Effects of Rules and Feedback on Classroom Behavior of Adolescents in a Residential Treatment Setting

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, researchers have shown that various types of group contingency procedures can decrease problem behavior displayed by young children in academic settings. Recently, researchers have demonstrated that presession rules, within-session feedback, and interdependent group contingencies (i.e., contingently delivered tangible and edible items) increased appropriate behavior displayed by detained adolescents in a residential treatment facility. Nevertheless, it is possible that rules with feedback about rule violations could produce comparable outcomes. To address this question, we used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across classrooms to evaluate the extent to which rules, visual feedback (i.e., marks on a board denoting rule violations), and postsession feedback decreased problem behaviors in three classrooms within a residential detention facility. Results indicate that problem behavior decreased to less than 10% of observation intervals in each classroom. Results from a social validity measure indicate that the procedures and outcomes were acceptable to the respective classroom teachers.

From Helpless to Hero: Promoting Values-Based Behavior and Positive Family Interaction in the Midst of COVID-19

“…Help parents establish clear expectations. Research demonstrates that providing verbal and visual reminders of rules can increase appropriate behavior at the level of the individual (e.g., Faul, Stepensky, & Simonsen, 2012;Moore et al, 2019) and at the level of the group (e.g., Chinnappan, Rapp, & Burkhart, 2019;Hamrick, Richling, Brogan, Rapp, & Davis, in press) in classroom settings. Together, these studies provide evidence that rules can help decrease problem behavior across various populations.…”

Tolerance Training with Adolescents in a Residential Juvenile Facility

“…The absence of this component likely makes the procedure safer for both participants and practitioners. Finally, this study contributes to the growing body of research on the utility of behavior analytic procedures for adolescents receiving treatment in residential detention facilities (Brogan, Falligant, & Rapp, 2017;Chinnappan et al, 2019;McDougale et al, 2019;Niedfeld et al, 2019). Specifically, results of this study and those from the Neidfeld et al ( 2019) study have important clinical implications because each demonstrated that ABA practitioners could modify procedures developed for children with ASD and apply those procedures to problems displayed by adolescents in a juvenile residential facility.…”

Using behavior contracts to improve behavior of children and adolescents in multiple settings

“…Future research should also compare the effects of resetting and nonresetting behavior contracts. Given the positive effects using rules, alone or in combination with consequent interventions, reported by multiple studies of group procedures with adolescents in juvenile residential facilities (Brogan, Falligant, & Rapp, 2017; Chinnappan, Rapp, & Burkhart, 2019; Hamrick, Richling, Brogan, Rapp, & Davis, 2020; McDougale et al, 2019), future studies should also evaluate the effects of behavior contracts that involve two or more participants. To address these questions, researchers can employ the procedures outlined by Hagopian (2020) for analysis of data sets in both planned and retrospective consecutive case studies.…”