This study measured the effects of social skills training on the development of positive and neutral verbal statements by maladjusted adolescents at a northeast American vocational high school. A single subject research paradigm was used. A set of cognitive behavioral procedures, including self management, presentation of a rationale, positive reinforcement of alternative responses, modeling, practice and feedback were used to develop positive and neutral verbal statements over a seven week training period. There were three additional maintenance weeks. The social and behavioral effects of this social skill training on the five experimental subjects were then compared to the five control subjects. Before treatment, experimental subjects were presented with an oral formal rationale. This included information that helped them decide whether to accept participation in this study. A longitudinal time line design was used to assess direct and collateral behavior change. The most notable among the changes in behavior was the dramatic reduction in detentions by four of the five experimental subjects. There were no further suspensions by any experimental subject after treatment. Also, teachers rated these experimental subjects higher in co-operation, constructiveness, and rapport with peers. Other measures used did not yield significant results. These were the Hahnemann High School Rating Scale, sociometric measures of social attractiveness, self rating scales of perceived mental health and happiness, and Semantic Differential factor scores for four different concepts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UMASS/oai:scholarworks.umass.edu:dissertations-7321 |
| Date | 01 January 1986 |
| Creators | RIGNEY, J. MELINDA |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst |
| Source Sets | University of Massachusetts, Amherst |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest |
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