Discussion and conclusions In this study we attempted to control as many factors as possible to include random selection of participants for training, two training facilitators who worked with both samples; different facilitators who helped the team members identify and define relevant criterion measures (skill application; performance ratings); and the team members who actually applied the performance ratings were, by default, randomly selected and were highly similar in gender, age, years of education and years of work experience. All of these elements help to establish a substantial foundation for comparisons of study and traditional groups.