Changes During and Following Laboratory Training: A Clinical-Experimental Study

Abstract

The difficulties in studying any treatment process are legion: vagueness in outcomes; imprecisely described processes; absent or noncomparable control groups; measures which sensitize the subjects; small numbers of (usually self-selected) subjects; and failure to specify a clear theoretical basis for predictions made. This study demonstrates some solutions to these problems. A population of 34 elementary school principals was studied intensively before, during, and after a two-week training laboratory, as were two carefully selected control groups. The underlying theory attempted to specify the contributions of personality variables, organizational press, and involvement in training processes during the laboratory to the explanation of obtained on-the-job change. In general, valid experimental-control differences were found. Changes as a result of the training seem primarily associated with active, "unfrozen" participation at the laboratory, and with reception of feedback. Personality factors, such as ego strength, flexibility, and need affiliation, do not affect learner change directly, though they do condition participation during the laboratory. Finally, organizational factors, such as security, autonomy, power, and problem-solving adequacy, serve to mediate the use of laboratory-caused learnings to some degree. These generalizations were supported by correlational analysis and by case studies of individual learners.