|
| Novel Methodological Directions for Behavior Analytic Research and Application |
| Sunday, May 26, 2013 |
| 3:30 PM–4:50 PM |
| 102 B-C (Convention Center) |
| Area: CBM/TPC; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Michael N. Reynolds (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: The papers presented in this symposium are all seeking to disseminate novel methodological innovations to research and applied settings. The first describes the design and evaluation of a modified consent procedure intended to promote a high degree of participant understanding of research protocols, as encouraged by our ethical standards and required by Federal law. The second paper describes and evaluates an innovative method to evaluate the usability of computerized treatment delivery systems. The iterative process is designed to systematically identify errors in treatment software, based on typical client response patterns. The third paper describes the creation of an observational coding system designed to measure clinician adherence to a behavioral activation treatment protocol for depression. Using videotapes of clinicians performing BA before and after receiving training, the authors tested a simplified checklist of major protocol elements using trained undergraduate coders. The fourth and final paper describes preliminary outcome data from an open trial using a novel computerized behavioral activation treatment program for moderately to severely depressed individuals. |
| Keyword(s): Computerized Depression Treatment, Computerized Treatment Integrity, Observational Coding System, Promoting Informed Consent |
| |
| Promoting Understanding of Informed Consent |
| MICHAEL N. REYNOLDS (Western Michigan University), R. Wayne Fuqua (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: Informed consent is a cornerstone of participant protections in the social sciences, but research has shown that standard consent procedure may not result in fully informed participants. This study compared the effects of two consent procedures on college student participants' performance on a post-study consent materials comprehension test. The group exposed to the experimental consent procedure, consisting of a pre-consent educational tool and active reading consent document, scored an average of 92.2% on the post-consent test, compared with the standard read-and-sign consent group who scored an average of 78.7%, a statistically significant difference. The results of this study suggest that the experimental consent procedure can produce a more highly informed participant pool than standard consent procedures. There is little empirical benchmarking of participant understanding of research protocols to determine whether these improvements match ethical and legal obligations. Additionally, a highly informed participant sample may have other unexpected consequences for future researchers. |
| |
Validation Testing of a Computerized Behavioral Treatment for PTSD |
| KELLIE R. REYNOLDS (Western Michigan University), C. Richard Spates (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: The mental health literature indicates that individuals who need evidence based psychological treatments are those that have the least economic means to access such services. Projected increases in the global burden of mood and anxiety disorders suggest that already strained community mental health providers will have limited means to assist those who cannot afford services. Computerized interventions have been identified as an efficacious alternative to standard face-to-face psychological treatment. There is a lack of systematic empirical research on the development process of computer based mental health interventions. This project focused on validation testing, a component of that development process, within the context of the development of a computerized behavioral treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Validation testing entails an iterative assessment of the frequency of errors in a test-revise-retest fashion. Results indicated that validation-testers endorsed higher ratings of user satisfaction, and decreasing software error counts with increasing number of validation testing iterations. These findings indicate the utility of using an iterative validation testing process to improve the usability of computerized treatment programs. |
| |
| Development and Testing of an Observational Coding System to Measure Adherence to a Behavioral Activation Protocol |
| MATTHEW T. JAMESON (Western Michigan University), Suzanne Decker (Western Michigan University), Amy E. Naugle (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: Observational coding systems for constructs like treatment adherence have a variety of practical uses, including measuring the effectiveness of training interventions and providing feedback in the context of training or consultation (see: Decker, Jameson, & Naugle, 2011). However, observational coding systems have only been developed for a limited range of treatment protocols, and are typically intended to be scored by coders with high levels of expertise (e.g. clinicians at the master's or doctoral levels) with concomitant practical barriers. This paper describes the second round of testing of a recently developed coding system intended to assess adherence to a behavioral activation (BA) protocol. The coding system was designed for parsimony and reliability, and was tested using a group of undergraduate research assistants trained as coders. The coders rated a series of videorecorded mock therapy sessions conducted by community clinicians. These clinicians received training in before and after receiving training in behavioral activation as part of a separate study. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC's) for each coding item were calculated, and varied widely. The author will describe the items that achieved at least adequate reliability, and future directions to improve reliability of the current system, and eventually to expand it to include other protocol elements from a range of manualized versions of behavioral activation. |
| |
The Efficacy of a Novel Computerized Version of Behavioral Activation |
| ANDREW HALE (Western Michigan University), C. Richard Spates (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: This presentation will report preliminary findings from a study examining the efficacy of a novel computerized version of Behavioral Activation, an evidence-based psychological intervention to treat depression. The program is entitled, Building a Meaningful Life Through Behavioral Activation, (BAML). Data presented were obtained from an open trial with moderate to severely depressed individuals (N=15) in an Intent to Treat (ITT) sample. BAML treatment was conducted across 10 weeks with participants interacting with the program once per week. Utilizing criteria of 50% reduction in symptoms as indicative of treatment response, and Beck Depression Inventory-II scores at 10 or below for remission, 7 participants met criterion for response and 6 met criterion for remission at the end of the treatment phase. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses were conducted and revealed a significant change over time on Beck Depression Inventory-II scores, with changes in negative automatic thoughts and behavioral activation scores over time accounting for a significant portion of the variance. Piecewise HLM follow-up analyses revealed that significant change overtime was associated with active treatment, rather than baseline and follow-up evaluation periods. Findings encourage further study of this tool and modality for treating depression. |
|
| |