Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug-behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its…

Nearly every successful grown-up--actresses, brain surgeons, and teachers alike--can tell a heartwarming story about the time a teacher gave them the compliment that lifted them up, giving them permission to become great. But expert Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer suggests that there is good praise, and there is bad praise. According to the author of…

Assertive Discipline is an outgrowth of Canter and Associates' professional efforts in both working directly with children with behavior problems and consulting with teachers on how to deal effectively with such children. Assertive Discipline is an in-depth approach to classroom and school discipline. Lee and Marlene Canter first published…

A three-day seminar for nurses was conducted to improve their ability to communicate effectively with other people. The method used in this seminar was microteaching. The basic ingredients of the microteaching concept are the communication techniques dimension, the teach-reteach dimension, and the immediate feedback dimension. Under the direction…

Violence is an unfortunate and unpleasant aspect of many sporting contests. It is a challenging task to unravel the complex reasons that underly the phenomenon. As of yet this task has not been accomplished fully. This paper will assess the relative importance of a number of factors that contribute to sports violence, and will suggest remedies to…

A private psychiatric hospital program is described which cooperates with referring probation officers to develop socially appropriate reactions in learning disabled delinquents by confronting them with their negative behaviors. A case study involving systematic reinforcement, social skills training, and cognitive restructuring in a token economy…

Video therapy tapes that incorporated self-modeling, structured rehearsal, projective rehearsal, and systematic social reinforcement were effective in shaping a 15-year-old schizophrenic girl's appropriate grammatical and contextual use of language. (CL)

The most important function of reinforcement in computer assisted instruction is a motivational one, providing students with a reason for learning. Discusses primary, secondary, and generalized reinforcers and four factors influencing the effectiveness of reinforcers (timing, appropriateness, relevancy, and configuration). (JN)

Describes the development and implementation of Lee Canter's Assertive Discipline model, noting its use at Takoma Park (MD) Elementary School and the reaction of parents, students, and teachers. Supporters stress that it puts teachers in charge, rewarding good behavior and punishing bad, but critics call it dehumanizing, humiliating, and…

The Army Training and Doctrine Command offers satellite-delivered training to military personnel. The effectiveness of this approach was significantly increased by the orchestrated response delivery method, which increases the level of viewer interaction and involvement in order to affect comprehension and reinforcement of the content. (SK)

Research shows that praise alone does not enhance children's self-esteem. Teachers should provide constructive encouragement for students' endeavors, Encouragement should be specific; be private; focus on effort, not accomplishments; be sincere and direct; avoid labeling children; focus on the child's feelings; avoid comparison to other children.…

The origins of many of the basic concepts used in the experimental analysis of behavior can be traced to Pavlov's (1927/1960) discussion of unconditional and conditional reflexes in the dog, but often with substantial changes in meaning (e.g., stimulus, response, and reinforcement). Other terms were added by Skinner (1938/1991) to describe his…

Some individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior (SIB) also exhibit self-restraint. In the present study, a series of three functional analyses were conducted to determine the variables that maintained a participant's SIB, one without restraint items available, one with a preferred and effective form of self-restraint (an airplane pillow)…

A 4-year old boy with autism was exposed to a multicomponent intervention plan that targeted his verbal and physical sharing among typical peers in an integrated preschool class-room. Preceding daily play sessions he practiced sharing with one peer, and an instructor who directed and demonstrated desirable behaviors (priming). During actual play,…

Students with externalizing disorders make up from three to five percent of the population in public school classrooms and are some of the most difficult students to manage in an educational setting. Behavioral excesses and deficits exhibited by these students are a major factor in poor retention rates for new teachers while the students…