Students from an undergraduate course in the experimental analysis of behavior and from an honors section and a night class section of introductory psychology were exposed to a contingency program designed to produce the same specified terminal performance in every student. The principles underlying the course administration, scheduled activities,…

Based on findings from research using Keller's Personalized System of Instruction the author describes how college students learn in a well-controlled contingency-managed system utilizing stimulus control, small steps, and self-pacing. Classroom instruction focuses on behaviorally defining objectives, student participation, and mastery of…

A procedure for sampling questions from a universe for repetition of criterion performances is described. Academic and administrative benefits are also noted. Available from: Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022. (Author/LBH)

Two potentially exciting elements are missing from the traditional case study analysis approach: opportunity for creative expression and clear focus on a contingency viewpoint in dealing with managerial problems. Computer-assisted scenario analysis emphasizes creative self-expression, a contingency viewpoint, and refinement of word-processing…

This paper discusses a number of contingency arrangements used in studies at the University of Kansas to enhance individualized characteristics of personalized instruction. It begins with an examination of Keller's Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) and its five defining features: (1) reliance on the written word, (2) unit mastery, (3) the…

Student withdrawals were compared to course completers in two variants of a contingency-managed lecture (CML) course and a personalized instruction (PI) course. Within both CML sections, withdrawals performed 10-25% worse on unit quizzes and 20-30% worse on review exams than did peers who completed the course. Within PI, withdrawals had a retake…

Presents an overview of the basic features of two highly related models of college instruction; the Personalized System of Instruction and the Contingency Managed Lecture. Both are based on behavioral principles and have been tested and implemented on a large scale. (Author/JEG)

While the Personalized System of Instruction introduced by Keller individualizes the college classroom, it may be impractical when time is limited by administrative rules, without modification. Having students pace themselves within a fixed academic time period usually leads to procrastination and cramming at the end of the semester/quarter. The…

Reports on a 10-year investigation of the use of behavioral contingency management technology to improve low-performance students' skills, which was conducted across 17 offerings of a sophomore-level undergraduate course. Findings indicate that behavioral contracting technologies involve very little cost and produce highly effective results. (AEF)

Personalized systems of instruction (PSI), also called individualized instruction or contingency-managed instruction, were developed in the mid-1960s at the college level by Fred Keller, a reinforcement learning theorist. The Keller plan consists of five features: self-pacing, unit mastery, student tutors, optional motivational lectures, and…

Investigates the effects of teacher nonverbal immediacy and strategy type on college students' likelihood of resisting teacher compliance-gaining attempts. Suggests that the relative effectiveness of prosocial strategies and antisocial strategies may be contingent on teachers' nonverbal immediacy, with students reporting a greater likelihood of…