Communication skills training for divorcees.

Examined the effects of a weekend training program in communication skills for divorced persons. 13 experimental Ss—5 males, 8 females 24–50 yrs old, separated for 1–24 mo—received 2 days of interpersonal skills training, while 14 control Ss—5 males, 9 females 25–50 yrs old, separated for 1–26 mo—received no training. After training, the experimentals increased their perceived level of social support and their self-disclosure and empathy skills significantly more than the controls. (9 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)     

When training with a partner is inferior to training alone: The importance of dyad type and interaction quality.

Dyad training, where trainees learn in pairs but ultimately perform individually, has been shown to be an effective method for training some skills. The effectiveness of this approach, however, may be tied to the type of task to be trained and the quality of the interaction in the dyad. We report two studies on the effectiveness of dyad training and the role of metacognitive activity for learning a software program. In Study 1, participants completed training alone or with a partner. Performance was assessed individually immediately after training and again after a 1-week nonuse interval. Results of Study 1 suggested that learning retention is superior when people are trained individually. Study 2 examined performance for individuals, task-switching dyads, and interdependent dyads. Results also showed that performance for individuals was superior to dyads and that the type of dyad collaboration did not affect performance. However, partner-prompted metacognitive activity was helpful for interdependent dyads and harmful for task-switching dyads, suggesting that the quality of collaboration varies by dyad type. Our findings suggest that dyad training may not be effective for all types of tasks. Possible boundary conditions for effective dyad training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characteristics predicting social functioning and treatment response in clients impaired by extreme shyness: Age of onset and the public/private shyness distinction.

52 adults that were functionally impaired by extreme shyness participated in an interview that assessed factors surrounding shyness onset, social functioning, strategies for coping with shyness, and behavioral skill in social interactions. 34 Ss then participated in an 8-wk behavioral treatment program that provided training in social skills. Ss reporting early onset also described their parents as shy, while Ss reporting later onset had a childhood history of emotional or physical abuse. Ss with observable behavioral deficits were more likely to benefit from the behavioral treatment program than were shy Ss with few overt symptoms. (French abstract) (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)     

Training adolescents in self-disclosure and empathy skills.

Conducted a study to develop, implement, and evaluate a communication skills training program for adolescent high school students. 25 students were given 16 hrs of training in the skills of self-disclosure and empathy, and 23 other students served as a contact control group and received no formal skills training. Ss completed both a behavioral and paper-and-pencil assessment prior to and immediately following training. Ss who received training demonstrated significantly higher self-disclosure and empathy skill levels than did the untrained Ss. Results are discussed in terms of the high skill level attained by Ss and the implications for training adolescents or younger populations in communication skills. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A social relations model of observed family negativity and positivity using a genetically informative sample.

The goal of this study was to investigate individual and relationship influences on expressions of negativity and positivity in families. Parents and adolescents were observed in a round-robin design in a sample of 687 families. Data were analyzed using a multilevel social relations model. In addition, genetic contributions were estimated for actor effects. Children showed higher mean levels of negativity and lower mean levels of positivity as actors than did parents. Mothers were found to express and elicit higher mean levels of positivity and negativity than fathers. Actor effects were much stronger than partner effects, accounting for between 18%–39% of the variance depending on the actor and the outcome. Genetic (35%) and shared environmental (19%) influences explained a substantial proportion of the actor effect variance for negativity. Dyadic reciprocities were lowest in dyads with a high power differential (i.e., parent–child dyads) and highest for dyads with equal power (sibling and marital dyads). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive mediators of aggression in adolescent offenders: II. Intervention.

A 12-session intervention program, based on a model of social–cognitive development, was designed to remediate cognitive factors identified as correlates of aggression (R. G. Slaby and N. G. Guerra; see record 1989-01839-001). 120 male and female adolescents incarcerated for aggression offenses participated in either the cognitive mediation training program, an attention control group, or a no-treatment group. Compared with Ss in both control groups, Ss in the treatment group showed increased skills in solving social problems, decreased endorsement of beliefs supporting aggression, and decreased aggressive, impulsive, and inflexible behaviors, as rated by staff. Posttest aggression was directly related to change in cognitive factors. No group differences were detected for number of parole violators up to 24 months after release. The ways in which changes in cognitive skills and beliefs may mediate changes in aggressive behavior are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tri-level service delivery: An alternative consultation model.

