The initial outcomes and current directions of a research and treatment program focusing upon Structured Learning Therapy (SLT) are the concerns of this paper. SLT is a psychoeducational approach used successfully in the past with psychiatric and other clients and is now designed to teach prosocial behaviors to aggressive adolescents. Evaluations of such training efforts to date have been largely positive. However, still more favorable skill development outcomes should follow from differential implementation of SLT in which trainee-trainer-treatment matches are prescriptively arrived at and in which major attention is devoted to transfer of training techniques designed to maximize real-life utilization of training gains. The present article describes SLT and its usage with aggressive adolescents, and details guidelines by which prescriptiveness and transfer enhancement may be implemented.

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Structured Learning Therapy, a skill training program consisting of modeling, role playing, social reinforcement, and transfer of training was used to teach 56 elderly inpatients (mean age = 65.74) the interpersonal skill of "Starting a Conversation." The effects of three levels of overlearning and the addition of concrete (monetary) reinforcement on skill acquisition and transfer were also assessed. All patients acquired the target skill, and there was some evidence of transfer of skill training. Individuals not receiving concrete reinforcement during training showed greater skill transfer compared to those individuals receiving additional incentive. A transfer-enhancing effect of overlearning was found on the Structured Post-test, but no effect was obtained for the other post-test transfer measures.