Jerry Patterson
Gerald R. Patterson, Ph.D., OSLC founder and Senior Scientist Emeritus
1923-2016
Dr. Patterson is well known for his pioneering work in three major areas in psychology: a theory of aggression, family intervention through parent training, and longitudinal models using multiple-method measurement with emphasis on direct observation of interpersonal interaction. In the mid 1970’s, he brought together a team of collaborators at Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC), which he co-founded with John Reid . Patterson engendered a collaborative community at OSLC by holding weekly bull sessions at which the entire staff was welcomed to participate in discussions of intervention development and research methodology. Patterson and his group expanded the theoretical and empirical foundation for coercion theory and the social interaction learning model, which provide the foundation of GenerationPMTO. He was involved in the design and testing of randomized GenerationPMTO intervention trials in multiple contexts to evaluate causal mechanisms underlying aggression and other family outcomes. His numerous awards include the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota, an honorary doctorate from the University of Norway in Bergen, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Research in Aggression, the Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for Lifetime Contribution to Developmental Psychology from the APA, and a Merit award from the National Institute of Mental Health for excellence in research. In addition to more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, he authored or coauthored several books: Families, Living with Children, Coercive Family Process, Families with Aggressive Children, Parents and Adolescents, Antisocial Boys, Antisocial Behavior, and Raising Cooperative Kids. His infectious and relentless curiosity and encouragement inspired the successful careers of many scientists whom he brought together in Chatauqua style to further advance the scope and breadth of the field of family intervention and research.For more information about Jerry, please visit his website at http://geraldrpatterson.com/
Marion Forgatch, PH.D
In the early 1970’s, Marion Forgatch began working as a research assistant on a project headed by Jerry Patterson studying coercive processes in marital interaction. She videotaped and coded hundreds of hours of married couples attempting to resolve their current conflicts, which led her to become an aficionado of direct observation, problem solving process, and family intervention. Her interest in observation methods led her to co-author coding systems of family interaction, therapy process, and intervention fidelity. Under the mentorship of Patterson’s group of colleagues at the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC), Forgatch learned the parent training model that evolved into GenerationPMTO and implementation research. Forgatch adapted GenerationPMTO for group delivery, called Parenting through Change (PTC). She tested PTC in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with recently separated single mothers; the nine years of follow-up data found positive outcomes for youth and mothers (Forgatch, et al 2009; Patterson, Forgatch et al 2010). Dr. Forgatch also conducted an RCT for stepfamilies with two-year follow-up and positive outcomes (Forgatch, DeGarmo, & Beldavs, 2005). In 1999, Forgatch and colleagues led a nationwide implementation of GenerationPMTO, the first time the program was disseminated outside of a well-controlled laboratory. From that experience, Implementation Sciences International, Inc. (ISII) was born and the model spread to several settings (see Sites area on website for a full list). Dr. Forgatch supports a network of colleagues who adapt and test GenerationPMTO for a variety of specific populations and contexts, such as LatinX families, military families, immigrant and refugee families, and traumatized and highly stressed families (see Projects area on website for a full list). The approach is to bring the GenerationPMTO to a population, learn from them what needs to be added to enrich the intervention, and then test adaptations.
Dr. Forgatch is Executive Director and Director of Research at ISII. She is co-author with Dr. Gerald R. Patterson of Parents and Adolescents and Raising Cooperative Kids, books for parents and clinicians. She has co-authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, training manuals, and audio and video tapes for parents. A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, Forgatch has received awards from the Society of Prevention Research (Friend of the Early Career Prevention Network in 2003 and Award for International Collaborative Prevention Research in 2008) and the American Family Therapy Academy (Distinguished Contribution to Family Systems Research in 2012).