The improvement of social or interpersonal skills of disruptive adolescents increasingly concerns educators in the public schools where cost-effectiveness is a major issue. A group-oriented social skills training program (combined experimental and comparison groups total over 500 students) is described across three diverse settings in urban, suburban, and rural junior high schools. The research is related according to the objectives defined for each setting, the specific curriculum that resulted from these objectives, the means by which both cognitive and behavioral features of the program were implemented, and the measures that were applied for assessment of effects. Problems encountered in program development, conduct, and evaluation are highlighted. Program results indicate both short- and long-range cognitive and behavioral change across a number of obtrusive and unobtrusive measures. Several implications of these efforts and findings are noted for the further development and conduct of cost-effective social skills training in the schools.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Baldwin, A.Social Learning. In F. N. Kerlinger (Ed.), Review of research in education. Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock Publishers, Inc., 1973.
2.
Bandura, A.Principles of behavior modification. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1969.
3.
Barrish, H. H.Saunders, M. , & Wolf, M. M.Good behavior game: Effects of individual contingencies for group consequences on disruptive behavior in a classroom. Journal of Applied Behavior Ana/Isis, 1969, 2, 119-124.
4.
Becker, W. C. , Madsen, C. H., Jr., Arnold, C. R., & Thomas, D. R.The contingent use of teacher attention and praise in reducing classroom behavior problems. The Journal of Special Education, 1967, 1, 287-307.
5.
Berman, M. L.Instructions and behavior change: A taxonomy . Exceptional Children, 1973. 39. 644-650.
6.
Blos, P.On adolescence. New York: The Free Press of Glencoe, 1961.
7.
Brown, P. , & Elliott, R.Control of aggression in a nursery school class. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1965, 2, 103-107.
8.
Burchard, J. D. , & Harig, P. T.Behavior modification and juvenile delinquency. In H. Leitenberg (Ed.), Handbook of behavior modification and behavior therapy. Engle-wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1976.
9.
Darch, C. , & Thorpe, H.The principal game: A group consequence procedure to increase classroom on-task behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 1977, 14, 341-347.
10.
Devereaux, E. C.The role of peer group experience in moral development. ln J. P. Hill (Ed.), Minnesota symposia on child psychology, (Vol. 4). Minneapolis, MN: The University of Minnesota Press, 1970.
11.
Drabman, R. S. , Spitalnik, R., & O'Leary, K. D.Teaching self control to disruptive children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1973, 82, 10-16.
12.
Frederiksen, L. W. , Jenkins, J. O., Foy, D. W., & Eisler, R. M.Social skills training to modify abusive verbal outbursts in adults. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1976, 9, 117-125.
13.
Filipczak, J. , Storm, R., & Breiling, J.Programming for disruptive and low-achieving students: An experimental in-school alternative. Journal of International Association of Pupil Personnel Workers, 1973, 17, 38-42.
14.
Filipczak, J. , Friedman, R. M., & Reese, S. C.PREP: Educational programming to prevent juvenile problems. In J. S. Stumphauzer (Ed.), Progress in behavior therapy with delinquents. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 1979.
15.
Friedman, R. M. , Filipczak, J., & Fiordaliso, R.Within-school generalization of the Preparation through Responsive Educational Programs (PREP) academic project. Behavior Therapy. 1977, 8, 986-995.
16.
Graubard, P. S. , Rosenberg, H., & Miller, M. B.Student applications of behavior modification to teachers and environment or ecological approaches to social deviancy. In E.A. Ramp & B. L. Hopkins (Eds.), A newt direction for education: Behavior analysis1971 (Vol. 1). Lawrence: University of Kansas Press.
17.
Hall, R. V. , Fox. R., Willard, D., Goldsmith, L., Emerson, M., Owen, M., Davids, F., & Porcia, E.The teacher as observer and experimenter in the modification of disputing and talking out behaviors. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1971. 4, 141-149.
18.
Liberman, R. P. , King, L. W., DeRisi, W. J., & McCann, M. J.Personal effectiveness: Guiding people to assert their, feelings and improve their social skills. Champaign, IL: Research Press, 1976.
19.
Minkin, N. , Braukman, C., Minkin, B., Timbers, G., Timbers, B., Fixsen, D., Phillips, E., & Wolf, M.The social validating and training of conversational skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1976, 9, 127-139.
20.
O'Connor, R. D.Modification of social withdrawal through symbolic modeling . Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1969, 2, 15-22.
21.
Office of Education, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare . Delinquency and the schools. In The President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, Task Forc e Report: Juvenile delinquency and youth crime. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967.
22.
Parish, T.The enhancement of altruistic behaviors in children through implementation of language conditioning procedures . Behavior Modification, 1977, 1, 395-404.
23.
Patterson, G. R.Interventions for boys with conduct problems: Multiple settings, treatments, and criteria . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1974, 42, 471-481.
24.
Reid, H. P. , Archer, M. B., & Friedman, R. M.Using the Personalized System of Instruction with low-reading-ability middle school students: Problems and results. Journal of Personalized Instruction, 1977, 2, 199-203.
25.
Research for Better Schools, Inc.Social encounter and research curriculum for humanization. Philadelphia: Research for Better Schools, 1974.
26.
Rose, S.Teaching children in a group. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1973.
27.
Sherman, J. A.Imitation and language development. In H. Reese (Ed.), Advances in child development and behavior (Vol. 6). New York: Academic Press, 1971.
28.
Sigal, J. , Braverman, S., Pilon, R., & Baker, P.Effects of teacher-led, curriculum integrated sensitivity training in a large high school. Journal of Educational Research, 1976, 70, 3-9.
29.
Zimmerman, B. J. , & Pike, E. O.Effects of modeling and reinforcement on the acquisition and generalization of question-asking behavior. Child Development, 1972, 43, 892-907.
