Predictors of Success within a Behavior Modification Program among Male Adolescents

Abstract

48 adolescents placed into a short-term diagnostic group home with a behavior modification program in place were studied. Each subject was administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Ill and the Screener version of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. Assessment data were used to predict the subjects' conduct within the behavioral program as a method of strengthening pretreatment recommendations for planning. Analysis showed that verbal and mathematical skills were significant predictors of the criterion behaviors. These results support the use of cognitive assessment as valid methods of predicting the behavior of teenagers within residential behavior modification programs.