Teaching self‐modification in an adjustment course

Abstract

This article reports a project in which students in a college level adjustment course were taught to apply a model of behavior change in order to gain greater control over their own behavior. Pilot data suggest that students found the experience worthwhile, that many of them learned to make substantial changes in their behavior, and that some of them maintained a high degree of transfer to new problems that confronted them after the class had ended. The approach appears to have a great deal of potential for those who would like to extend their counseling beyond the confines of their offices and who would like to combine their counseling and teaching interests.

Instructionally-Based Training in Self-Control: Behavior-Specific and Generalized Outcomes Resulting from Student-Implemented Self-Modification Projects

“…Finally, no follow-up data were provided on students after leaving the course. Although prior research has indicated adequate maintenance of behavior change following program participation (Barrera & Glasgow, 1976;McGaghie et al, 1976;Mencke, 1973;Worthington, 1979), there is no assurance that students In the present study were able to demonstrate equivalent success at long-term maintenance.…”

“…In addition to facilitating learning, SM projects have proven valuable in their own right as a means of assisting students in modifying a variety of problematic behaviors (Barrera & Glasgow, 1976;Mencke, 1973;Payne & Woudenberg, 1978). In fact, student-reported success rates of 70-72% haveencouraged investigatorsto begin lookingat instructionally-based SM programs as a potential vehicle for outreach and community psychology interventions (McGaghie, Menges, & Dobroski, 1976;Spinelli & Packard, Note 1).…”

Honesty and Success in Self-Modification Projects for a College Class

“…This is in opposition to Leon and Chamberlain (1973b), Mencke (1973), Best (1975), and Balch and Ross (1975). Younger and Mallue's project comprised the major emphasis of their codrse, and their students were monitored more closely than those in this study.…”

“…Since Watson and Tharp (1972) published a text aimed at teaching behavioral self-control principles to college students, several papers have appeared describing classroom-based self-modification projects (Mencke, 1973;McGaghie & Menges, 1975;Barrera & Glasgow, 1976;McGaghie, Menges, & Dobroski, 1976; Younger & Mallue, Note 1). Assessment of the success of students' projects has generally been based on self-report measures, either by using the students' self-reports directly or by having raters judge these self-reports.…”

An Empirical Evaluation of a Behavioral Self-Management Course in a College Setting

“…Glasgow & Rosen, 1978, 1979Rosen, 1976), a review of the literature reveals a lack of controlled research demonstrating the effectiveness of these courses in producing benefits. Mencke's (1973) early report described favorable, but basically subjective, instructor ratings of change in 30 completed self-modification projects. measured success in their 20 students by percent change in target behavior compared to baseline (Mdn = 59%) and self-satisfaction with change (85%), but Jason (1981) simply presented the results for each individual change project, thus limiting conclusions to the observation that 21 of 22 students reported at least some minimal improvement in their target behavior.…”