2.3.2. Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA; Patterson et al., 2001)The SSPA is a standardized, brief assessment of social skill consistingof two 3-minute social role-plays inwhich the participant plays the role the lead author (MMK). All sessions were audiotaped and tapes wereperiodically selected randomly and mailed to KTM for fidelity review. Review of tapes revealed high levels of treatment fidelity. Exposure to the SST program was defined as attending at least one training session.
Social-skills training
Fifty minutes per day, two days per week for
target of 23 weeks or 46 sessions.
Basic communication skills
Expressing positive feelings
Listening to others
Expressing upset feelings constructively
Conversation skills
Starting a conversation with a new person
Maintaining conversations by asking questions
Maintain conversations by expressing feelings
Staying on the topic set by another person
Deciding how much to disclose
Ending conversations
Assertiveness skills
Asking for information
Asking for help
Refusing requests
Getting your point across without arguing
Making complaints
Responding to complaints
Understanding the other person's perspective
Compromise and negotiation
Leaving stressful situations.
Friendship skills
Giving compliments
Accepting compliments
Finding common interests
Asking someone to do something
Making someone happy (Bellack et al., 2004)
2.4.3. Control computer skills condition
Control participants received an active control intervention that
consisted of a 4–6-month course of computerized tutorials in general
computer literacy and specific skills in usingMicrosoft Office (Computer
Skills). Participants in this group received a similar duration of treatment
(target of 50 h) and equivalent interactionwith a clinician as those in the
COG REMcondition. These tutorials did not involve practice of exercises
specifically targeting basic neurocognitive skills (e.g., attention,memory
and problem-solving).