Small group behavioral training to improve the job interview skills repertoire of mildly retarded adolescents.
A quick group BST cycle can give teens with ID the exact words and posture that impress employers.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Four teens with mild intellectual disability met in a small group. Staff used behavioral skills training: explain, show, practice, and feedback. They drilled the exact words and body language needed in job interviews. A multiple-baseline design tracked each teen’s progress across sessions.
What they found
Every teen gave better answers after the training. Their new skills held up when a fast-food manager interviewed them for real. Outside raters also scored the teens higher than before.
How this fits with other research
Varley et al. (1980) ran the same BST package with adults with ID the same year and saw the same strong gains. Edgemon et al. (2020) later repeated the steps with teens in juvenile detention; most succeeded, but three needed extra prompts. Kahng et al. (2023) moved the training online for adults with autism and still got positive results. Together, these studies show the core BST recipe works across ages, settings, and even screens.
Why it matters
You can run this classic BST loop in under an hour. Pick two key interview behaviors, model them, let the client rehearse, and give instant feedback. Use peers if you have them; the group format saves staff time and builds social momentum. Keep a simple checklist so you can see gains session-by-session.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Four retarded adolescents, enrolled in a short-term residential treatment program, received behavioral job interview skills training. Although potentially employable, each was unable to present himself effectively in standard employment interviews. Treatment consisted of a series of behavioral group sessions using instructions, modeling and rehearsal procedures to increase, in multiple baseline fashion, such skills as the adolescents' ability to disclose positive information about their experience and background, convey interest in the position and direct relevant questions to an interviewer. Effectiveness of treatment for each client was assessed by: (1) Objective ratings of performance during individual, structured role-play job interviews following each treatment group; (2) objective ratings of pre- and posttraining performance during tape recorded in vivo generalization job interviews at a fast-food restaurant; and (3) global evaluations of pre- and posttraining in vivo generalization interviews made by experienced personnel interviewers unfamiliar with the nature of the treatment. The results indicated that potentially employable retarded citizens can be successfully taught appropriate job interview behavior using a small group behavioral procedure. The need for such techniques in community and rehabilitation centers for retarded citizens and other clinical populations is discussed.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1980 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1980.13-461