The authors review research on techniques to change social behavior, ranging from relatively simple manipulations of antecedent and consequent conditions to complex instructional "packages" involving didactic, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback procedures and examine issues involved in generalization of social skills training as well as ethical…

A series of three experiments was conducted with three severely retarded children to investigate the vocalization-producing potential of two antecedent conditions: adult talk (commonly cited antecedent) and adult silence. (Author/CL)

Investigated teachers' ratings of acceptability (i.e., whether psychological treatment is appropriate for a given problem), for positive and reductive behavioral interventions. Established that acceptability ratings varied with severity of target behavior, less time-consuming interventions were rated as more acceptable, and mean acceptability…

Describes self-instruction training, a cognitive-behavioral approach to self-control in which children are taught to use covert speech to modify their own behavior. Discusses its effectiveness as an intervention technique for use by school psychologists. Presents research results addressing how and when to use this strategy. (BH)

Describes the ability to exercise influence as a fundamental skill in social work practice. General principles related to the use of inducement in attempts to influence others are identified. Circumstances under which rewards may serve to undermine intrinsic motivation are considered, and the symbolic function of rewards is discussed. (Author/NRB)

Demonstrated a set of research techniques that combine multidimensional scaling, a quantitative cognitive procedure, and a cost-outcome analysis to study subgroup behavior of obsessive-compulsives (N=12). Results indicated that obsessive-compulsives are underinclusive in their evaluation of stimuli during judgment task. (LLL)

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)

A mobile interdisciplinary consultation and training team trained residential staff in behavior modification and program development. Involvement of top and middle administration as well as of direct care staff was critical to program success. Training emphasized active and direct methods, emphasized maintenance, and confronted political/social…

The eight-year-old boy was taught to use a memory strategy for determining correct symbol representation through behavior modification involving accurate recognition and production of letters and digits. Decrease in frequency of letter and digit reversals demonstrated utility of the mnemonic method and confirmed the reversal/directional…

Two experiments were conducted to assess the relative effectiveness of stimulus shaping and "traditional" prompting procedures with six low-functioning retarded children (one-six years old). Stimulus shaping procedures required less training time than to criterion, resulted in fewer errors, required fewer and less intrusive therapist's prompts,…

Training for six behaviorally handicapped preschoolers consisted of initial instructions, modeling, and behavioral rehearsal, followed by teacher prompts and praise regarding sharing directly in a classroom free play period. Introduction of training in a multiple baseline design across three pairs of children resulted in substantial increases in…

In "Brighter Beginnings for Teachers," Pullen identifies the issues that send teachers screaming from the profession, including the primary problem of behavior management. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 30?50% of teachers quit the profession within the first 5 years, and that lack of preparation in classroom management is the…

This classic book presents the basic principles of behavior emphasizing the use of preventive techniques as well as consequences naturally available in the home, business, or school environment to change important behaviors. This book, and its companion piece, "Measurement of Behavior," represents more than 30 years of research and strategies in…

A survey of Queensland's population in 1993 determined that 24% of the adults were smokers. National data compiled in 1992 indicated that 72% of the drug-related deaths were related to tobacco use. In light of the need for effective smoking cessation approaches, a literature review was undertaken to determine the efficacy of hypnotic and…

Two case studies are presented in which contingency contracting, a form of behavior modification, was successfully used to increase school attendance. The author delineates four positive aspects of this approach: (1) it is economical; (2) responsibility is placed on the student; (3) parents can be included in the contract, giving them some…