A Comparison of Audiotape and Videotape Formats in the Interpersonal Process Recall Model Used to Develop Communication Skills and Empathy in Mental Health Paraprofessionals.

Abstract

One training program designed to improve therapeutic communication skills and empathy is the Interpersonal Process Recall model (IPR). Although research has shown that IPR is effective with many populations, there are no studies of IPR's effectiveness with mental health paraprofessionals. Also, although IPR may be a valuable training model, its requirements for videotape equipment limits its usefulness. This study addresses these issues with the following research questions: (1) Do mental health paraprofessionals who receive IPR training significantly improve their level of communication skills and empathy? (2) Are there any significant differences in effectiveness between an IPR training program using the traditional videotape format and the same IPR training program using audiotape in the place of videotape? (3) To what degree are the following characteristics related to the training of communication skills and empathy of mental health paraprofessionals: age, sex, education, length of mental health work experience in current position, experience as a mental health helping person prior to current position, prior training in communication skills and empathy, prior experience with audiotape or videotape, and the ability to learn from reading or hearing? Fifty-one Attendant Nurses employed at a state psychiatric hospital participated in a 17 hour IPR training program during the first three days of two consecutive nine-week inservice training programs. Trainees were r and omly assigned to an IPR video or IPR audio group. Both groups received the same training except that when videotape was used for the interviews and recalls in the IPR video group, the IPR audio group used audiotape. Trainees audiotape recorded interviews with volunteer hospital staff before and after IPR training, and completed two questionnaires, one immediately after IPR training and the second at the end of the nine-week inservice training program. Effectiveness of the IPR training program was measured by trainees' opinions and by level of communication skill and empathy. Five data collection devices were used: the Counselor Verbal Response Scale and the Empathic Underst and ing in Interpersonal Processes Scale, which measured communication skills and empathy; two author-designed questionnaires used to collect trainees' opinions; and the Cognitive Style Test, which measured educational cognitive style. The results indicate that Attendant Nurses who complete an IPR training program significantly improve their level of empathy and significantly increase the number of exploratory, listening, affective and honest labeling responses. There is no significant difference between the IPR audio and IPR video groups in the amount of gain achieved in communication skills and empathy after an IPR training program. The opinions of the IPR audio and IPR video groups were similar immediately after training with one exception: the IPR audio group rated their skills as improving a significantly greater amount than the IPR video group rated their improvement. Nine weeks after IPR training there was no significant difference between the two groups on any opinion. There were only two trainee characteristics significantly related to the affective, honest labeling and empathy skills: experience as a mental health helping person prior to one's current position, and prior training in communication skills and empathy. The author concludes that IPR is an effective training program for mental health paraprofessionals, and that the IPR audio and IPR video formats are essentially equivalent in terms of trainees' opinions and in the gains achieved in communication skills and empathy. In a short term IPR training program, it is recommended that additional training time in the affective, honest labeling and empathy skills would be helpful for those trainees lacking prior experience as a mental health helping person or prior training in communication skills and empathy.