Enhancing skill maintenance through relapse prevention strategies: a comparison of two models.

In a quasi-experimental field study, two posttraining interventions composed of relapse prevention (RP) strategies were compared and tested for the effects on participant transfer outcomes. Participant retention of training content, skill maintenance, use of relapse prevention strategies, and self-efficacy served as the dependent variables. Self-efficacy was also tested as a mediator between the experimental treatment levels and both participant skill maintenance and participant use of RP strategies. Participants (n = 39) included managers, directors, and supervisors from various departments within a multi-national telecommunications organization located in a large southern city. After participating in a four-hour leadership development training, two of the three groups participated in a 30-40 minute training where they received one of two RP interventions. One intervention included the steps of (1) identifying potential obstacles to positive training transfer, (2) predicting the first lapse to pretraining behavior, and (3) applying relevant coping strategies to thwart a lapse. The alternative RP intervention included the same steps in addition to a goal setting step. Descriminant descriptive analysis was used to test for group differences across the response variables and to identify on which variables the groups differed. Three separate regression equations were used to test for the mediating relationship of self-efficacy between the RP treatment levels and participant skill maintenance and participant use of RP strategies. Results indicated minimal, but non-statistically significant results between treatment levels and each of the response variables. Self-efficacy was not found to mediate the relationship between RP treatment level and participant skill maintenance or participant use of RP strategies, but did function as a strong predictor of both variables. Suggestions for future research include using additional motivational and efficacy variables to better explore group differences and including efficacy-inducing methods both in training design and as part of a transfer intervention to enhance training transfer. Further, specific suggestions concerning conceptual and psychometric refinement of the RP construct are discussed.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2004

Author dc:creator

• Hutchins, Holly M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sarkees-Wircenski, Michelle
• Goodwin, Vicki L.
• Henson, Robin K.
• Allen, Jeff M.

• Employees -- Training of.
• Transfer of training.
• Organizational learning.
• RP strategies
• self-efficacy
• skill maintenance
• training transfer
• relapse prevention

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Hutchins, Holly M.
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 55895910
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4510/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc4510

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc4510