Volume 26, Issue 4: August, 1999

Abstract

EVALUATION OF A BRIEF INTERVENTION BASED ON SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY TO DEVELOP PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AMONG SIXTH-GRADE CHILDREN

Manoj Sharma, MBBS, PhD, Rick Petosa, PhD, and Catherine A. Heaney, MPH, PhD

Address reprint requests to:
Manoj Sharma, MBBS, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182-0216; phone: (402) 554-3245; fax: (402) 554-3693; e-mail: msharma@unomaha.edu.

This study evaluated an intervention based on social cognitive theory (SCT) intended to develop problem-solving skills (PSS) in sixth graders. Psychometrically tested measures were developed for (1) constructs of SCT (situational perception of stressors, expectations of PSS, self-efficacy for PSS, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers, and self control when applying PSS), (2) PSS, and (3) application of PSS to real-life problems. Five classrooms (n = 133) were randomly assigned to the SCT-based intervention and five classrooms (n = 127) to an equivalent knowledge-based intervention. Using a partial nested design, statistically significant improvements for expectations of PSS, self-efficacy for PSS, and PSS were found in the SCT-based intervention. At posttest, 36% of the students in the SCT-based intervention reported applying PSS to real-life problems as compared with 1% in the knowledge-based group. This pilot study suggested that an SCT-based intervention was more efficacious in developing PSS than a knowledge-based intervention.