Vol. 10, No. 5, 1993

Articles on the New Age

Despite the fact that schools throughout America are using DUSO, an affective education based program, the available research suggests that it is non-effective.

In its introduction, the journal Psychology in the Schools explains, "Twenty-three studies on the effectiveness of classroom-based, elementary school affective education programs were selected by predetermined criteria from published and unpublished research dating from 1970. The lack of positive significant findings in the more carefully designed studies provides little support for the effectiveness of affective education programs in promoting positive changes on either behavioral or affective measures, especially for programs with an internal focus" (July 1988, p. 288).

The journal continued by discussing DUSO specifically.

"Self-concept was the major focus of most of the studies of the DUSO program; little evidence emerged to support program effectiveness. Of the three studies that employed well-standardized measures of self-concept, two found no significant effects, and one found only very limited effects. ¼ Taking a different tack, Gerler found that DUSO kindergarten children had fewer absences in both their kindergarten and first-grade years than did no-treatment controls, but no differences were found compared to a placebo group. The difference was not maintained in a follow-up study in the third grade" (Ibid, p. 291, emphasis mine).

In other words, for all of the glowing reviews, as printed in DUSO promotional materials, the researchers recognize that DUSO is simply not effective. It makes grandiose claims but fails to achieve those claims when placed under scientifically controlled circumstances.

In his summary statement, William Strein of the College of Education at the University of Maryland writes, "The available research evidence does not strongly support the effectiveness of affective education programs as defined in this study (which includes DUSO). This conclusion is strengthened by the finding that the studies that were more rigorous tended to be less supportive of program effectiveness. The almost complete lack of supportive evidence when programs were compared against a placebo group is particularly damaging" (Ibid, p. 294; parenthesis mine).

Thus, the research demonstrates that programs such as DUSO are no more effective in strengthening a child's decision making ability or other such promises than are placebo programs. Yet the American Educational system continues to flock to these type of programs. Rather than teaching the basics of education, the fundamentals are being discarded in order to implement programs which have been demonstrated numerous times to be ineffective.