Date of Award
12-1998
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. John S. Geisler
Second Advisor
Dr. Judy Halseth
Third Advisor
Dr. Suzanne Hedstrom
Abstract
This research investigates the effect of social skills training on 46 first-time adjudicated males, ages 13 through 15 and placed on traditional probation. The independent variable was the type of group. Three types of groups were conducted: Group I (youth who received social skills training with their parents or guardians), Group II (youth who received social skills training without parents’ or guardians’ participation), and Group III (a control group of youth who did not receive social skills training). The dependent variable was the Jesness Inventory scales and subscales scores, and the type of offenses (status, misdemeanor, and felony). The research design used to assess changes in behavior was the three-group pretest, posttest 1 and posttest 2 design, with testing occurring at the beginning of placement into each group (pretest), 11 weeks later (posttest 2) and 11 weeks after the posttest 2 date or when a youth was discharged from probation (which ever came first). The data obtained for this study were analyzed in two ways: (1) A one-way analysis of variance was used to assess the mean number of offenses (status, misdemeanor, and felony) committed by members of all three groups to evaluate the initial mean differences among groups; and (2) the repeated measures analysis of variance assessed time/group interaction for mean number of offenses (status, misdemeanor and felony) and the Jesness Inventory scales and subscales scores. The significance level of this study was set at .05. Results for the initial pretest showed that groups were homogeneous. Results for the repeated measures analysis of variance could not reject the null hypotheses; no significant changes in behavior (as measured by the Jesness Inventory and recidivism) occurred. Some explanations are offered to account for the absence of significant results.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Bailey, Kathleen A., "The Effects of Social Skills Training and Reciprocal Social Skills Training with Parent/Guardian(s) on Behavior and Recidivism of First Time Adjuncted Youth" (1998). Dissertations. 1543.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1543