Teaching noncognitive skills to dietetic students: A model

The purpose of this article is to present a model for a course that teaches noncognitive skills to dietetic students in a workshop format. The course was developed by the Department of Nutrition and Medical Dietetics in consultation with the Counseling Service at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The behavior change project and dietary compliance workshop serve as the unifying focus of the course. Also stressed are the dietitian’s role as a change agent, personality-type differences, and videotape feedback on interviewing and counseling. Attention to the varying roles of change agents helps students see the dietitian as a potentially powerful instrument of change. Discussing differences in personality types leads to a realization that there is more than one appropriate way to approach professional activities. The activities on dietary compliance and behavior change integrate all other aspects of the course by examining the multiple factors that affect whether clients change eating behaviors.