John V. Flowers

The use of client coaching in assertion training with large groups

Clients were placed in one of three experimental conditions of assertion training to assess the utility of using nonprofessional client-coaches in the behavioral rehearsal portion of such training. Two outcome measures were used: (1) the clients later selection of the correct assertion strategy to maximize the chances of success in a specific situation, and (2) the clients later performance of the assertion response with a minimum need for coaching. The results indicate that nonprofessional coaching is superior to professional coaching in two regards: (1) A subject who is coached by a fellow client is superior in later assertion performance than one who is coached by a professional, and (2) a client who has been a coach learns assertion techniques better than a client who has never had the opportunity to coach. These results suggest that employing nonprofessional client-coaches may be an effective method of delivering at least one form of mental health service in a way thai most effectively uses both professional and client time.

Personal space variations as a function of criminal behavior.

Employing 90 delinquent male youths as subjects, the current investigation explores the relationship between the amount of personal space requested, ethnic background, and type of criminal offense. As predicted, the amount of personal space requested increases as a function of ethnic dissimilarity between the subject and the approachet. Of particular interest is the finding that the amount of personal space requested is directly related to the type of criminal offense committed by the subject. Subjects who commit crimes against other people uniformly request more personal space than subjects who commit crimes against property, who, in turn, request more personal space than subjects who commit victimless crimes. This was found across all ethnic groups and within each ethnic group analyzed separately.

The effect of therapist support and encounter on the percentage of client‐client interactions in group therapy

This study demonstrates that when therapists increase their percentage of negative statements made to clients in group therapy sessions the percentage of client-client interactions compared with therapist-client interactions increases. When the therapists increase their percentage of negative client feedback by delivering more lower intensity negative messages, the clients are as satisfied with the group experience and trust significantly more fellow group members than when the therapists give primarily positive feedback. However, when the therapists increase their percentage of negative client feedback by using higher intensity negative messages, while the clients still interact with one another more frequently, they are less satisfied with the group experience and trust fewer fellow clients.

Goal clarity as a component of assertive behavior and a result of assertion training.

Eighty Ss were given the Rathus assertion schedule and a separate test in which their clarity of goals in various interpersonal situation was assessed. It was found that there was a direct relationship between assertion and goal clarity scores; more assertive Ss had greater goal clarity. The Rathus assertion schedule and half of the goal clarity test were administered to 24 Ss, who then were assigned randomly to 10 sessions of either an assertion training group or an insight therapy group. After treatment, the Rathus assertion schedule and the other half of the goal clarity test were administered to the 24 Ss. While there was no difference between the two groups prior to treatment, after treatment the assertion group demonstrated significantly greater goal clarity and significantly greater change on the Rathus assertion schedule than did the insight group.

Positive and Negative Contrast in Successive Nondifferential Conditioning: A New Approach to Between-Subjects Methodology

Summary Three groups of rats were trained to asymptote and then extinguished in a straight runway in order to have equivalent learning prior to a successive nondifferential conditioning experiment. The groups were then retrained under high, medium, and low reinforcement conditions for 18 trials. Finally all Ss were observed for 18 more trials under the medium reinforcement condition. Significant positive and negative contrast effects were found in mean runway speeds. The findings support the hypothesis that previous negative findings with respect to positive contrast are due to research designs that define positive contrast as a response above the organisms physiological maximum response possibility.