Discover the intriguing world of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) as a growing treatment for oppositional behaviors. The discussion dives into its origins, especially in ADHD, and contrasts its methods with traditional behavioral approaches. Explore how CPS emphasizes skill development and empathy between parents and children, aiming to alleviate stress and transform behavioral challenges. With insights from early and recent research, the hosts question whether CPS represents a meaningful collaboration between psychology and behavior analysis or just a rehash of older techniques.
Collaborative Problem Solving emphasizes understanding children's behavioral challenges as skill deficits rather than willfulness, fostering emotional regulation and problem-solving skills.
Research indicates that CPS improves parent-child relationships and reduces behavioral issues, showcasing its effectiveness in clinical settings for children with ODD.
The discussion highlights the need for fidelity in CPS implementation, emphasizing training and communication to shift away from traditional behavior management techniques.
Deep dives
Introduction to Collaborative Problem Solving
Collaborative problem solving (CPS) focuses on understanding children's challenging behaviors by addressing underlying skill deficits rather than attributing them to willfulness. This approach emerged from Ross Green's book, 'The Explosive Child,' which highlights the importance of viewing behavioral issues, particularly in children with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), as a lack of necessary skills rather than a lack of motivation. The CPS method emphasizes the importance of replacing traditional consequence-driven approaches with supportive techniques, creating an environment where children can develop emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, and problem-solving skills. By discussing behaviors in a collaborative manner, CPS aims to strengthen the parent-child relationship and facilitate better understanding and support for children's needs.
Key Articles on CPS
The episode discusses several key articles related to CPS, including foundational research on oppositional behavior and the effectiveness of CPS interventions in children with behavioral challenges. One notable study is the 2003 article outlining a transactional model for understanding ODD, which emphasizes the interaction between child behaviors and parental responses. This research highlights how negative patterns can perpetuate behavioral issues, suggesting that positive interventions can lead to better outcomes. Another referenced article discusses the effectiveness of CPS in clinical settings, showing improvement in parent-child relationships and reductions in child behavioral issues after CPS implementation, thereby reinforcing the value of this approach.
CPS in Outpatient Settings
The application of CPS in outpatient settings is explored, revealing significant improvements in children's behavior, parent-child relationships, and overall family dynamics. Parents undergo training to better understand their children's unique challenges and learn specific skills to facilitate collaborative problem-solving conversations. The study highlighted an increase in children's executive functioning skills and a decrease in parental stress, indicating the broad benefits of CPS. Although the research showed varying degrees of improvement, it emphasized that positive changes in parenting practices could lead to enhanced outcomes for children over time, regardless of the presence of clinical symptoms.
Challenges and Implementation of CPS
Despite the positive outcomes associated with CPS, there are challenges in its implementation, particularly regarding the need for fidelity in its application. The episode touches on the initial reluctance of some staff and families to move away from traditional behavior management techniques, such as point and level systems, to a more collaborative approach. Success relies on effective training, open communication, and a willingness to adapt practices that focus on understanding and addressing skill deficits. An emphasis on building relationships and enhancing communication skills among parents and children is essential for fostering an environment where CPS can flourish and support meaningful behavioral change.
CPS versus Traditional Behavior Management
CPS is contrasted with traditional behavior management techniques, which often rely on reinforcement and consequences without addressing the underlying issues that contribute to problematic behavior. The discussion suggests that CPS is not entirely separate from behavior analysis, as both rely on understanding and modifying behaviors, though CPS emphasizes skill development. This distinction is important as it opens opportunities for collaboration between behavior analysts and CPS practitioners, enabling improved practices through shared insights. The segment reinforces the idea that both fields can benefit from mutual understanding and cooperation, ultimately leading to better outcomes for children facing behavioral challenges.
Despite living more solidly in the psychology domain, Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) as a treatment for oppositional behaviors is increasingly moving into the mainstream. But does its attempts to change behavior patterns make it behavior analytic or something else? In this episode we look at a few of the earliest studies to evaluate the efficacy of CPS as well as some of the more recent publications on CPS as a treatment for challenging behavior and to discuss just what it is and whether you should be paying attention. But will we answer the key question: Is studying CPS an avenue of collaboration between behavior analysis and psychology or a watered-down version of older behavioral treatments?
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