The free play of 5 black preschool Head Start children was observed. The variables manipulated in the study were delayed instructions and reinforcement for play with selected toys, and specific versus general instructions; the correspondence between the adult's instructions and reinforcement to the children's play was assessed. The data indicated…

This guide to behavior modification provides teachers and others who work with children with some practical suggestions to reinforce productive classroom behavior. A description of common elementary classroom problems, the principles and ethical considerations in the use of behavior modification, suggestions for establishing a classroom climate…

In this criticism of an article by Herrnstein, B. F. Skinner notes that a science of behavior must deal with both phylogeny and ontogeny and that Herrnstein did not point toward a rapprochement in his article. (AM)

Examined the differential effects of reinforcement versus extinction in contingency management of outpatient unipolar depression for depressed subjects (N=6) and their significant others. Supports the efficacy of contingency management. (Author/ABB)

Relationship between maternal ratings of temperament and operant learning was examined in 18 2- to 3-month-old infants. Subjects participated in a conjugate reinforcement experiment; mothers of subjects completed the Carey and McDevitt Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire 2 to 3 days before the learning study. Two temperament dimensions,…

Investigates the role of instructions in operant conditioning research with children. Subjects are verbally instructed to make an unreinforced response while an incompatible response is monetarily rewarded. Examines the effects of experimenter presence and characteristics of the adult giving the instructions. (DP)

Results strongly question the causal relationship often postulated between verbal operant conditioning and the awareness of contingency. (Authors)

Clarifies behavior change objectives of marital partners, suggesting a four step treatment approach culminating in an exchange of positive responses on a reciprocal basis. Summarizes treatment of four couples complaining of low rate conversational and sexual behavior, stressing use of a token system as prosthesis facilitating transition to…

A total of 12 elementary school children participated in a study on the effect of percentage in variable amounts of reinforcement under several variable interval schedules. (MS)

Mice from replicate lines, selectively bred based on high daily wheel-running rates, run more total revolutions and at higher average speeds than do mice from nonselected control lines. Based on this difference it was assumed that selected mice would find the opportunity to run in a wheel a more efficacious consequence. To assess this assumption…

This article focuses on the use of "timeout" as a classroom behavior modification technique. The questions and guidelines are presented in a flow chart format in order to facilitate easy and quick use by practitioners. (Author)

Based on an MA thesis submitted to the University of Illinois.

Eighty undergraduate students participated in an investigation of the effects on acquisition of immediate versus 30-second delay of reinforcement under either known or unknown response contingency conditions. The students in the four experimental conditions were required to depress three buttons in proper senquence. Following a correct response,…