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.…

This investigation sought to determine whether faculty, peers, or community supervisors could provide the best type of positive reinforcement for college students engaged in community-based learning service. Students were placed in 5 equally weighted groups: (1) reinforcement by community supervisors only; (2) half of the reinforcement from…

The relative effectiveness of two types of verbal reinforcement and one type of tangible reinforcement on a two-choice discrimination task was determined for middle and lower class male and female preschool children. It is suggested that consideration of baseline and IQ might have reconciled disparate findings of previous studies. (GO)

Examines the effects of individual goal structures on the intra- and interpersonal behavior of 120 fourth-grade children. Both boys and girls appeared to adopt the evaluations of their work given by the experimenter and appeared to be influenced thereby in later prize-giving to themselves and to others. (Author)

Suggests that teachers need practice in differentiating their responses to student behavior in order that they may enhance the effectiveness of their responses. The author gives some alternatives to the use of praise and also examines four types of praise. (Author/HMV)

The author reports on a study to determine the effect of a training program on the rate of praise statements and reprimands of a mother and the subsequent effect upon her daughter's rate of compliance to requests. (MJB)

The author studied the effects of direct and vicarious reinforcers on cognitive skills of adolescent females. (GW)

This study investigated the effects of parental models plus nondifferential praise, and expansions plus nondifferential praise on 2-year-old children's spontaneous use of color and size adjective-noun combinations. (Author/SB)

Discusses a study of a reinforcement program using a multiple baselin design to teach number names to a learning disability student. Results indicated that a classroom teacher can design and implement a methodologically sound, practical, and effective behavior change program. (JM)

A study of the effects on social behavior of alternate contingency systems in the physical play of six five-year-olds indicated that the frequency of occurrence of a target behavior can be increased, even when both target and ontarget behaviors are reinforced, if the reinforcement of the target behavior is more powerful. (Author/CB)

Monolingual children were assigned to two groups to examine the role of reinforcement in language acquisition. One group was differentially reinforced for use of foreign vocabulary. The other group was first reinforced nondifferentially for use of either native or foreign language and later differentially reinforced for foreign language use. (PCB)

The reactivity of normal preschool children's peer praising behavior to observer presence was investigated during baseline and intervention conditions. Evaluation of an intervention package designed to increase peer praising suggested reactivity to observation during intervention. Results have implications for evaluation of internal validity of…

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…