Response-acquisition and cognitive self-statement modification approaches to dating-skills training.

Three training programs for girl-shy males were designed using an empirically derived domain of problem situations from shy males and response alternatives from a competent population. The effectiveness of a response-acquisition treatment was compared with a cognitive self-statement modification treatment, a combination of these two treatments, and a waiting-list control group (no treatment). Two enhanced-treatment groups were used to control for the longer time of the combined-treatment group. Sixty-one college men replying to the program announcement were randomly assigned to one of the six groups. Assessment included in vivo measures made by women phoned by the subjects, questionnaire measures, and ratings of role-play performance in taped, laboratory, problem situations. A 6-month follow-up assessment was also included. The results indicated that subjects trained in cognitive self-statement modification showed significantly better performance in role-play situations for which they were not trained (p < .05), made significantly more phone calls, and made a significantly better impression on the women than subjects in other groups. These effects were generally maintained at follow-up, and the cognitive self-statement groups' performance on the role-play measures improved from posttreatment to follow-up.