Presents an alternative model for delivering school consultative service. School psychologists provide consultative training and support to teacher consultants, who then become consultants to their teaching colleagues. All respondent groups perceived the knowledge base of teacher consultants favorably, particularly in areas of children's social–emotional functioning, special education placement guidelines, community resources, and consultative skills. Although consumers had a preference for indirect services, they also desired greater involvement of teacher consultants in direct intervention activities outside the classroom. Overall ratings of teacher consultants' skills and the program were high. Potential advantages of this model are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advancing videotape parent training: A comparison study.

This study examines the specific effects of adding a broader based, videotape treatment component (ADVANCE) to a basic videotape parent skills training program (GDVM). ADVANCE treatment trains parents to cope with interpersonal distress through improved communication, problem solving, and self-control skills. 78 families with a child diagnosed as oppositional-defiant or conduct-disordered were randomly assigned to either GDVM alone or GDVM plus ADVANCE. Parent reports of child adjustment and parent distress, assessment of child's knowledge of social skills, as well as independent observations of mother– and father–child interactions and communication and of problem solving between parents were obtained at pre- and post-GDVM and at post-ADVANCE. Both groups significantly improved at short-term follow-up. ADVANCE produced additional significant improvements in parents' communication, problem-solving skills, and consumer satisfaction, as well as children's increased knowledge of prosocial solutions. The clinical significance of these findings is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resistance-skills training and onset of alcohol use: Evidence for beneficial and potentially harmful effects in public schools and in private Catholic schools.

Recent research suggests that the success of social influence prevention programs is due to enhancing an adolescent's ability to resist passive social pressure (e.g., social modeling and overestimation of peer use), and is not due to teaching refusal skills for combating active social pressure (i.e, alcohol and drug offers). Using 4 waves of longitudinal data (collected in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades) from 11,995 students participating in the Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial, resistance-skills training was found to be an effective strategy for preventing the onset of alcohol use when program assumptions were met. However, a counterproductive effect was found for adolescents attending public school who received a resistance training only condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Skills training as treatment for juvenile delinquents.

Viewing skills deficits as parameters of juvenile offender dysfunctioning, and considering skills training as a treatment modality represent relatively new strategies for rehabilitation. Data from a police diversion project (the Dallas Police Department's Youth Services Program) are presented, indicating that levels of certain physical, emotional, and intellectual skills are related to rearrest recidivism for juvenile offenders. The results of providing skills training as a treatment program for both the juvenile offenders and their parents are presented, and implications for rehabilitation strategies are discussed. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parents as agents of career development.

This study tested the effectiveness of a program for parents to help their adolescent children in career planning. In a pretest–posttest control group design involving 20 families in the experimental group and 20 families as a wait-listed control group, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to test improvement on five variables concerned with parent–child relations and career development. The MANOVA yielded a significant effect for groups over time. Using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, four of five univariate tests were also significant. In addition, all parents and six adolescents were interviewed after the program to gain a qualitative assessment of program effectiveness. Interview data tended to support the varied degrees of improvement that the adolescents showed on the quantitative measures. It was concluded that parents can function effectively in fostering the career development of their children, when provided with a structured program that they can follow. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acquisition and transfer of empathy by the parents of early adolescents through structured learning training.

Measured the effectiveness of A. P. Goldstein's (1973) structured learning training (modeling, role playing, and social reinforcement) in teaching parents of adolescents to respond empathically to their children; also measured was the extent to which transfer of training occurs when adolescents participate in training with their parents. 37 mothers of 6th-8th graders volunteered to attend a minicourse on communication. The mothers were divided into 4 groups, including the control group. All groups except the control group received structured learning training in empathy; in 1 group the children did not participate, in a 2nd group the children participated separately, and in the 3rd group they participated with their parents. After 3 wks (6 hrs) of training, the treatment groups showed significantly more empathy. The closeness of the mean empathy scores on the behavioral measure to the scores on the written measure suggested that all 3 treatment groups transferred the skill they had learned. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment and training of role-taking and referential communication skills in institutionalized emotionally disturbed children.

