Training parents in behavioral self-management: an analysis of generalization and maintenance.
Add self-management training (goal setting, self-monitoring, planning) to parent training to get behavior improvements that travel outside the home and last.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team worked with parents whose kids showed problem behavior at home.
First they gave each parent clear written steps plus weekly feedback.
Later they added self-management lessons: parents set nightly goals, tracked their own use of the steps, and planned for tough outings.
A multiple-baseline design showed when each piece was added.
What they found
Instructions plus feedback quickly cut problem behavior inside the house.
After parents learned self-management, the improvements showed up in grocery stores, parks, and restaurants.
Three months later the gains were still there without any extra coaching.
How this fits with other research
Chandler et al. (1992) later showed kids with autism can use the same self-monitoring trick themselves.
Their children tracked their own social responses and the gains spread across school, home, and community—no adult hovering needed.
Brian et al. (2022) moved parent training online decades later.
They kept the core idea—teach the grown-ups—but delivered it through Zoom groups, making help easier to reach.
Together the three papers form a timeline: teach parents first (R et al., 1981), teach kids next (K et al., 1992), then bring in telehealth to reach more families (Brian et al., 2022).
Why it matters
If you run parent training, do not stop at teaching the skill.
Add a short self-management package: have parents pick one goal, tally their own use each night, and plan for outings.
This extra 10-minute step can move behavior change from the living room to the grocery aisle and keep it there for months.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the generalization and maintenance effects of three phases of parent training (Instructions plus Feedback and two Self-management Training phases) on levels of disruptive child behavior and the accuracy with which parents implemented programs. Data were collected from five families in three main settings: the initial training setting (the home), a variety of generalization settings in the community, and the family breakfast. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used. Instructions plus Feedback comprised instructing parents to use a range of behavior management procedures and provided home-based differential feedback concerning accuracy of program implementation. Self-management Training phases involved training parents in goal setting, self-monitoring, and planning skills, specific to their performance of appropriate parenting skills in generalization settings. Results indicated that the Instructions plus Feedback phase was sufficient to produce reduced levels of problem behavior at home and high levels of accurate implementation, but generalization effects out of home were equivocal. Self-management maintained reduced levels of problem behavior at home but, in addition, resulted in generalization effects in community settings for both children and parents. Maintenance probes 3 months following the program revealed the effects had been maintained.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1981 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1981.14-223