Child care workers in an institution for severely/profoundly retarded children were trained to use prompts and increased toy availability. On the average purposeful activity level of the children increased from 10 percent to a mean of 70 percent during treatment while stereotyped or harmful behaviors decreased from an average of 20 percent to 70…

The purpose of this study was to investigate further the effect of differential item performance by males and females on tests which have different item arrangements. The study allows for a more accurate evaluation of whether differential sensitivity to reinforcement strategies is a factor in performance discrepancies for males and females.…

Reviews possible sources of reinforcement in computer assisted instruction and systematic utilization of these sources in courseware design. Sources reviewed include reinforcement from the machine itself; from the content of the instructional modules and its arrangement in a learning sequence; and from sources external to the modules. (MBR)

A group of seventh graders was challenged to decide between achievement and social approval while playing a two-choice probability game. Girls sacrificed approval for achievement more often than boys and did not reduce their efforts to achieve even when there was no opportunity for approval. (KH)

A communication program for autistic children (three to six years old) which increased communication skills in the context of establishing reciprocal communication exchanges involving intensive modeling of verbal responses within joint activity routines and reinforcement based on fulfilling the intent of the child's communication. (Author/CL)

The purpose of the present study was to (1) broaden the range of teacher behaviors to include both the use of contingent praise and contingent educational materials; (2) present a procedure efficent in terms of demands on teacher and consultant time; and (3) illustrate the delivery of services using a behavioral consultation model. (BW)

An investigation into two forms of group reinforcement techniques in control of disruptive classroom behavior is described. Implications of results on behavior modification in the natural environment are discussed, as well as future research and educational trends. (Author/AV)

Institutionalized retarded children were reinforced for imitating the same model or three different models. A posttest to assess levels of imitation was then conducted by a new model. Pretest-posttest comparisons indicated that imitation with new models was greater for children trained with multiple as opposed to single models. (Author)

Results showed support for the use of academic productivity, but gave only minimal support to choice as an effective reinforcer. There was evidence, however, that if choice served as a reinforcer it could do so best when activities made available to the child were of at least moderate interest. (Author/MV)

An institutionalized, retarded, adult male's response to verbal commands was increased through the use of positive control of a discriminative stimulus. Operant conditioning was noted as a possible means of enabling retarded individuals to acquire behaviors fundamental to a self-help repetoire. (Editor)

Supports the notion that student creativity flourishes with teachers' intuitive acceptance of performance but withers in an atmosphere of rational evaluation. (Author/KS)

Sets up a model in which the functioning of the brain is seen in terms of a computer's operations; then considers the applications of such a model to foreign language teaching and learning, with particular emphasis on feedback and simulations. (KM)

Teachers at two elementary schools conducted behavior modification projects in their classrooms to verify the existence of reciprocity between the amount of reinforcement given and the amount received. Their findings, following approximately four weeks, suggest that such a relationship exists. (Author)

The effects of more frequent reminders of the basic routine and of the differences between screening and extended examinations were studied. It was hypothesized that more frequent reminders would both improve the recall of the routine and increase the time difference between screening and extended examinations. (LBH)

The philosophy - and some methods - of positive reinforcement in student and faculty evaluation. (Editor)