Evaluated 125 institutionalized emotionally disturbed 8-15-yr-old children in terms of their role-taking and referential communication skills. On the basis of this screening process, the 48 Ss who performed most poorly on these measures were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 experimental training programs intended to remediate deficits in either role-taking or referential communication skills. As a group these institutionalized Ss were significantly delayed in the acquisition of both role taking and referential communication when compared with samples of their normal age-mates. Pre- and postintervention comparisons indicated that Ss of both experimental groups improved significantly in their role-taking ability. Ss of the communication training program also demonstrated significant improvement in referential communication skills. A 12-mo follow-up showed a trend for improvements in both test measures to be associated with improvements in social adjustment as rated by institutional staff. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early intervention for parents at risk of child abuse and neglect: A preliminary investigation.

An early intervention program for young parents and children who have been identified as being at risk of child maltreatment was evaluated. Thirty mother–child dyads were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) an information group offered by the child protection agency (which served as a control condition) or (b) a special program of behavioral parent training in addition to the agency group. Self-report measures indicated that significant improvements in parenting risk and child behavior problems at posttest and at 3-month follow-up were evident only for mothers who received parent training in addition to information groups. Home observation data were inconclusive, possibly due to the limited opportunities to observe behaviors of interest. Both groups showed improvements in their child-rearing environments and in their children's adaptive behaviors at follow-up. Caseworker ratings of clients' risks of maltreatment and abilities to manage their families at 1-year follow-up significantly favored the families who received parent training in addition to information. Methodological and treatment issues arising from this preliminary investigation of early intervention with diverse population of high-risk parents and children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social skills training for withdrawn unpopular children with physical disabilities: A preliminary evaluation.

Examined changes in self-concept, perceptions of support from close friends and classmates, and loneliness in 11 8.6–14.6 yr old withdrawn unpopular children with cerebral palsy or spina bifida who had been involved in a social skills training program. The program targeted 5 basic skills: interpersonal problem solving, verbal and nonverbal communication, initiating interactions with peers, conversational skills, and coping with difficult others. To assess the impact of the program, Ss were evaluated before the intervention, after the 10-wk intervention, and at a 6-mo follow-up. Findings indicate that group social skills training may be effective in decreasing feelings of loneliness and increasing perceptions of social acceptance in children who are withdrawn and unpopular at school. Ss' feelings of loneliness were associated with lower ratings of social acceptance and lower ratings of classmate support. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Frictional forces when rectangular guiding arches with varying edge bevel are employed

PURPOSE: This study tested social skills training (SST), didactic training (DT), and no training (NT) on adolescents' social skills for resisting peer pressure to engage in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and pregnancy risk behavior. METHODS: A total of 307 Latino and Anglo youth ages 13-18 years were assigned at random to receive 18 h of SST, 18 h of DT, or NT. RESULTS: Significantly (p < 0.05) greater increases in assertiveness followed SST compared to DT or NT for three trained skills: condom negotiation, asking a friend about their sex/drug history, and discussing a friend's risk of AIDS. Untrained negotiation skills (e.g., purchasing a condom) did not increase significantly. SST did not result in increased assertiveness for refusal skills. DT increased knowledge of AIDS significantly more than SST; both DT and SST increased knowledge significantly more than NT. CONCLUSIONS: Social skills training can increase assertiveness for certain negotiation skills that may decrease risk of AIDS for Latino, Anglo, and male and female adolescents. Both DT and SST can increase knowledge of AIDS prevention. Differences between experimental groups were supported by differences between trained and untrained skills within the SST condition, adding to discriminant validity.     

Effect of social skills training groups and social skills bibliotherapy with psychiatric patients.

The effectiveness of a systematic social skills group training program was compared to both a bibliotherapy program group and a typical hospital treatment control group (10 18–56 yr old patients per group). Assessment instruments included self-report (Rathus Assertiveness Schedule), observational, and in vivo measures. Results on the observational measure show that the skills training group improved significantly more than the control group, and this difference was maintained at follow-up. The skills group also showed superior improvement on the self-report measure. Results fail to demonstrate the efficacy of bibliotherapy. Findings concerning generalization of social skills group treatment effectiveness were encouraging in that 2 of 3 measures employed to test for generalization showed significant effects. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)