Modification of Interpersonal Behavior

Culturally sensitive assertiveness training for ethnic minority clients.

“…Historically, Blacks were often forced to withhold expression of their true attitudes or feelings from fear of extremely punitive, sometimes fatal consequences (Caldwell-Colbert & Jenkins, 1982). Even in current times, when Blacks engage in behaviors considered appropriately assertive for Whites, Blacks are often perceived as aggressive or inappropriate (Kirchner, Kennedy, & Draguns, 1979).…”

“…Assertive behaviors may also be absent because they have been punished or not reinforced (Libet & Lewinsohn, 1973). An ethnic minority client may not have had opportunities to develop the social skills that lead to effective assertive behaviors in the dominant culture because such opportunities are frequently denied to minorities or because other behaviors are more valued in the client's culture (Caldwell-Colbert & Jenkins, 1982).…”

“…It must be clear to clients that the goal of training is not to persuade them to reject their cultural values. Instead, the goal is to develop an understanding of assertive behavior in various cultural contexts, to recognize cues that discriminate these different situations, and to build an increased repertoire for responding effectively in each of these contexts (Caldwell-Colbert & Jenkins, 1982). The choice of how to behave must always remain with the client.…”

Behavior therapy for non-White, non-YAVIS clients: Myth or panacea?

“…Kimbels (1973), in a discussion of behavior therapy with black delinquents, has argued that the goals and methods of behavior therapy may run counter to the life-styles and experiences of blacks, and has warned that when indiscriminantly applied with black delinquents, behavior therapy may encourage their already deterministic view of the world, promote immaturity and lack of growth, and do more harm than good by altering behaviors which are actually adaptive responses to the black delinquent's normal environment. Caldwell-Colbert & Jenkins (1982), though more optimistic than Kimbels, similarly noted problems with behavior therapy and minority clients when more focus has been placed on the adequacy of the method than on its actual application and the effects of its real-life outcomes: Present treatment programs for black clients may have failed to generalize to the natural environment because they did not focus on training the appropriate cues. In other words the treatment program itself may have been adequate.…”

“…Kimbels, 1973;Maultsby, 1982;Turner, 1982), as well as the possibility that effective behavioral treatment programs (in terms of changing behavior) may actually prove maladaptive for a poor or minority individual in his or her cultural milieu when certain nonspecific factors are not adequately addressed (cf. Caldwell-Colbert & Jenkins, 1982), would appear to highlight the need for in-depth investigation and discussion of the ethical and practical issues involved in the behavioral treatment of the non-white or non-YAVIS client. That this need has not been adequately addressed is evident from a perusal of well-re-spected texts on behavioral treatment, and from recent discussion of the ethical issues in behavioral therapy (cf.…”