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Experimental Application and Evaluation of Rational Behavior Therapy in a Work Release Setting

NCJ Number
73577
Journal
Journal of Counseling Psychology Volume: 26 Issue: 6 Dated: (1979) Pages: 519-525
Author(s)
R R Smith; W O Jenkins; C M Petko; R W Warner
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
An investigation studying the effects of a Rational Behavior Therapy (RBT) intervention strategy for male work releasees showed that individuals in the treated groups exhibited substantial gains in three skill areas: interpersonal relations, money management, and leisure time activities.
Abstract
A total of 61 releasees volunteered for the first treatment groups and 15 additional work releasees were added to the list of eligibles for succeeding treatment. The study addressed the life career management skills of interpersonal relations, money management, and leisure time activities. The use of significant others was introduced as an experimental variable. Standard preand posttreatment measurements were obtained. The 12-week investigation was conducted in two experiments, divided into two 6-week periods with three groups in each. Group therapy (RBT) for 3 hours once a week provided the intervention, and pretherapy and posttherapy measurements were taken. One group received treatment with and one group received treatment without the use of significant others. In both experiments, an additional comparison no-treatment control group was used. In addition to findings of significant gains in all three skill areas for the treated groups, comparisons of groups receiving intervention with significant others to those receiving intervention alone suggested greater gains for the former, but these differences were not highly significant. Further research is suggested to measure the longitudinal postrelease effects of treatment. Tabular data, 3 reference notes, and 11 references are given. (Author abstract modified).

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