An analysis of behavioural teaching methods in clinical training

Abstract

Training individuals in the client’s natural environment is important in increasing the effectiveness of behaviour modification programmes. It is necessary to teach principles of behaviour modification rather than skills for specific programmes. The present thesis examined the application of a behavioural teaching method, the 'personalised system of instruction' (PSi), to clinical training.
Experiment 1 compared PSI and conventional lecture-based methods. Results indicated that PSI was more effective in teaching behaviour modification principles. Experiments 2-6 examined contingencies of reinforcement producing high rates of study in PSI courses. Results suggested that Recommendations from course organisers did not serve to-reinforce course woik, but teacher-imposed standards (in the form of target amounts of work to be completed during the course) were effective in altering study patterns, particularly if group activities (lectures, films, discussions) were made contingent on achieving the standard. Experiment 7 replicated Experiment 1, further demonstrating that, within the PSI system, contingencies could be arranged leading to more learning than in conventional lecture-based courses.
The results of Experiments 8 and 9 indicated that PSI training in behaviour modification principles improved performance skills and led to better performance in ward-based programmes. Results of Experiment 8 further suggested that teacher-imposed standards affected study patterns in courses designed to teach performance skills directly.
The results of Experiments 10 and 11 indicated that findings from Experiments 1-7 were not necessarily relevant to applications of PSI in different settings where different reinforcement contingencies were in operation.

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