Behavioral procedures were used to modify the food choices of eight preschoolers (ages 3 to 6) during a snack period at school (training setting) and at home (generalization setting). Results showed an increase in healthy snack choices in the training setting. Generalization to home was achieved only with specific implementation procedures.…

Provides an overview of the theoretical and technical components of covert positive reinforcement and reviews the experimental literature to ascertain the efficacy of CPR and to evaluate the operant basis for the technique. The empirical evidence confirmed the effectiveness of CPR in modifying analogue and clinical target behaviors, but challenged…

Considers effectiveness of parental positive reinforcement with deviant children by reviewing the following: (1) non-intervention studies, (2) intervention studies, and (3) consumer (parental) satisfaction studies. Results indicate that parents view positive reinforcement as effective and useful although positive reinforcement is not sufficient to…

Teachers often repeat words like "good" or "o.k." in praise of children's work. Other examples of words they can use are listed. Activities to get the students themselves involved with the praise words are also suggested, e.g., build a praise dictionary. (RM)

To investigate the effects of instrumental eating on food preferences, 45 preschool children were assigned to either instrumental eating or control conditions. Preference data obtained before and after a series of snack sessions (consisting of milk beverages) demonstrated a significant negative shift in preference for the instrumental groups.…

A child with a diagnosis of mild mental retardation was treated for encopresis. Positive reinforcement procedures for continence and logical consequences for soiling were effective in accomplishing complete continence during the final phase of treatment. An ABCDA design with a decelerating rate of reinforcement was utilized to assess treatment…

Describes efforts in the banking industry to combine the reward elements of incentive programs with training activities. Concludes that incentive programs can be combined effectively with learning activities so that training is reinforced and learned behavior is also practiced. (WL)

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.…

Discusses meaningful rewards for positive behavior and meaningful punishments for negative behavior. (GB)

Behavior is guided by its consequences. Paper explores the events which occur when people attempt to control other people's behavior using this principle. (Author)

Children's natural propensity to learn offers behavioral'' implications for teaching reading. (RB)

Study was designed to investigate the effects of signalled non-contingent reward on the operant behaviour of human subjects. (Authors)

This study investigated the parameters of the social reinforcement labeled indirect reinforcement" and examined its presence and effect in a natural school setting. (Author)

Describes an innovative program of educational psychology at Missouri Western College. (HS)