U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Knowledge Mapping: A Psychoeducational Tool in Drug Abuse Relapse Prevention Training

NCJ Number
148326
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 20 Issue: 3-4 Dated: (1994) Pages: 187-206
Author(s)
K Knight; D D Simpson; D F Dansereau
Date Published
1994
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effectiveness of relapse prevention training (RPT), a part of an outpatient drug education program for a group of 83 drug-addicted probationers in Texas, with special attention to the use of knowledge maps as supplemental instructional materials.
Abstract
Results revealed that program participation by probationers improved during the use of RPT, as indicated by higher completion rates compared to a social skills curriculum used the previous year. In additions, persons who successfully completed RPT sessions had lower rates of drug use after RPT (based on urinalysis results) and higher test scores on lesson materials. Finally, the randomly assigned group of probationers who were trained using maps scored significantly higher on knowledge tests administered after each lesson, revealing that the maps aided in enhancing immediate processing and recall of the information presented in the lesson. Results suggest that manual-driven lessons dealing with relapse prevention issues can be used effectively with probationers. Knowledge mapping is also recommended as a technique for enhancing instructional materials. Tables, appended maps, and 12 references (Author abstract modified)