The effects of social praise contingent on either usual (conventional) or unusual (unconventional) responses during an object uses task were assessed on measures of generalized creativity in two novel, unrelated tasks. Participants were 20 older adults, ages 63 to 89 years (M = 80.90), who were recruited from a joint skilled nursing and assisted…

Preference for mand topography was evaluated for 2 individuals with developmental disabilities who exhibited problem behavior. The results of a functional analysis showed that each participant's problem behavior was maintained by social reinforcement. Participants were taught two novel mand topographies for the same functional reinforcer, and each…

The major concern of the study was to determine what differences, if any, in independent reading-work behaviors were observed between baseline and experimental conditions using the Rules, Ignore, Praise technique with two seven year old children. During the reinforcement period children worked harder. Bibliography. (Author/AF)

The author uses a developmental model (1) to describe the developmental reinforcement process as it occurs in a child's life, using a hierarchical concept, and (2) to discuss some educational consequences of a reinforcement deficit. The developmental reinforcement process is composed of a hierarchy of four levels. Development takes place in…

This book explores some of the basic principles of behavior which have been derived from the study of operant conditioning and considers the phenomenon of sport in society in the light of these principles. First, some of the terms used in Skinnerian behavioral analysis are defined and explained. The second section examines the reinforcements…

In this book, the principles of behavior modification are presented as a set of guidelines for identifying recurrent behavior patterns and are then applied as techniques to change various undesirable behaviors. Progressively more complex steps toward behavior modification and its social influence are cited and illustrated in chapters which deal…

Paper is based on a dissertation submitted to the University of Illinois in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. (WY)

This study tested the prediction that a satiation effect would be observed only for noncontingent social stimuli, and not for groups presented with contingent stimuli. (Author/SB)

The relative effectiveness of praise and group competition as motivating incentives affecting task persistence in young children was investigated. As predicted, competition was relatively more effective with 2nd graders than with kindergarten children, with boys than with girls, and with boring tasks than with more ego-involving tasks. However,…

Seventy-two sixth graders, stratified on the basis of sex and two levels of IQ (high and low) were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: (1) Group I (success only); (2) Group II (failure only); and (3) Group III (success and failure). These subjects (Ss) were used to investigate the effects of verbally controlled success and failure…

It was hypothesized that subjects who liked a source of potential harm would estimate the probability of receiving harm mediated by him as lower than would subjects who disliked the source. To test the hypothesis, subjects were asked to estimate the probability that a liked or disliked confederate would deliver an electric shock on each of 10…

The use of reinforcement as a treatment technique by a counselor is demonstrated. Its purpose is two-fold: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the technique; and (2) to actively involve the participant in the demonstration. A pre-test involves presentation of a hypothetical situation from which the participant is to select: (1) problem behaviors;…

One hundred twenty-eight preschool boys were subjects in a 4x2x2 factorial design to investigate the change in reinforcer efficacy as a function of prior stimulus exposure. The factors were: (1) amount of repetition, 5, 25, 45, or 65; (2) reinforcer, good or bell; and (3) satiator, good or bell. Two additional groups were run as control groups to…