Influence of self-monitoring on heterosexual conversational behaviors of head trauma youth

This study evaluates the impact of self-monitoring on three heterosexual conversational behaviors of head trauma youths. Two 5-minute audiotaped conversations occured daily between the youths and unfamiliar female confederates. Two conversations occuring on alternate days in clinical and natural conversational settings were scored for the frequency of compliments, questions, and self-disclosures. A multiple baseline analysis with alternating treatments for “instructions to self-monitor” and “no instructions to self-monitor” revealed (a) self-monitoring had an accelerative effect on compliments and questions and a decelerative effect on self-disclosure; (b) self-monitoring effects were maintained despite transferring from a mechanical counter to an unspecified covert monitoring procedure; (c) self-monitoring had a comparable effect whether employed in a clinical or functional communication setting; (d) performance of the target behavior was most strongly influenced under the “instructions to self-monitor condition;” (e) once intervention was directed to another response, the rate under the instructions and no instruction conditions became equivalent; and (f) the results maintained over a 1-month follow-up for one youth available for observation. Finally, social comparison and subjective evaluation data supported the importance of intervention.