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Scholarly Works (3 results)

  • Article
  • Peer Reviewed
UC Berkeley Previously Published Works (2020)

Background and objectives

Client memory and learning is limited for psychological treatment contents. This study investigated different approaches to support client memory and learning of treatment contents and the relationship between memory and learning of treatment contents and outcome.

Methods

Adult participants (n = 428) were recruited through Amazon's Mechanical Turk and randomized to complete one of three versions of a one-session procrastination intervention. Two versions of the intervention included different amounts of memory support strategy types from the Memory Support Intervention. A control version did not include any types of memory support. Memory and learning of treatment contents were assessed immediately after the intervention and one week later. Procrastination and two mechanisms of procrastination (impulsiveness and self-efficacy) were assessed at baseline and one week after the intervention.

Results

Contrary to the hypotheses, a version of the intervention with multiple types of memory support strategies was not associated with better memory and learning of treatment contents than a version of the intervention with only one type of memory support strategy or the control intervention. Greater memory and learning of treatment contents predicted improvement in mechanisms of procrastination, but not procrastination itself.

Limitations

The mean level of procrastination in this study was lower than in other treatment studies of procrastination.

Conclusions

Results partially support the rationale for the Memory Support Intervention that improving client memory and learning of treatment contents can improve outcome. Findings suggest that the Memory Support Intervention may be simplified to include fewer strategies without compromising efficacy.
    Cover page: Client memory and learning of treatment contents: An experimental study of intervention strategies and relationship to outcome in a brief treatment for procrastination
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    Berkeley Research Impact Initiative (BRII) (2017)

    Background: Electronic health screening tools for primary care present an opportunity to go beyond data collection to provide education and feedback to adolescents in order to motivate behavior change. However, there is limited research to guide feedback message development.

    Objective: The aim of this study was to explore youth perceptions of and preferences for receiving personalized feedback for multiple health risk behaviors and reinforcement for health promoting behaviors from an electronic health screening tool for primary care settings, using qualitative methodology.

    Methods: In total, 31 adolescents aged 13-18 years completed the screening tool, received the electronic feedback, and subsequently participated in individual, semistructured, qualitative interviews lasting approximately 60 min. Participants were queried about their overall impressions of the tool, perceptions regarding various types of feedback messages, and additional features that would help motivate health behavior change. Using thematic analysis, interview transcripts were coded to identify common themes expressed across participants.

    Results: Overall, the tool was well-received by participants who perceived it as a way to enhance—but not replace—their interactions with providers. They appreciated receiving nonjudgmental feedback from the tool and responded positively to information regarding the consequences of behaviors, comparisons with peer norms and health guidelines, tips for behavior change, and reinforcement of healthy choices. A small but noteworthy minority of participants dismissed the peer norms as not real or relevant and national guidelines as not valid or reasonable. When prompted for possible adaptations to the tool, adolescents expressed interest in receiving follow-up information, setting health-related goals, tracking their behaviors over time, and communicating with providers electronically between appointments.

    Conclusions: Adolescents in this qualitative study desired feedback that validates their healthy behavior choices and supports them as independent decision makers by neutrally presenting health information, facilitating goal setting, and offering ongoing technological supports.

      • Article
      • Peer Reviewed
      UC Berkeley Previously Published Works (2021)
      Patient memory for the contents of treatment is staggeringly poor, and poor memory for treatment is associated with worse treatment outcome. Accordingly, the Memory Support Intervention was developed to improve patient memory for treatment as an adjunct to treatment as usual. As plans to disseminate the Memory Support Intervention are developed, it is important to have efficient, accurate methods of measuring fidelity to the intervention. However, the existing method of assessing fidelity to the Memory Support Intervention, the Memory Support Rating Scale (MSRS), is burdensome and requires trained independent-raters to spend multiple hours reviewing session recordings, which is not feasible in many routine mental health care settings. Hence, a provider-rated measure of fidelity to the MSI has been developed. The goal of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of scores on this measure-the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist. A sample of Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklists (N = 319) were completed by providers (N = 8) treating adults with depression (N = 84). Three metrics of the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist were evaluated: (a) the internal consistency and structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis based on prior research on the MSRS and the Memory Support Intervention, (b) construct validity, and (c) predictive validity. Results indicate that the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist yields reliable and valid scores of fidelity to the Memory Support Intervention. Overall, this checklist offers a viable, brief method of evaluating fidelity to the Memory Support Intervention.
        Cover page: The Development and Validation of the Memory Support Treatment Provider Checklist
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