Current Behavior Modification in the Classroom: Be Still, Be Quiet, Be Docile

181

Recent interest in children's social competence has been prompted by findings of correlational and retrospective studies that indicate a positive relationship between early social adjustment problems of children and their adjustment later in life. To date, the assessment methodology in the area has pursued two directions: (1) sociometric measures (peer nomination and peer rating scales), which have provided the major means of identifying the socially competent child, and (2) direct observation, principally employed in the specification of socially competent behaviors. The current uses and the inherent assets and limitations of both strategies are discussed along with suggestions for enhancing current data collection methods. Issues concerning the definition of social competence, generalizability of current findings, and social norms are also examined.

Section: Social Competence Assessment: General Issues and Future Dirementioning

confidence: 99%

Issues in the Assessment of Social Competence in Children

Foster

Ritchey

1979

181

“…Such increases are certainly not surprising because many behavior therapists try to choose academic behaviors for at least half of the targets for intervention. This increased emphasis on academic targets has been fairly common since the criticisms of Winett and Winkler (1972) and the reports that there often was little increase in academic production when behaviors like disruptiveness decreased and attention level increased (see review of…”

Section: Behavioral Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pills or Skills for Hyperactive Children

O’Leary

1980

The controversial nature of drug treatment of hyperactivity, the incidence and sequelae of hyperactivity, and problems of differential diagnosis of hyperactivity versus aggression were discussed. The effects of psychostimulant medication and behavior therapy on hyperactive children were reviewed with regard to effects on their social and academic behavior. Both treatments have resulted in clear short-term changes in social behavior but neither long-term academic nor long-term social effects have been shown with either treatment. Short-term effects on academic behavior have resulted from behavioral interventions but not from psychostimulants. However, the interventions have been too brief to allow one to draw unequivocal conclusions about the clinical efficacy of behavioral treatments. Although there have been long-term evaluations of psychostimulant therapy, there have not been any evaluations of long-term behavioral treatment programs for hyperactive children. Given the salutary short-term effects of behavior therapy with hyperactive children, extended clinical trials of behavior therapy need to be conducted. Finally, specific directions are suggested for future research.DESCRIPTORS: hyperactivity, pharmacological treatment, behavioral treatment, dietary effects on hyperactivity, elementary school children

“…DESCRIPTORS: generalization, stimulus control, classroom management, social control, grade-school students Dozens of studies have verified the utility of specifically arranging contingencies to facilitate the development of social and academic behavior in classroom settings (O'Leary & Drabman, 1971;Winett & Winkler, 1972). However, a number of authors have been concerned with the situational dependency of the behavior changes they have achieved (Levine and Fasnacht, 1974;Marholin, Siegel, and Phillips, 1976).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Stimulus Control in the Classroom as a Function of the Behavior Reinforced

Marholin

1977

Eight fifth-and sixth-grade children with behavior problems performed in a classroom under three conditions: (1) unreinforced baseline, (2) reinforcement for being on task, and (3) reinforcement for the accuracy and rate of math problems solved. The teacher was absent for a portion of the class session under each of these conditions. In the teacher's absence, on-task behavior declined markedly and disruption markedly increased, regardless of the reinforcement condition in operation. In addition, the teacher's absence resulted in fewer problems attempted and decreased accuracy. However, the extent to which the children became disruptive was reduced and the number of problems attempted increased when reinforcement was contingent on academic accuracy and rate, instead of being contingent on being on task. The results suggest that by providing contingencies for the products of a child's classroom activities, rather than for being on task, the child will become more independent of the teacher's presence, and more under the control of the academic materials.