A comparative study of the efficacy of the DUSO and DUSO-R on children's social skills and self-esteem.

Studied the utility of the Developing Understanding of Self and Others (DUSO) program by D. Dinkmeyer (1970) and the revised (DUSO-R) program by D. Dinkmeyer and D. Dinkmeyer Jr. (1982). Research on the DUSO curriculum produced various and ambiguous results, and most studies on the DUSO and DUSO-R involve serious methodological errors. The 2 programs were compared using 26 7–9 yr olds from 23 households who were assigned to a DUSO-R condition (8 Ss), a DUSO condition (10 Ss), or a placebo control condition (8 Ss). Treatment was provided for 8 wks at a family education center. Ss were administered the social adjustment section of the California Test of Personality and the Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory. Ss in the 2 DUSO groups made greater gains than did controls on self-esteem (SE) and awareness of social standards. The DUSO-R may be an improvement over the DUSO, namely in terms of enhancement of SE. (23 ref)