The notion of differentially reinforcing low rates of undesirable behavior (DRL) is examined. Further, the status of the full session DRL strategy as alternative to punishment is questioned in context of a strictly operant definition of punishment. A reexamination of the data from some studies reveals the possibility that Ss respond to said DRL…

A case study of a learning disabled 8-year-old with behavior disturbancs is presented to highlight the use of operant conditioning in cutting down educational costs and easing the teacher's class management problems. (CL)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the function of positive attentional cues as cognitive factors in the modification of fear responses in a desensitization-like treatment procedure. Positive attentional cues are defined as positively-valenced descriptors of the feared stimulus. Two groups of two subjects each were assessed as to the…

Problems and strategies in implementing classroom token economy systems as a means of behavior modification are reviewed. Discussed is the importance of such factors in the original token plan as the reinforcement schedule, and time-out procedures. Among implementation issues considered are observing and counting behaviors. (CL)

The self-management of thoughts and mental images was used in a series of empirical case studies to influence behavior changes. The target behaviors in the cases reported were smoking, overeating, fingernail biting, thinking self-depreciative thoughts, and responding assertively. Self-monitoring, covert positive reinforcement, covert…

This review of the research literature focuses on processes that Cautela (1972a) has called covert conditioning and Mahoney, Thoresen, and Danaher (1972) have called covert behavior modification. Both of these terms refer to processes for changing behavior through imaginal responses. Two general strategies have been employed. One has been to…

The philosophies underlying the learning and structural theories used in psychology are described in this article. It is argued that a dialectical view provides some ways to breach the chasm between learning theory and the study of human development. (Author/DB)

Two groups of six children (aged 9 and 10 years) were given either traditional remedial reading treatment or behavioral therapy consisting of the Staats motivated Action Reading Technique. The method involved positive reinforcement for correct responses during three phases of instruction: individual word phase, oral reading phase, and silent…

Argues that a better understanding of developmental processes is provided by three types of operant research -- laboratory behavioral descriptions, descriptions of naturalistic behavior-environment interdependencies, and predictive naturalistic studies. The usefulness of these processes are examined in light of the goals of life span developmental…

Three papers discuss aspects of The Ima Hogg Therapeutic School for emotionally disturbed children. The first paper addresses the school's behavior development and management system, which rewards self management with freedom in physical activity and uses individualized target behaviors designed to increase the child's acceptable social…

The effective use of parents as behavior change agents in the modification of their children's behavior is discussed. Identified are four parent training steps: (1) parents learn to identify and record specific behaviors: (2) parents learn through consultation and reading how to effect behavior change: (3) parents count behaviors, note behavioral…

Reviewed are some of the most effective behavior modification techniques for use with learning disabled (LD) children. Compared are the medical, psychometric, and behavioral models of LD; and discussed are the criteria used for classifying LD. Principles of applying motivational techniques such as selecting an effective reinforcer are considered.…

Described is the parent education component of a St. Louis, Missouri, program for the severely handicapped (5-21 years old) which focused on instruction in behavior modification skills. Noted are the organization of the first program of 10 weekly sessions, a continuation program for parents who completed the first program, the "hard to reach"…

Until recently, the use of contingency contracting has been largely an issue of theory and discussion with little experimental research evidence gathered to support efficacy. Two major reasons for this problem are suggested and discussed: (1) the concept of contingency contracting has not been adequately defined nor its minimal requirements…

This study analyzed the mental distractions of students while reading a text. Ss were asked to press a switch to record mental distractions as they occurred, and a treatment was designed to attempt to reduce the number of distractions. The hypothesis related to the treatment effect was that students given explicit training to reduce distractions…