Provides a model for categorizing marital and family skill training programs according to their theoretical orientation. Describes emotional, reasoning, and action approaches to intervention which allow counselors to examine the relationship between client characteristics and intervention approaches. (JAC)

Compared the effectiveness of communication and behavioral skills training programs with working class parents (N=34). Results showed parents successfully learned the skills they were taught, but there was little evidence of skill application. Children did not perceive an increase in skills except in congruence of behavioral participants. (JAC)

The study suggests that a fairly high percentage of currently, or recently, active family-living teachers in Indiana do not meet the state's new minimum requirements to become certified as family-life educators in spite of the probability that these requirements are far from ideal. (Author)

Presents guidelines for the evaluation of parent training programs. Guidelines emphasize that components of evaluation should occur before, during, and after implementation of any training program. Recommends that the content of programs and the training methods employed should be based on sound theoretical principles and on evidence of…

No relation was found between assertion and marital adjustment for 187 married graduate students. In a second study, 15 students who completed one of two five-week assertiveness workshops significantly increased levels of assertive behavior relative to a control group, but no significant difference occurred for marital adjustment between groups.…

Compared the relative effectiveness of individual home training and traditional group training for foster parents (N=29). All parents received combined behavioral/reflective parent training. While there were few differences in outcome related to attitudes and knowledge, measures of child behavior improvement and parent satisfaction favored home…

Assessed the efficacy of a training program to train lay volunteers to lead a Premarital Relationship Enhancement program. Assessments of couples trained by the leader-trainees showed significant pre- to posttesting gains in their self-assessed skill levels and confidence. Premarital couples and experts rated the leader-trainees very highly.…

Discusses the need for better integration of theory and measurement in the design and evaluation of marital communication skills training programs. Recommendations are presented for the use of self-report measures of marital communication and the evaluation of the family theory used in program design. (Author/JAC)

After participating in a social skills program, the trained group showed decreases in social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. Shyness should be dealt with by family life educators because of its implications regarding development of intimacy and dealing with conflict in a marital relationship. (Author/JAC)

The Behavior Modification workshop reduced deviant child behaviors and parental perceptions of problem child behaviors, whereas the Parent Effectiveness Training group increased positive parental consequations, family cohesion, and decreased family conflict. Both Behavior Modification and Parent Effectiveness Training groups significantly…