting-list control group. In both approaches, leaders used modeling, role playing, and homework projects to promote mastery and transfer of new skills. The skills of all groups improved, but CMPS participants attended more sessions, were late to fewer sessions, completed more homework, engaged in more cooperative in-session interaction, rated the program more positively, and reported higher job accomplishment scores. These data suggest that CMPS allowing participants to formulate their own solutions may enhance adherence and reduce the resistance observed in more didactic programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decrease of insulin resistance after splenectomy in a diabetic patient with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Physiopathologic evaluation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a course in physical diagnosis on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of internal medicine trainees. DESIGN: A controlled, prospective assignment of housestaff to a year-long curricular program, linked to a set of pre- and posttests. Houseofficers who could not attend the teaching sessions functioned as control subjects. SETTING: An internal medicine training program at an urban medical school. SUBJECTS: 56 (86.1%) of 65 eligible internal medicine housestaff (post-graduate years 1 through 3) participated in the intervention and assessment. A comparison group of 14 senior medical students participated in the pretest. INTERVENTION: 12 monthly lectures emphasizing skills useful in emergencies or validated by the literature. MEASUREMENTS: The pre- and posttests included: 1) a multiple-choice questionnaire to assess knowledge; 2) professional standardized patients to assess selected skills; and 3) Likert-type questionnaires to assess self-motivated learning and attitude toward diagnosis not based on technology. MAIN RESULTS: The residents expressed interest in the program and on a six-point scale rated the usefulness of lectures and standardized patients as 3.5 +/- 1.3 and 4.3 +/- 1, respectively. For no system tested, however, did they achieve more than 55.2% correct answers (range: 24.2%-55.2%, median = 41.04), and their performance did not differ from that of the fourth-year medical students. There was no significant difference in pre/posttest improvement between the control and intervention groups. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the deficiencies of physical diagnostic skills and knowledge among physicians in training. These deficiencies were not corrected by the classroom lecture series. Improvement in these skills may require a more intense experiential program made part of residency requirements.     

Can training in a real-time strategy video game attenuate cognitive decline in older adults?

Declines in various cognitive abilities, particularly executive control functions, are observed in older adults. An important goal of cognitive training is to slow or reverse these age-related declines. However, opinion is divided in the literature regarding whether cognitive training can engender transfer to a variety of cognitive skills in older adults. In the current study, the authors trained older adults in a real-time strategy video game for 23.5 hr in an effort to improve their executive functions. A battery of cognitive tasks, including tasks of executive control and visuospatial skills, were assessed before, during, and after video-game training. The trainees improved significantly in the measures of game performance. They also improved significantly more than the control participants in executive control functions, such as task switching, working memory, visual short-term memory, and reasoning. Individual differences in changes in game performance were correlated with improvements in task switching. The study has implications for the enhancement of executive control processes of older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)