Evaluating cognitive skills programs: Issues, effectiveness, and potential future directions

During the last 30 years a significant amount of effort has been expended on the development and implementation of a variety of cognitive skills programs premised upon the belief that providing offenders with a structured intervention that addressed a number of identified cognitive factors would lead them to make better life-decisions and ultimately impact levels of recidivism. Since then, the concept of cognitive skills programming has evolved to a point where it now includes a wide variety of models (e.g., Reasoning & Rehabilitation, Thinking for a Change, Moral Reconation Therapy, Enhanced Thinking Skills), delivery styles (e.g., role playing, group work, interactive journaling) and content (e.g., locus of control, attitudes, beliefs, empathy, emotional intelligence, motivation). Yet, an examination of the peer-reviewed published literature on these programs indicates that there is a paucity of independent, empirical assessment of these programs and that the research which has been conducted provides confusing results regarding the impact of these programs. This paper suggests that the current level of confusion may be partially due to the fact that there are widely-diverse conceptualizations of: (1) which specific cognitive factors should be included in a cognitive skills program, (2) what the objective of a cognitive skills training should be, and (3) how the impact of cognitive skills training should be measured. It is suggested that a reconceptualization of the role of cognitive skills programs may lead to clearer and more consistent empirical examinations (i.e., evaluations) of the impact and importance of this intervention. Suggestions for the reconceptualization will be presented