Rep36 Understanding Personality Disorder

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3.3.2b Cognitive skills programmes
Research has shown that cognitive skills
programmes can be effective in reducing
recidivism, particularly for medium to high-risk
offenders. For example, Robinson (1995)
followed up over 2,000 offenders who participated
in a well known programme (Reasoning and
Rehabilitation) and found that cognitive skills
training significantly reduced recidivism rates for
violent, sexual and drug offenders (see Robinson
& Poporino, 2004, for a review). 
Recent studies in Britain have provided some
support for the effectiveness of cognitive skills
programmes in reducing re-offending. For
example, Farrington 
et al
., (2002) reported that a
sample of young offenders who participated in a
high intensity regime, which included the
Enhanced Thinking Skills programme together
with education and mentoring, reduced re-
offending rates by 10 per cent after one year
compared to a control group. Friendship 
et al
.,
(2002) compared 667 adults who participated in
the Reasoning and Rehabilitation or the
Enhanced Thinking Skills programmes with a
comparison group of 1801 men who were matched
on similar criteria who did not participate on the
programmes. The results showed that the men
who participated on the cognitive skills
programmes had lower reconviction rates than
the control groups, the largest difference being
14 per cent for men in the low/medium risk
category. However, these results were not
replicated in a subsequent study (Falshaw 
et al
.,
2003). A further evaluation showed that
although there were no overall significant
differences between men who participated in
cognitive skills programmes and comparison
groups, prisoners who completed the
programmes had significantly lower reconviction
rates after one year (Cann 
et al
., 2003). 
Although cognitive skills programmes are
primarily aimed at reducing offending they do
appear to have wider effects. For example, Blud
and Travers (2001), examined changes in
psychometric tests given before and after
programme participation in a sample of over
5,000 offenders. The results showed that as well
as producing better pro-social decision making,