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SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR THE COMPLEX OFFENDER EMPLOYMENT SEEKING SKILLS

NCJ Number
56638
Journal
Journal of Clinical Psychology Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL 1978) Pages: 320-326
Author(s)
C T TWENTYMAN; M JENSEN; J D KLOSS
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
TWO TREATMENT GROUPS, ONE EMPLOYING MONETARY INCENTIVES AND THE OTHER SKILLS TRAINING, WERE USED TO IMPROVE THE JOB INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE OF 11 PROBATIONERS WITH HISTORY OF PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS. SKILLS TRAINING WAS EFFECTIVE.
Abstract
INITIALLY THE PROBATIONERS WERE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN A NUMBER OF SIMILATED JOB INTERVIEW SESSIONS ALONG WITH 11 RANDOMLY SELECTED PERSONS FROM THE WISCONSIN STATE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE. THE PROBATIONERS WERE RATED AS LESS SKILLFUL BY OBSERVERS AND THEY ALSO RATED THEMSELVES AS LESS LIKELY TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT THAN DID THE CONTROLS. THE PROBATIONERS WERE THEN RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF TWO GROUPS. THE FIRST GROUP WAS PAID $1 FOR EVERY JOB APPLIATION MADE, UP TO A LIMIT OF FIVE PER DAY. THE SECOND GROUP HAD A SERIES OF FOUR DAILY 1-HOUR TRAINING SESSIONS ON WHERE TO FIND JOBS, WRITING RESUMES, PARTICIPATING IN THE JOB INTERVIEW, AND HANDLING TOUGH SITUATIONS. THE INTERVIEW AND TOUGH SITUATIONS SESSIONS USED ROLE PLAYING WITH VIDEOTAPE FEEDBACK. AT 2-WEEK FOLLOW-UP, THE TRAINING GROUP RECEIVED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER RATINGS THAN THE MONETARY AWARD GROUP ON SUCH FACTORS AS APPEARANCE, JOB INTERVIEW PERFORMANCE, EYE CONTACT, AND LIKELIHOOD OF OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT. THEIR WRITTEN JOB APPLICATIONS WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER. BECAUSE OF THE MANY FACTORS INVOLVED, A COMPARISON OF ACTUAL EMPLOYMENT IS NOT SIGNIFICANT; STILL FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF THE TRAINING GROUP OBTAINED JOBS, WHILE NONE OF THE OTHER GROUP DID. (GLR)

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