3. Discussion
In summary the outcomes of this study show, that the first 35 from 51 Faustlos lessons – particularly from the parents’ perspective – have initiated some behavioral and emotional changes in the children. The most evident changes could be found for anxiety/depression and internalizing behaviors (demonstrated by significant “group × time” interactions on the corresponding CBCL scales). Only the children in the experimental group increasingly gave up their anxious/depressive behaviors and appeared less shy and withdrawn to their parents, whereas this effect could not be found in the control group, which received regular school lessons. However, as all of the scores on the scales and subscales of the CBCL were within the normal range, the statistically significant change found for anxious/depressive behaviors is not clinically significant. The CBCL outcomes on the other hand clearly indicate transfer effects of the curriculum, since the parents assessed the behavior of their children at home. This is also noteworthy, as Grossman et al. (1997), who also used the CBCL, found no behavioral changes from the parents’ perspective. However, in the Grossman study the 30 lessons were conducted over a period of only 6 months, whereas the Faustlos lessons in this study took place over 18 months. Perhaps these results reflect the fact, that children need suffi- cient time to experiment with their new competences and to integrate them gradually into their daily lives.
