NCJ Number
57882
Journal
PRAXIS DER KINDERPSYCHOLOGIE UND KINDERPSYCHIATRIE Volume: 27 Issue: 5 Dated: (1978) Pages: 164-167
Date Published
1978
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE BEHAVIORAL CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT THROUGH MODEL-ASSISTED ROLE TRAINING IS ANALYZED IN THE CASE OF WEST GERMAN JUVENILE DELINQUENTS.
Abstract
IN THE GERMAN JUVENILE PRISON OF NEUMUENSTER, A PROGRAM FOR ALTERING CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR THROUGH PLAY-ACTING AND IMITATIVE ROLE PLAYING WAS CONDUCTED. THE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF 18 TRAINING SESSIONS WITHIN A PERIOD OF 4 MONTHS DURING WHICH THE JUVENILES WERE PRESENTED WITH SEVERAL VIDEO-RECORDED SCENES OF SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR. THE 15 MALE PRISONERS OF THE SAMPLE WERE THEN ASKED TO ACT IN TWO TEST SCENES WHICH PRESENTED TYPICAL STRESS SITUATIONS ENCOUNTERED BY INMATES AFTER RELEASE (PROBLEMS IN VOCATIONAL LIFE, TEMPTATION BY DELINQUENT FRIENDS). EACH SCENE WAS VIDEO-RECORDED TWICE WITHIN A PERIOD OF 6 WEEKS AND THEN ONCE AGAIN AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM. THE PARTNERS OF INTERACTION IN THE RECORDED SCENES WERE PLAYED BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE PRODUCTION, 29 INDEPENDENT VIEWERS (POLICE OFFICERS, STUDENTS, INMATES) WERE ASKED TO JUDGE IN WHICH OF THE THREE VERSIONS EACH CANDIDATE HAD COPED BEST WITH THE SITUATION. THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE PANEL (WITHOUT KNOWING THE SEQUENCE IN WHICH THE SCENES HAD BEEN SHOT) CONSISTENTLY FOUND THE SECOND PERFORMANCE BETTER THAN THE FIRST AND, SIGNIFICANTLY, THE THIRD PERFORMANCE BETTER THAN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND. THESE RESULTS DOCUMENTING AN IMPROVEMENT AT THE END OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM SHOW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MODEL-ASSISTED ROLE TRAINING, ALTHOUGH ONE CANNOT DETERMINE WHICH PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BEHAVIORAL IMPROVEMENT. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES THE STATISTICAL CHARTS, FOOTNOTES, AND A BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)