The absolute and relative effectiveness of Interpersonal Cognitive Problem Solving Therapy Authors: Lilja Úlfarsdóttir & Philip G. Erwin University College Northampton, England. ABSTRACT The Interpersonal Cognitive Problem Solving (ICPS) approach was devised by Spivack and Shure (1974). From this perspective, therapeutic interventions are most effective when they focus on the general, cognitive foundations of social competence rather than the coaching of specific, overt behaviours. The present study focuses on two specific cognitive skills, alternative solutions thinking (AST) and consequential thinking (CT), and confirms previous findings of improvements in these skills following a short term programme of ICPS training (Erwin & Ruane, 1993), even with children as young as 5 years old. Moreover, a follow-up study establishes that the effects are evident 7 months later. Such short-term intervention has not been attempted with this young children before and reports of the temporal stability of short-term training are limited. Additionally this study compares the effectiveness of ICPS training with an alternative method of improving social skills based on Music Therapy (MT) techniques. Music Therapy, is a relatively new discipline and research in the field is still in its infancy. This study demonstrates that measures of ICPS reveal gain in cognitive functioning from MT although with sleeper-effect. The specific, cognitively focused psychological measure of ICPS skills provides a valuable yardstick for assessing gain from a creative art discipline such as MT. Finally, it appears that Music Therapy may have great potential to complement a variety of broad based interventions. AIMS * To establish the effect of a short-term cognitive social skills training programme with 5 year old children. * To determine the stability of effects from a cognitive social skills training programme. * To establish the relative effect of music therapy sessions on the specific skills singled out in the cognitive social skills training programme. Post-test measures ICPS skills : AST and CT One way unrelated ANOVAs and Tukey HSD post hoc comparisons showed that children who received ICPS training were significantly more advanced in their AST and CT skills than the children who participated in the music intervention program and control group (F(2,74)=18.29, p<.001 for AST and F(2,74)=13.455, p<.001 for CT). No significant improvement was detected in these measures from the children who received musically based training compared to control. It was concluded that short-term ICPS training has resulted in elevated AST and CT skills of the children who participated in the training program. Follow-up measures ICPS skills : AST and CT Results show that effects are stable at least over 7 months for both AST ( F(2,58) = 8.94 p<.001 ) and CT ( F(2,58) = 7.23, p<.001 ) as measured with difference-scores from pre-test to follow-up time. The multiple comparisons showed that the children who received short term training in ICPS skills measured significantly higher on levels of AST and CT ( p<.05 ) than those who were in the control group. Moreover, the children who received the music training also measured significantly higher than control on levels of AST and CT ( p<.05 ), revealing a delayed effect of the music intervention on ICPS skills. ICPS and Music group did not differ significantly on measures of AST and CT difference from pre-test to follow-up time. Comparison of progress in ICPS skills between post-test and follow-up time did not reach significance levels ( F(2,58) = 1.810, p>.05 ) for AST and ( F(2,58) = 1.019, p>.05 ) for CT. RESULTS Overall, the results reveal a clear gain from short term ICPS training with at least 7 month stability of gains and a sleeper-effect on ICPS skills from the music training. METHODS The study was carried out in Reykjavík Iceland. Four pre-schools were selected from the general city area. All the pre-schools were in socio-economically matched residential areas, predominantly middle class. Participants : In the final sample there were 86 children (50 boys and 36 girls). Each institution was assigned to one condition only. All children born in the same school year group (5-6 years old) attending the relevant institutions were included in the study. Thus the study covered their last year of day-care before starting school. Research design: A multiple-group, matched subjects, pre-test-post-test design was employed for this study. Independent variables: 1) ICPS training, 2) Music Therapy based training and 3) No treatment control condition. Dependent variables: AST and CT skills Measures: Levels of AST and CT were assessed by means of a variation of the Pre- school Interpersonal Problem Solving (PIPS) test developed by Spivack and Shure (1974). Vignettes presenting a hypothetical conflict situation were used to assess levels of AST and CT thinking. A standard set of prompts was devised for the assessment. Scores were derived by counting the number of alternative solutions and consequences produced without placing any evaluative judgement on the appropriateness of the responses for life in the real world. Procedure: Training consisted of 8 sessions of approximately 25 to 30 minutes. The children were trained in groups of 5 to 6 children. The groups were randomly composed for each session. ICPS training program consisted of vignettes, similar to those used for the assessment. The children discussed alternatives to the situations presented and the potential consequences of the proposed solutions. Music training was based on creative improvisational music therapy techniques. The children altered known lyrics and melodies as well as making their own. This study included a social status and behavioural index which are being analysed. Furthermore, two follow-up studies have been conducted. The ICPS training was followed up with a brief training of pre-school teachers to enable them to apply the principles of ICPS training in every day negotiations with the children. This is currently being analysed. The music therapy training programme results have been examined further by comparing the AST and CT fluency of children attending a pre-school which emphasises music practise as part of daily routine. Details of both these studies can be obtained by contacting the first author. DISCUSSION The short-term training programmes both proved effective in improving AST and CT skills, although in different ways. The improvement of ICPS skills following direct training of these skills was quite dramatic and stable over at least seven months. The early intervention maximises the preventative value for the child and the short-term intervention offers obvious economical benefits. The sleeper effect of the musically based training suggests that some process that facilitates improvement in children’s social problem solving skills was initiated. Thus the influence is indirect and underlines the importance of including follow-up measures of the effects from therapy. The influence of music on AST and CT skills also evokes the question of what indirect effect the ICPS training has had? Has it elicited greater artistic spontaneity? We don’t have measures for that, but the measures of AST and CT have proved to be a valuable yardstick for measuring gains from music therapy based training of ICPS skills.