INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP TRAINING OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH-RELATED BEHAVIORS IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Healthy social and nutritional behaviors were taught to four kindergarten children. Experiment 1 involved one-to-one social skills training. Eye contact, assertive comments, and assertive actions were taught using a multiple baseline design across behaviors. Acquisition and maintenance were measured on three behavioral components of assertiveness on 10 training scenes related to common social and health situations. Generalization was assessed by responses to six new scenes, food choice tests, in vivo tests and the Jesness Behavior Rating Scale. Results demonstrated both significant acquisition and maintenance of component assertive behaviors at 2-and 4-month follow-ups. Moderate to high generalization of skills to related, but untrained scenes was found. Experiment 2 involved small and large group training of three health units. Comparison of pre-and post-test scores on a 20-item health test indicated significant acquisition of health-related facts. Choice tests indicated a change in preference for sugarfree substances.