title: Effectiveness of refusal skills software.
abstract: This research explores the potential of making social skills training more accessible to schools by the use of computer-aided instruction. An easy-to-use software program called Refusal Challenges, which targets important social skills with effective training methods, was tested. The dependent measure was demonstration of refusal skills strategies. One-hundred-eighty-eight male and female eighth-grade students were stratified according to pre-treatment refusal skill level, gender, and teacher. They were then randomly assigned from the stratified blocks to either the computer-based refusal skills training group or a control group. Repeated measures analyses of variance indicated a significant and meaningful time by treatment interaction for refusal skills scores. The difference between treatment and control groups remained significant and meaningful at both the post-test and follow-up testing.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bryson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012984:Software; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*