Fourth-grade students were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a Hawthorne control group. The treatment consisted of participation in the Toward Affective Development Program. No treatment effects were noted, regardless of sex or class membership. (Author)

There is no difference between the effectiveness of the approach treatments as measured in the cognitive domain and the self-reported behavior domain, with neither treatment having a beneficial effect on the self-reported drug abuse and smoking behavior of the subjects. (MB)

The study measured the effectiveness of a drug counselling program to achieve behavioral, attitudinal and informational change of the participants. Significant changes were found in responses to knowledge inventories on medical and legal aspects of drug abuse and on behavioral dimensions of increased listening skills and ability to analyse…

Uses quantitative and qualitative research methods to evaluate the impact of the bonding and catharsis segment of a measure of intimate relationship skills. Results suggest that the segment can lead to significant improvements in marital adjustment, cohesion, self-esteem, and anxiety levels. Explores differences in changes for males and females.…

Evaluation of a training procedure to improve staff skills in the preventative and reactive management of severely challenging behaviors in a small residential treatment unit found reduced (though not statistically significant) behavioral incidents, use of major reactive strategies (restraint and emergency medication), and staff and resident…

A study examining the effectiveness of wilderness therapy programs for rehabilitating delinquent adolescents analyzed 23 programs using meta-analysis. Moderate effect sizes in favor of wilderness therapy programs were found with respect to enhancing self-esteem/self-concept, improving interpersonal skills, and promoting behavior changes. A small…

Describes the phase in a graduated driver-licensing system that includes the provisional license, which allows young people to drive under certain restrictions. Discusses how the licensing system has emerged as an important factor in reducing crash rates among teenage drivers. (Contains 1 table, 2 figures, and 18 references.) (WFA)

Explores two key features of the intermediate phase of a comprehensive graduated driver-licensing program: nighttime driving restrictions and passenger restrictions. Reveals that nighttime driving restrictions have been shown to effectively reduce the number and rate of crashes of teenage drivers. (Contains 5 tables and 19 references.) (AUTHOR/WFA)

Review of graduated driver-licensing (GDL) programs in six states. Concludes that GDL programs are effective in reducing the crash risk of teenage drivers and that the impact of these studies and others to come will guide future research, practice, and policy. (Contains 2 tables and 19 references.) (AUTHOR/WFA)

Two autistic children were treated for specific fears. Children were exposed gradually to fearful situations, with mothers serving as therapists and reinforcers. Five-month and one-year follow-up assessments with one child showed maintenance of treatment effects. (Author/DB)

Twenty-four parents of hearing-impaired children (aged 2-12) participated in a self-instructional program to reduce stress. Participating parents reported no significant decreases in stress levels relative to control subjects (n=26). Parents' perceptions of child misbehavior revealed that the incidence of child misbehavior decreased for…

The Minnesota Heart Health Program's Quit and Win smoking cessation contests occurred between 1982 and 1989. The contests used large prizes to encourage smokers to quit smoking. Evaluations indicated that the contests succeeded in recruiting relatively large proportions of smokers in entire communities, and abstinence outcomes were encouraging.…

Evaluated the enduring effectiveness of a skill-based training program to enhance maternal sensitivity toward infants between six and nine months of age. Found that more of the toddlers whose mothers participated in the intervention were securely attached than toddlers from the control group dyads. In the third year, evidence of sustained effects…

Evaluates the impact of self-management procedures on attention to task and reading comprehension of elementary-age students. The overall outcomes indicate substantial increases in on-task behavior during the self-management phases, and academic accuracy in reading comprehension also improved for all subjects. (JPS)

Telephone surveys of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees investigated the impact of an agencywide smoking policy that initially restricted, then banned, smoking. Nearly all of the employees and 56 percent of the smokers supported the policy. One quarter of the smokers reported increased interest in quitting following policy…