The effects of a cognitive strategy intervention on the problem-solving abilities of delinquent youths

Social problem-solving skills and a self-evaluation procedure were taught to institutionalized delinquent adolescents as part of a cognitive-behavioral therapy program. A multiple-baseline design across subjects and an alternating-treatments design were used. Five youths participated in the program in which hypothetical social dilemmas were presented in individual sessions. In addition, the effects of intervention on the youths' self-recorded personal problem-solving was assessed. Training involved the acquisition of a problem-solving strategy for the hypothetical dilemmas. Self-evaluation was later introduced through a checklist procedure. All youths showed improvement during the training of problem-solving on the hypothetical dilemmas. The self-evaluation procedure had little effect on performance. Some youths generalized their use of the problem-solving strategy to the untrained problems during the alternating-treatments condition. Follow-up data suggested that maintenance of treatment gains occurred for all youths. The generalization of improved skills to personal problem-solving also occurred for some youths. General improvements in youths' social behavior outside of therapy sessions were suggested by anecdotal information that showed improved rates of progress through the institution's behavioral level system.