ABSTRACT
This article describes how research, practice, and education were integrated in a National Institutes of Mental Health-funded clinical trial for treating depression in nursing homes. Involving undergraduate and doctoral students in this clinical trial supported the development of key competencies, expanded the professional pipeline, and provided an avenue for disseminating the treatment to other settings. The clinical trial served as a teaching laboratory for sixteen undergraduate and six doctoral students to (1) observe the culture of older adults in nursing homes, (2) develop and adapt clinical skills to a challenging patient population, (3) refine skills for collaborating in multidisciplinary teams, and (4) appreciate the relationship between science and practice. Dissemination of the intervention to nonresearch settings was served when the students took their skills to the settings where they launched their careers. Involvement of trainees in clinical trial research expands and enriches the capacity of the health care workforce in evidence-based practice and practice-informed research.
Subject(s)
Depression/therapy , Education, Medical, Graduate/methods , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Geriatrics/education , Psychological Techniques/education , Psychology, Clinical/education , Adult , Aged , Clinical Competence , Female , Humans , Interdisciplinary Studies , Male , Models, EducationalABSTRACT
We examined the changes in stimulus control occurring during guided skill learning in rats. Twenty rats were trained to complete a left-right sequence of lever presses guided by the onset and offset of panel lights over their respective levers. Once sequence accuracy was high and stable, the rats were divided into two groups. For the No-Lights group, the lights were eliminated without changing the response requirements. Sequence accuracy decreased in all subjects, but accuracy was higher than that predicted by random chance. More practice produced greater autonomy and reduced dependence on the guiding lights. For the Reversed-Lights group, the lights were presented in reversed order without changing the response requirements. Sequence accuracy immediately plummeted and did not recover, violating expectations of automatization. The guiding lights appeared to overshadow other sources of stimulus control.
