Candidate: Sean Smitham

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Psychology

Title: Common Sense Parenting (CSP) Learn-at-Home Kit: A Clinical Effectiveness Evaluation of a Commercially Available Video Training Program for Parents

Committee: Dr. Galen Alessi, Chair
Dr. Linda LeBlanc
Dr. Kristal Ehrhardt
Dr. Roberto Flachier

Date: Friday, October 8, 2004 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
3715 Wood Hall

Abstract: Much has been made of the gap between psychotherapy research and clinical practice. Most current psychotherapy research is focused on what could be viewed as macro-level efficacy type issues, while practicing clinicians are often most concerned with micro-level effectiveness questions. The current study - an evaluation of a parent training (PT) program provides an example of how scientist practitioners can contribute meaningfully to psychotherapy research by conducting small scale clinical effectiveness studies. Parent Training (PT) is a well established efficacious treatment approach for child disruptive behaviors and non-compliance. Recent research has also established that self-administered videotape PT programs may also be efficacious. A popular, commercially available, self-help video training program for parents - the Common Sense Parenting: Learn-at-Home Kit published by Boys Town Press was the subject of this study. The results indicate that the CSP Learn-at-Home Kit was largely ineffective in reducing child disruptive behaviors. Results are discussed in the context of the efficacy/effectiveness distinction and the clinical research/clinical practice gap with some hypotheses about why the CSP Learn-at-Home program may be minimally effective as a clinical intervention.

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