Research has supported the use of the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) program when working with families; how-ever, minimal attention has been given to the attrition issue. Given that STEP has been shown to be effective, there is a definite need to identify characteristics of those individuals who are likely to terminate prematurely. A study was conducted comprising 221 subjects to investigate the predictive power of the Basic Adlerian Scales for Interpersonal Success-Adult Form (BASIS-A) in relation to attrition in parenting groups. Results from the study indicated the attrition rate to be higher with individuals who had elevated scores on the Entitlement scale on the BASIS-A than individuals who do not have elevated scores.

The purpose of this study was to test whether financial incentives could account for some of the missing variance in previous studies on attrition in parenting education programs. Participating in the study were 79 parents with students in a suburban public school in the southeastern United States. The experimental group consisted of 42 participants who would receive financial reimbursement if they met the criteria for successful completion of the 10-week course. The classes for the control group were conducted in the same manner but with no financial incentives for completing the course. The results indicated that 61% of the participants did not qualify as completing the program, whereas 39% did complete the program. This study found no significant effects for the use of financial incentives.

Family therapy can be used as an effective intervention to help alcoholic mothers and their children. The Adlerian approach to family therapy views the alcoholic family as discouraged, and treatment strategies are designed to increase the social interest of the mother as well as to increase her parenting skills. A case study is presented of an alcoholic mother who has an only child in a residential treatment center. In birth order dynamics, the only child has a tendency to be overly responsible or “parentified.” The family therapist capitalized on this trait by introducing parenting material to the child and encouraging the child to present this information to his mother through various role-plays. The mother actively participated in the sessions, thus increasing her knowledge of responsible parenting and building her self-esteem.

Two studies were conducted to examine the territorial behavior of Blacks and Whites who were intruded on while drinking at a water fountain. In the first study, an experiment, there was a significant interaction of intrusion and race of drinker: White subjects left faster when intruded on by a White confederate than when not intruded on, whereas Black subjects stayed longer when intruded on by a White confederate than when not intruded on. In the second study, observations of same-race and cross-race intrusions revealed that cross-race intruders waited significantly longer before intruding than did same-race intruders, and drinkers stayed significantly longer after intrusions by cross-race than by same-race intruders.