Effects of the Good Behavior Game on Challenging Behaviors in School Settings

Abstract

Challenging behavior at school remains a concern for teachers and administrators. Thus classroom management practices to prevent challenging behavior are sorely needed. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been found to be useful to positively change student behavior. However, previous reviews of the GBG have not quantified effects, have not focused solely on school and classroom behaviors, and have not examined study features that facilitate greater outcomes. Twenty-two peer-reviewed journal articles were reviewed. Study data were analyzed using effect sizes, percent of nonoverlapping data, percent of all nonoverlapping data, and hierarchical linear modeling to determine intervention effectiveness as well as study features that facilitated greater outcomes. Findings suggested that (a) moderate to large effects were found on challenging behaviors and these effects were immediate; (b) the GBG was most commonly used for disruptive behavior, off-task behavior, aggression, talking out, and out-of-seat behaviors; (c) the GBG has been implemented primarily in general education elementary school settings; and (d) correct application of reward procedures are important for intervention effectiveness. Study limitations, implications for practice, and areas for future research are presented.

The Good Behavior Game in preschool classrooms: An evaluation of feedback

“…The original version of the GBG included the following components: dividing the class into teams, stating the rules on how students are to behave, delivering hatch marks contingent on rule violations, and delivering prizes to the winning team(s) that stay below a set criterion (Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, ). Since Barrish et al (), there have been numerous replications of the GBG with students of different ages, conducted in different settings, and across different target behaviors (see Bowman‐Perrott, Burke, Zaini, Zhang, & Vannest, , and Flower, McKenna, Bunuan, Muething, & Vega, for reviews). Despite the well‐documented effectiveness of the GBG, teachers may perceive some components of the GBG as effortful and therefore may be unwilling to implement it.…”

Step it up! Using the good behavior game to increase physical activity with elementary school students at recess

“…The team with the fewest violations wins the game and gets a small prize. The GBG has proven to be relatively simple, inexpensive, and effective (e.g., Flower, McKenna, Bunuan, Muething, & Vega, 2014; Tingstrom, Sterling‐Turner, & Wilczynski, 2006).…”

The Good Behavior Game for Latino English Language Learners in a small-group setting

“…articles found that 87% of published, reviewed evaluations yielded moderate to large effect sizes (Flower, McKenna, Bunuan, Muething & Vega (2014). The review also found that clear, operationally defined target behaviors and the use of rewards are associated with greater effects.…”

“…While the study included a measure to ensure fidelity to the intervention procedures, a second, objective coder was unavailable to assess the accuracy of data reporting, due to necessary changes in group scheduling to accommodate student attendance and discipline. While IOA is considered a standard component of research, and was actively sought by the researcher, systematic review of research of the GBG finds that inclusion of treatment fidelity procedures does not appear to impact the efficacy of the study (Flower, McKenna, Bunuan, et al, 2014). Their review of 22 studies of the GBG found that only 8 included measures to assess fidelity of implementation.…”