A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Behavioral and Client Centered Approaches for the Behavior Problems of Elementary School Children.

Abstract

This study compares the relative efficacy of client-centered versus behavioral approaches in dealing with the behavior problems of elementary school children. The subjects were 36 children randomly selected from a total population of students referred by their teachers for high-rate “out-of-seat” behaviors. They were then randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions: (a) client-centered counseling, (b) precision teaching (a behavioral approach), (c) attention placebo, and (d) no-treatment control. The treatment period lasted for four weeks; post-treatment assessments were made directly after the period. Four outcome criteria were used: out-of-seat rate, sociometric choices, Self Social Symbols Task (SSST) scores, and arithmetic computation rates. No significant differences between treatment groups were found. A discussion of the implication of these findings was made in terms of counselor's treating problems outside the classroom environment. Both in their training and on the job, school counselors utilize a variety of approaches in dealing with problems of children. In order to determine which of these approaches is most effective in helping children, experimental, comparisons must be made.