NCJ Number
58095
Journal
COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 285-288
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE APPLICABILITY OF COGNITIVE SELF-GUIDANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNALIZED SELF-CONTROL IN JUVENILE DELINQUENTS IS TESTED.
Abstract
ONE GROUP RECEIVED COGNITIVE SELF-GUIDANCE TRAINING ON KAGAN'S MATCHING FAMILIAR FIGURES TEST. AN ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP, WHICH RECEIVED NONSPECIFIC TRAINING ON THE MFF AND AN ASSESSMENT-CONTROL GROUP WERE ALSO EMPLOYED. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE COGNITIVE SELF-GUIDANCE GROUP WOULD PERFORM BETTER THAN THE OTHER GROUPS ON THE MFF, THAT EFFECTS WOULD GENERALIZE TO A PICTURE ARRANGEMENT TASK; AND THAT THE ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP WOULD PERFORM BETTER THAN THE ASSESSMENT-CONTROL GROUP ON BOTH TASKS. GENERALIZATION OF EFFECTS TO A DELAY-OF-GRATIFICATION TASK WAS ALSO ASSESSED. THE SUBJECTS WERE 15 MALES AND 15 FEMALES FROM A MEDIUM-SECURITY FACILITY FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENTS. IN THE FIRST SESSION OF THE TEST, ALL SUBJECTS WERE GIVEN PREASSESSMENT MEASURES CONSISTING OF ODD-NUMBERED ITEMS FROM THE MFF AND THE WISC PICTURE ARRANGEMENT SUBTEST, AND A DELAY-OF-GRATIFICATION MEASURE INVOLVING CHOICES OF IMMEDIATE OR DELAYED BUT MORE VALUABLE ITEMS. IN THE SECOND SESSION, THE SUBJECTS IN THE COGNITIVE SELF-GUIDANCE GROUP WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS IN WHICH THEY WERE TOLD THEY WOULD BE RECEIVING TRAINING DESIGNED TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR SCHOOL WORK. AN EXPECTANCY TEST DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE SUBJECT FELT TRAINING WAS EFFECTIVE WAS ADMINISTERED. THE SUBJECTS IN THE ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP WERE GIVEN THE SAME GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND EXPECTANCY SCALE. THE SUBJECTS IN THE ASSESSMENT CONTROL GROUP WERE GIVEN ONLY THE PRE- AND POSTASSESSMENT MEASURES. RESULTS OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT TRAINING SUBJECTS TO MONITOR THEIR OWN BEHAVIOR ON THE MFF DOES INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR ON SUBSEQUENT MFF TESTING. IN THE REPORTED STUDY, THE COGNITIVE SELF-GUIDANCE GROUP'S PERFORMANCE IMPROVED SIGNIGICANTLY MORE THAN BOTH CONTROL GROUPS ON ONLY ONE MEASURE, PICTURE ARRANGEMENT SCORE. THE FAILURE TO FIND SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TREATMENT AND THE ATTENTION CONTROL GROUP MAY BE A FUNCTION OF THE FACT THAT THE MFF WAS UTILIZED AS BOTH AN ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING TASK. A MORE GENERAL EXPLANATION MIGHT BE THE NATURE OF THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO THE ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP, WHICH CAN BE THOUGHT OF MINIMAL MODELING CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE SUBJECTS' IMPROVED PERFORMANCE IS A DIRECT RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO BASIC PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (STB)