Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1975, 40, 894
@ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1975
MODEL-FACILITATED COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR IN REGRESSED SCHIZOPHRENICS RONALD L. BERGMAN A N D JILL R A N 2
Manteno (Illinois) State Hospital Although there have been recent attempts to use a variety of social learning modalities to decrease asocial behavior and treat the "social breakdown syndrome" in psychiatric patients (Gutride, olds stein, & Hunter, 1973; Gruenberg, 1 9 6 7 ) , there have been few studies attempting to demonstrate positive modeling effects in the long-term, "back-ward" patient, termed the regressed schizophrenic. The present study was an attempt to institute cooperative play behavior via models among regressed schizophrenics residing in a large state hospital. These patients were characteristically amotivational, uncommunicative, and unresponsive to the environmenr. The subjects had a mean age of 4 8 yr. and a mean time in the hospital of 26.1 yr. The subjects were equally divided into three groups of six subjects each. The groups were matched for age, sex, and time in the hospiral. The task required a ball toss among group members. The number of times the ball was thrown among the group members in a 10-min. period constituted the dependent measure. All sessions were unobrmsively recorded via videotape and scored later by independent judges. The two identical experimental groups each had a model facilitator, the control group did not. Each group had 5 daily, recorded sessions, the first and last of which were baseline and test trial. Prior to each session all groups were given the following verbal instruction. "You are going for an activity." N o other statements were made. The two experimental groups had a model facilitator interacting with them on Days 2 through 4. The models encouraged the ball-tossing by social reinforcement and their own participation. Data for each group were collected o n separate days. The two experimental groups showed substantial mean increases in ball tosses from baseline to test tr131 (2500% and 6 0 0 % respectively). The control group showed a mean decrease of 10% It is evident from these preliminary data that models can be utilized to "motivate' regressed schizophrenics. I t remains to work through a systematic methodology whereby this process can be used for maximal rehabilitative gain. REFERENCES GRUENBERG,E. M. The social breakdown syndrome--some origins. American Jou~naL o f Psychiatry, 1967, 123, 12-20. GUTRIDE.M. E., GOLDSTEIN,A. P.. & HUNTER, G. F. The use of modeling and role playing to increase social interaction among asocial psychiatric patients. Journal o f Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1973, 40, 408-415.
Accepted May 23, 1975.
@ Perceptual and Motor Skills 1975
MODEL-FACILITATED COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR IN REGRESSED SCHIZOPHRENICS RONALD L. BERGMAN A N D JILL R A N 2
Manteno (Illinois) State Hospital Although there have been recent attempts to use a variety of social learning modalities to decrease asocial behavior and treat the "social breakdown syndrome" in psychiatric patients (Gutride, olds stein, & Hunter, 1973; Gruenberg, 1 9 6 7 ) , there have been few studies attempting to demonstrate positive modeling effects in the long-term, "back-ward" patient, termed the regressed schizophrenic. The present study was an attempt to institute cooperative play behavior via models among regressed schizophrenics residing in a large state hospital. These patients were characteristically amotivational, uncommunicative, and unresponsive to the environmenr. The subjects had a mean age of 4 8 yr. and a mean time in the hospital of 26.1 yr. The subjects were equally divided into three groups of six subjects each. The groups were matched for age, sex, and time in the hospiral. The task required a ball toss among group members. The number of times the ball was thrown among the group members in a 10-min. period constituted the dependent measure. All sessions were unobrmsively recorded via videotape and scored later by independent judges. The two identical experimental groups each had a model facilitator, the control group did not. Each group had 5 daily, recorded sessions, the first and last of which were baseline and test trial. Prior to each session all groups were given the following verbal instruction. "You are going for an activity." N o other statements were made. The two experimental groups had a model facilitator interacting with them on Days 2 through 4. The models encouraged the ball-tossing by social reinforcement and their own participation. Data for each group were collected o n separate days. The two experimental groups showed substantial mean increases in ball tosses from baseline to test tr131 (2500% and 6 0 0 % respectively). The control group showed a mean decrease of 10% It is evident from these preliminary data that models can be utilized to "motivate' regressed schizophrenics. I t remains to work through a systematic methodology whereby this process can be used for maximal rehabilitative gain. REFERENCES GRUENBERG,E. M. The social breakdown syndrome--some origins. American Jou~naL o f Psychiatry, 1967, 123, 12-20. GUTRIDE.M. E., GOLDSTEIN,A. P.. & HUNTER, G. F. The use of modeling and role playing to increase social interaction among asocial psychiatric patients. Journal o f Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1973, 40, 408-415.
Accepted May 23, 1975.
