Social skills training for inpatient emotionally disturbed children: A analysis of generalization

The generalization of social skills was assessed in a training program for six inpatient emotionally disturbed boys. Generalization was assessed with tow different sets of untrained social situations that contained similar and dissimilar situations to those used in training. One set was assessed during probes (interviews) conducted throughout training and the other in pre/post simulations. Social validity was considered by assessing a contrast group of ten normal boys in the simulation. A multiple baseline design across groups (N = 3) showed that there were increases in the subjects' trained skills. The probes revealed evidence for generalization across both types of situations for five subjects whereas the post simulation did so for three. The post simulation scores of these three subjects compared favorably to those of the en normal peers. The three subjects who displayed little or no generalization were noncompliant and unresponsive during the assessments. They also were younger and had lower IQs than the three subjects who displayed generalized responding. The implications of these results and suggestions for future research are discussed.