The educational system today often relies on incentives in order to motivate students. However, it might also encourage students to engage in deceptive behaviour (e.g. malingering) in order to reach certain benefits. Hereby, we investigated whether students would intentionally fabricate symptoms (i.e. malinger) when confronted with a…

The authors evaluated whether an incentive raffle increased teachers' use of written praise and appropriate student behavior. Participants included 93 staff members and 755 students at an elementary school in Central Illinois. School staff received didactic instruction for the importance of using praise, and praise notes were measured on a weekly…

Social learning theory contends that group contingent reinforcement can be used as a means of shaping problematic behavior in both academic and nonacademic settings. Prior research has focused on contingent management of academic behaviors with older populations at the college level and younger students both with and without disabilities in the…

Special educators frequently provide consultation for parents and general education teachers who are struggling to manage student behavior. One intervention often discussed is the use of rewards to increase student motivation. While research has shown that well-designed incentive systems can provide an effective intervention, poorly designed…

Describes a South Carolina elementary school principal's program for decreasing discipline referrals and creating a positive school environment. The Great Behavior program involves weekly drawings and prizes for well-behaved students and an end-of-school party and pie-throwing event. Following a first-year 47 percent reduction in discipline…

This paper represents a report of a year-long case study of the implementation of a token economy in an entire elementary school. The effort was intended to provide teachers with an alternative to corporal punishment as a form of school discipline. In this report, both the successful and unsuccessful procedures are described in chronological…

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…

To reduce problem behaviors in the classroom, teachers should emphasize the desired behaviors they want students to exhibit, through differential reinforcement of zero rates of behaviors, incompatible behaviors, lower rates of behavior, and communicative behaviors. This paper discusses the advantages of differential reinforcement, potential…

An elementary physical education teacher describes a successful behavior improvement program implemented at his school. Students earned points (tokens) for good behavior and physical education achievement. They lost points for inappropriate behavior. Donated prizes were awarded based on accumulated points. (IAH)

Although intrinsic rewards are important, they (along with punishment and encouragement) are insufficient for efficient learning. Teachers must supplement intrinsic rewards with extrinsic rewards, such as praising, complimenting, applauding, and providing other forms of recognition for good work. Teachers should use the weakest reward required to…

This study was conducted in order to investigate the effect of verbal reinforcement on the study behavior of eighth grade students. Twelve middle school students participated. The target students were observed fifteen minutes a day, three days per week. Study behavior was noted with a check or a zero. If the subject was participating in class the…

The book is intended to be used as a handbook by teachers, to enable them to become acquainted with the general principles and latest techniques which have proved effective in changing children's behavior. Topics include reinforcement systems, the token economy, evaluation, and curriculum. (CS)

Internal and external factors that influence student motivation are considered from the perspectives of the student and of the teacher. It has been found that the student brings to the learning situation characteristics that have a direct bearing on individual motivation. High self esteem and level of aspiration are present in a motivated student,…