COMMUNICATION TRAINING FOR SCHIZOPHRENICS VIA VIDEODISC

THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PHASE 1 SBIR PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOPA CORE LIBRARY OF VIDEODISCS WHICH CAN BE USED TO TRAIN ADULT SCHIZOPHRENICS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN COMMUNICATION SKILLS. DURING PHASE 1, THE LIBRARY WILL BE CONSTRUCTED, SOFTWARE WILL BE WRITTEN, AND A SINGLE-CASE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WILL BE USED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WITH 3 ADULT SCHIZOPHRENICS. THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL, IN FACT,BE USEFUL FOR ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF A WIDE RANGE OF NORMALLY SKILL DEFICIENT (E.G. UNASSERTIVE) AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY, INTELLECTUALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY HANDICAPPED ADULTS (E.G., ADULT DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED). DURING PHASE 2, ADDITIONAL VIDEODISCS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR TRAINING IN PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS, AND THE IMPACT OF COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL, SUBJECTIVE MOOD RATINGS AND THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA (PARTICULARLY AGGRESSION AND WITHDRAWAL) WILL BE TESTED.