PREDICTION OF RECREATIONAL THERAPY BEHAVIOR OF HOSPITALIZED ADOLESCENTS FROM A BEHAVIOR CLASSIFICATION INSTRUMENT

The purpose of this study was to estimate the validity of an instrumen t of the Adolescent Behavioral Classification Project in predicting be havior patterns of emotionally disturbed adolescents in an inpatient s etting. Subjects (n = 126) were adolescents admitted to a state reside ntial treatment unit across a period of 35 months. Predictor variables were scores on 17 or 25 factors of the instrument from both adolescen ts' own responses and their mothers' responses on their behalf. Criter ion variables were 10 recreational therapy factors, especially 4 tempo rally stable factors, and length-of-time in treatment. 3 phases of the project were (I) behavior during initial stages of the therapy, (II) behavioral change after 3 months of therapy, and (III) length-of-time in treatment. In Phase I, both mothers' and adolescents' responses pro duced significant correlations with criteria; however, in Phase II onl y the adolescent students' 25 ABCP factors predicted behavioral change . In Phase III, adolescents' responses but not their mothers' response s classified the adolescents by length-of-time in treatment.