Utilization of behavioral knowledge from short-term workshops

Workshops on new methods in the health professions have often been evaluated for participant reaction and understanding of the material. But behavior change on the job following workshops has seldom been assessed. Rehabilitation professionals in seven states were surveyed to determine use of behavior management procedures after three-day training workshops. Those trained within the previous 15 months reported more frequent use of specific procedures than those trained 16 to 30 months before the survey. Positive verbal reinforcement for appropriate behaviors and for behaviors incompatible with inappropriate behaviors were the specific procedures used most frequently by respondents. Group token economies were more frequently used by trainees who worked with homogeneous client populations than those who had clients with different types of disabilities. The need for consultants and additional training were the most frequently cited reasons for not using procedures more frequently.