Using an audio cueing procedure to increase rate of parental attention during parent training

Research supports the effectiveness of behavioral parent training programs in the treatment of oppositional child behavior. Even though parent training seems effective for the majority of families who complete treatment, some families continue to drop out of treatment and do not maintain long-term decreases in oppositional behavior. Parents who have a difficult time quickly learning behavior management skills are at an increased risk for dropping out of treatment. The present study describes an audio cueing procedure used to help a parent learn how to give more frequent descriptions of appropriate child behavior. The changing-criterion design study demonstrates that the parent provided more descriptions in conditions with an audio cue.