Differential Reinforcement Discussion - Special Academic Support

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Discipline is very important in a school setting to provide a safe and calm learning environment. When in the classroom, students behave themselves and are able to sit quietly; however, the same cannot be said about other school areas. Educators have many behavioral management techniques, such as good ticket programs and differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior strategies, at their disposal. However, little research has been done about the practical implementation of these techniques. The article written by Wheatley and others (2009) addresses the issue of discipline in schools, provides a simple behavior management system, Praise Notes, as a solution, and explains its application in a rural elementary school in Northern Utah. The number of students participating was 200, 80% of which were white and middle class, and the setting was the school lunchroom (Wheatley et al., 2009). The independent variable is the new behavioral management system that is controlled by the experimenters and teachers, and the dependent one is the occurrences of negative behaviors, such as littering. The independent variable is closely related to the topic of differential reinforcement.

The Praise Note system describes a method of encouraging positive behavior in students during lunchtime by giving them notes with their names on them. The notes were later collected and randomly selected; the student whose name was written on the note could exchange it for a prize. All the notes were posted on a news board in the main hallway. The teachers giving out the notes were trained to recognize proper and improper behavior, and students were informed of the workings of the Praise Note system. This system showed significant change in the students behavior during lunchtime littering decreased by 96%, inappropriate sitting by 65%, and running in the lunchroom by 75%. The authors state, the unique delivery method of the Praise Notes may have contributed to these positive outcomes (p. 567). In terms of validity, the study shows a great correlation between the Praise Note system and the decrease in inappropriate behavior, which has wide-ranging implications for practitioners. I believe the studys detailed description of the intervention is helpful in assessing its effectiveness, which showed a positive relationship between the notes and the encouragement of discipline in the lunchroom.

Reference

Wheatley. K. R., West, P. R., Charlton, T. C., Sanders, B. R, Smith, G. T., & Taylor, J. M. (2009). Improving behavior through differential reinforcement: A praise note system for elementary school students. Education and Treatment of Children, 32 (4), 551-571.

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