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Peer telephone dyads: putting conclusions on hold
1Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
American Journal of Community Psychology
|February 1, 1991
Summary
This commentary examines a peer telephone intervention for elderly women, questioning its effectiveness. It highlights the need for better information, evaluation criteria, and understanding of social dynamics to interpret the intervention
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Health Psychology
- Social Intervention Research
Background:
- Critique of Heller et al.'s (1991) peer telephone intervention for elderly women.
- Focus on the complexities in evaluating social support interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the information needs for selecting interventions.
- To establish criteria for evaluating support intervention processes and outcomes.
- To explore the social psychological dynamics influencing intervention success.
Main Methods:
- Commentary and critical analysis of a specific intervention study.
- Review of intervention design, evaluation metrics, and participant interaction dynamics.
Main Results:
- Identified gaps in information guiding intervention choice.
- Highlighted challenges in applying standard evaluation criteria to social interventions.
- Suggested that social psychological factors complicate the interpretation of intervention outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The study's findings are difficult to interpret due to methodological and social complexities.
- Further research is needed to understand why the intervention may have been unsuccessful.
- Emphasizes the importance of considering social dynamics in intervention design and evaluation.