Date of Award

2026

Degree Type

Essay

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Counseling and Human Services

First Advisor

Dr. Maria Helton

Abstract

Older adults, particularly those residing in low income housing facilities, are increasingly targeted by digital scams via text and email. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) in improving fraud identification skills among this vulnerable population. BST is a structured method involving instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. A checklist was utilized in individual BST sessions with five participants aged 60 or over living in a low-income senior residential facility in the Midwest of The United States. The intervention aimed to increase participants’ ability to accurately discriminate between legitimate and fraudulent digital communications. A single case design was used to assess identification accuracy, with a follow up assessment conducted four weeks after training to evaluate skill maintenance. Generalization was assessed through a post-training survey in which participants reported whether they had detected or avoided potential scam messages in their everyday digital interactions. Across participants, BST produced increases in accurate scam identification. One participant required a brief booster session due to initial overgeneralization, while another needed a full “booster session”, as setting events, such as external stressors and caregiving demands affected individual performance. Although one participant displayed baseline variability and temporary performance decreases in the presence of an observer, all participants ultimately demonstrated improved discrimination skills following BST.

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