NCJ Number
69649
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1980) Pages: 320-327
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The effectiveness of role playing and didactic discussion in improving self-esteem and interpersonal skills is tested on 43 inmates of two Canadian minimum security institutions.
Abstract
The male subjects (median age 17 years) were divided into three treatment groups: (1) the role-playing group, (2) the didactic discussion group, and (3) the control group whose discussions were unrelated to interpersonal skills. The treatment program consisted of four 90-minute group sessions over a 2-week period. Several weeks prior to treatment and again at the end of the first and fifth posttreatment weeks, the subjects completed self-report scales (i.e., Berger's Acceptance of Self and Others Scale, the Self-Esteem Inventory). In the same period, pairs of officers from each institution completed Behavior Rating Scales for each of the subjects. The statistical analysis of behavior ratings and attitudinal measures indicated significant effects in favor of role-playing techniques as compared to the other treatment forms. In the behavior ratings, the role-playing effects were evident by the first posttreatment week and maintained at the fifth-week posttest. Significant effects on self-esteem and acceptance of self were clearly visible by the end of the fifth week. The other treatment methods failed to show significant success in either scale. The relative failure of the didactic discussion may be tied to two factors: the complexity of the target behaviors and low initial levels of interpersonal functioning. Although the sensitivity of the experiment was reduced by an administratively motivated loss of clients, the results support the use of role playing in short-term interpersonal skills training. The study includes graphs and 14 references. A summary in French is provided.