In most studies of choice under concurrent schedules of reinforcement, two physically identical operanda are provided. In the "real world," however, more than two choice alternatives are often available and biases are common. This paper describes a method for studying choices among an indefinite number of alternatives when large biases are…

Recent studies have demonstrated that external rewards can affect intrinsic motivation to perform an activity. Money tends to decrease intrinsic motivation, whereas positive verbal reinforcements tend to increase intrinsic motivation. This paper presents evidence that negative feedback and threats of punishment also decrease intrinsic motivation.…

Twenty first-grade children were given 28 trial tetrads, each of which included three single reward presentations followed by a test between two reward values. Results demonstrated that the experimentally controlled familiarization monotonically depressed the preference value of the high reward within trial tetrads, as well as across trials.…

The use of operant techniques in the classroom, especially with slow learners, was investigated, and several types of reinforcement were compared. Subjects were 129 fourth graders enrolled in a middle school in a disadvantaged rural Florida community. The subjects were stratified by race, sex, and homeroom and were randomly assigned to one of five…

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)

The present study evaluates the immediate effects of an experimentally manipulated social comparison on the subsequent behavior of lower socioeconomic status black children four to five and seven to eight years of age. The effects of four conditions of social comparison are measured with respect to the children's self-reinforcement,…