Home contingencies (allowance and curfews) based on daily reports of the academic and conduct performance of four 16-year-old disruptive students increased appropriate behavior in six areas. The least costly and simplest form of feedback--the good day card--showed modest treatment advantages over more complex methods and was preferred by parents.…

The article discusses the applied and clinical importance of the relationship between verbalizations and relevant behavior (i.e., between what people say and what they do). The analysis of verbal regulation in correspondence training has the theoretical complexity and sufficiency of the operant analysis of antecedents, behaviors, and consequences.…

A combination of an avrsive taste, a standard command, and a novel cueing signal was found to be the most effective and efficient method of reducing maladaptive mouthing behavior in three four- to seven-year-old deaf/blind school children. (Author/MC)

Three group-oriented contingency systems (interdependent, dependent, and independent) were compared to evaluate each system's effectiveness in controlling the disruptive behavior of a self-contained classroom of 12 educable mentally retarded elementary-aged children. Interdependent and dependent group contingency systems were more effective than…

The effects of two levels of exercise (walking versus jogging) in suppressing the self-stimulatory behavior during academic programming of a 5-year-old boy with autism were examined. Decreased physical self-stimulation and "out of seat" behavior were found only for the jogging condition. Sharp reductions in these behaviors did not return…

After finding that self-injurious behavior in two young males with developmental disabilities was negatively reinforced by escape from instructional activities, an intervention provided noncontingent escape on a fixed schedule and differential negative reinforcement of other behavior. Provision of escape, even when noncontingent, resulted in…

Evaluation of reductive treatment versus instructional treatments on the generalized reduction of problem behaviors in two adolescents with severe intellectual disabilities indicated that when only one member of a response class was blocked, a collateral increase in other problem behaviors was observed, but learning an alternative positive…

A review of the January 1993 issue of the "Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior" concludes that behavioral interventions produce collateral effects, but predicting those effects in applied work is complicated because of verbal and instructional influences and because of interactions among reinforcer types. (JDD)

When used correctly, timeout is a successful discipline technique for children who are exhibiting hurtful or destructive behaviors. The paper describes essential elements for an effective timeout and explains how some timeouts do not work because of elements that parents have added or neglected. (SM)

Recent experiments are reviewed in three areas of research concerning reinforcement schedules: (1) behavioral history effects on schedule performance; (2) the role of instructions in schedule performance of humans; and (3) dynamic schedules of reinforcement. The paper concludes by identifying some general issues concerning reinforcement schedules…

Caregivers of eight children with severe disabilities were asked to rank order, according to predicted client preference, a standard list of reinforcers and a list generated using a structured interview with caregivers. Systematic choice assessments were then conducted. Results indicated that caregiver predictions of client preferences were…

This study evaluated use of the interpolation of reinforcement effect, which combines intermittent (INT) and continuous reinforcement (CRF) schedules, with four young children with autism using a free-operant preparation. Results suggest that responding may be less resistant to extinction following interpolated CRF reinforcement than following INT…

Ten papers contributed by school psychologists or university educators working with school psychology programs review psychological theory and research on behavioral strategies for psychological intervention. Following an overview on the effective use of behavior modification in the school, nine behavior change methods are examined in terms of…

Based on the assumption that truancy is a discrete form of behavior alterable by manipulation, rather than just a symptom of some underlying problem, an experiment among ninth graders investigated the effect of contingency management (using rewards to effect behavior changes) on truancy. Identification of habitual truants to participate in the…

The study evaluated the effectiveness of superimposition and subsequent removal of a schedule of continuous reinforcement (CRF) as a rate-decreasing procedure in efforts to eliminate unwanted behaviors. Examination of lever-pressing patterns of eight male rats showed responding was substantially reduced during the superimposition of CRF but…