Janis and Field Feelings of Inadequacy – Scale

The Janis and Field Feeling of Inadequacy Scale contains 9 subscales including Feelings of Inadequacy, Social Inhibitions, Argumentativeness and Suspiciousness. The Janis–Field Feelings of Inadequacy scale (FIS; Fleming & Courtney, 1984; Janis & Field, 1959) is a 26-item measure of self-esteem. Janis, I. L., & Field, P. B. (1959). Sex differences and factors related to persuasibility. In C. I. Hovland & I.L. Janis (Eds.), Personality and persuasibility. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

School Importance

Background:
Among adolescents, academic achievement has been found to negatively correlate with risk behaviors, including behaviors relevant to the risk for contracting HIV (Brooks et al., 1994). Adolescents who perceive school as important may be less likely to engage in HIV risk behavior. A four-item school importance scale can be found in Stevenson et al. (1998). The sample included African American and Caucasian adolescents ages 13-18 (alpha = .71).

Developers:
Stevenson et al. (1998)

References:
Stevenson, W., Maton, K.I., & Teti, D.M. (1998). School importance and dropout among pregnant adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 22, 376-382.

Brook, J.S., Balka, E.B., Abernathy, T., Hamburg, B.A. (1994). Sequence of sexual behavior and its relationship to other problem behaviors in African American and Puerto Rican adolescents. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 155, 107-114.

Reliability:
The sample included African American and Caucasian adolescents ages 13-18 (alpha = .71).

Financial, Labor, and Educational Experience – Scale

This survey assesses financial, labor, and educational experiences. This survey asks questions related to financial situations of current households and the ability to pay for healthcare coverage, medications, and prescriptions.

The TransAction Skills Building Groups

The TransAction skills building sixty-minute workshop by Friends Research Institute, will provide an understanding on how to differentiate between “common law” documentation and legal documentation, understand the name and gender change process and identify agencies that can provide or help with the process, and identify medical providers that can provide free or low cost hormone therapy and sign the “Name and Gender Change Form” (DMV form #DL-328).

Assertive Communication Training (ACT) Game: Teacher’s Manual

This manual is for teachers to provide social skills training for children in grades 3 – 6 through an assertive communications training game. Children are confronted with numerous challenging interpersonal situations such as making demands on other people, refusing the requests of others, coping with their own feelings and those of others, giving and receiving compliments, making friends, coping with criticism, and managing stress.

ACT 1: A Social Skills Training Program for Children Grades 3 – 6 – Assertiveness

Underlying the concept of social competence are two basic skills: social problem-solving and assertiveness. There are frequent opportunities to practice and receive feedback on these two skills.  This first module sets the stage by explaining how the ACT Game works and tries to increase the likelihood that children will use assertive approaches in dealing with others.

ACT 2: A Social Skills Training Program for Children Grades 3 – 6 – Feelings

Having mastered the mechanics of the ACT Game and initial discrimination of the assertion continuum, attention is focused on developing an awareness of uncomfortable states and methods of emotional self-control. Emotions are considered vital to the development of social competence because of their relationship to self-esteem and their capacity to undercut assertive behavior. The frightened child is not likely to appear socially skilled. Often, children with high anxiety or discomfort are not aware of degrees of discomfort, and cannot tell that an anxiety-producing situation is about to enfold. The techniques employed for managing emotions are standard ones used in cognitive-behavioral treatment and education. They consist of labeling emotions, becoming aware of signs of tension, interrupting discomfort with relaxation, and substituting positive for negative cognitions.

ACT 3: A Social Skills Training Program for Children Grades 3 – 6 – Positive Responses to Oneself and Others

For generalization of social skills, self-reinforcement must occur. Self-reinforcement can sustain newly acquired behaviors when the world extinguishes or punishes the response, and can help the child initiate new social skills in new or unpracticed situations. A higher rate of self-reinforcement is also a first step in raising the child’s self esteem, eliminating “crazy” thoughts or catastrophic thinking and increasing the probability of the child being attractive to others.

ACT 4: A Social Skills Training Program for Children Grades 3 – 6 – Friendship

Being able to initiate, establish, and maintain friendships is a critical component of social competence. A child’s program for initiating friendships is much more direct than the typical step-by-step curriculum for adults. A child’s approach is direct and straightforward: “Hi. Would you like to play with me?” Friendships are built around shared activities. The child’s non-verbal behavior is the area most likely to need attention. Therefore, this module features initiating contacts in the classroom and with friends, and, as usual, provides practice opportunities.

ACT 5: A Social Skills Training Program for Children Grades 3 – 6 – Anger

Anger and high anxiety are emotions that children experience in stressful situations. Children need to cope with these emotions to develop social competence. These skills are internal and must be self-initiated to be effective. To control anger, children are taught to initiate a Time-Out or break for themselves when they feel high anxiety or a desire to act aggressively. The purpose of this Time-Out is to create time and space for cooling down. Another skill that helps control anger is cognitive self-coping talk. This skill’s purpose is to increase competence for handling difficult situations through talking to oneself through the experience.