Selection of heterosocial skills: II. Experimental validity

Abstract

Kupke, Hobbs, and Cheney (Behavior Therapy, 1979, 10, 327–335) demonstrated the criterion-related validity of a conversational behavior, personal attention, as a heterosocial skill for males. The present study assessed the experimental validity of this behavior, i.e., the causal relationship between personal attention responses of males and ratings of interpersonal attraction by female peers. Within the context of a skills training program, groups of subjects were trained to increase the frequency of either personal attention or a second conversational behavior, minimal encourages, which had previously been shown to be uncorrelated with both personal attention and female attraction. A third group of subjects served as a no-treatment control. Training in personal attention produced higher ratings of female attraction relative to the other two treatment conditions. A sequential assessment strategy involving the establishment of both criterion-related and experimental validity thus supports the social relevance and importance of this conversational behavior.