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Effectiveness of a Theoretically-Based Judgment and Decision Making Intervention for Adolescents

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

Although adolescents demonstrate capacity for rational decision making, their tendency to be impulsive, place emphasis on peers, and ignore potential consequences of their actions often translates into higher risk-taking including drug use, illegal activity, and physical harm. Problems with judgment and decision making contribute to risky behavior and are core issues for youth in treatment. Based on theoretical and empirical advances in cognitive science, the Treatment Readiness and Induction Program (TRIP) represents a curriculum-based decision making intervention that can be easily inserted into a variety of content-oriented modalities as well as administered as a separate therapeutic course. The current study examined the effectiveness of TRIP for promoting better judgment among 519 adolescents (37 % female; primarily Hispanic and Caucasian) in residential substance abuse treatment. Change over time in decision making and premeditation (i.e., thinking before acting) was compared among youth receiving standard operating practice (n = 281) versus those receiving standard practice plus TRIP (n = 238). Change in TRIP-specific content knowledge was examined among clients receiving TRIP. Premeditation improved among youth in both groups; TRIP clients showed greater improvement in decision making. TRIP clients also reported significant increases over time in self-awareness, positive-focused thinking (e.g., positive self-talk, goal setting), and recognition of the negative effects of drug use. While both genders showed significant improvement, males showed greater gains in metacognitive strategies (i.e., awareness of one’s own cognitive process) and recognition of the negative effects of drug use. These results suggest that efforts to teach core thinking strategies and apply/practice them through independent intervention modules may benefit adolescents when used in conjunction with content-based programs designed to change problematic behaviors.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA; Grant R01DA013093). The interpretations and conclusions, however, do not necessarily represent the position of the NIDA, National Institutes of Health, or Department of Health and Human Services. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of administrators and clinical staff at participating programs who worked diligently to insure that assessment and curriculum protocols were implemented with fidelity.

Author contributions

DK conceived the study, participated in its design, conducted statistical analyses, and drafted the manuscript. DD developed the intervention, participated in study design and rationale, and wrote sections of the introduction and discussion. JB participated in the coordination of the study, wrote sections of the methods, and edited the full manuscript. GR participated in the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data and contributed to the results section. PF was the Principal Investigator, contributed to the conceptualization of the original research, contributed to the study design and editing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University (TCU), Box 298740, Fort Worth, TX, 76129, USA

    Danica K. Knight, Donald F. Dansereau, Jennifer E. Becan, Grace A. Rowan & Patrick M. Flynn

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  1. Danica K. Knight
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  2. Donald F. Dansereau
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  3. Jennifer E. Becan
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  4. Grace A. Rowan
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  5. Patrick M. Flynn
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Correspondence to Danica K. Knight.

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Knight, D.K., Dansereau, D.F., Becan, J.E. et al. Effectiveness of a Theoretically-Based Judgment and Decision Making Intervention for Adolescents. J Youth Adolescence 44, 1024–1038 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0127-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0127-6

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