A 4-week training program for the personnel of two federally supported child day-care centers in Tucson had behavior modification of teacher aides as its objective. It was felt that by their mere presence in the classroom, the aides had an effect on the children and should thus be trained in appropriate behavior patterns and reinforcement…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not systematic verbal positive reinforcement administered by two relatively unsophisticated teachers would favorably affect students' achievement scores. Two kindergarten and two first grade classes served as the experimental population with ten students from each class and one teacher from…

The purpose of this research was to determine if various modes of positive reinforcement can result in the improvement of the beginning speaker's speaking skill. Nine drill sections of a beginning speech course were compared via nonparametric analysis of variance routines. Improvement in gestural skill was ascertained by measuring the differences…

This study pragmatically studied and developed classroom management techniques and teaching strategies to increase pupil interest in the learning process, in the hope of contributing to pupil gain in desirable behaviors. Data was collected from teachers in four states. The classroom problems related by the teachers involved cognitive and affective…

Efforts to humanize the educational system at Kendall College are described. It is first assumed that the competetive nature of the American educational system must produce some failures, and that these failures adversely affect the self-concept of some persons, and in turn limit those persons' adult creativity. Human Potential Seminars were…

The Human Potential Seminars at Kendall College, a part of the Program for Humanized Curriculum Design are described. The Seminars are based on the assumption that every student is gifted in the sense of having unique potentialities. The conviction is held that something is right with the participants; motivation focuses on individual discovery…

On the college level controllable consequences that are likely to improve achievement are scarce and often unimaginatively used. Student assessment and grades have typically been emphasized. The purpose of this study was to determine if achievement could be improved by providing an increase and choice of contingencies following academic…

The relationship between internal-external control of reinforcement and attraction to others who vary in susceptibility to persuasion was investigated. Internals are defined as persons who believe that reinforcement is contingent on their behavior, while externals are those who believe that reinforcement is independent of their actions and is…

Three studies, using handicapped children, investigated: effects of three different reinforcement contingencies (positive reinforcement, removal of positive reinforcement, and combination of positive reinforcement and removal of positive reinforcement) on a steady-state discrimination task; effect of a conditioned emotional response procedure on a…

This study evaluated the effects of covert positive reinforcement (CPR) on a nine-year old, third-grade student who was causing a classroom disturbance. There was an immediate improvement in three target behaviors following the implementation of CPR by the school psychologist. (Author)

The importance of fostering and encouraging a child's natural sense of play is pointed out as a means of helping individual growth toward future happiness and positive attitudes in later life. (JD)

The relative effects of positive reinforcement, response cost, and the two contingencies combined when used as contingencies for correct academic responses were compared on the dependent measures of accuracy of academic performance and level of on-task behavior. All three contingency systems increased academic performance and on-task behavior.…

This study was designed to analyze the extent to which different observers coded examples of communication positiveness in couple interactions. Husband's communication positiveness, wife's communication positiveness, and relationship adjustment were the multiple targets of observation. The data were collected from 27 couples who sought marital…

A checklist listing children's positive, not negative, behaviors, can periodically be sent home by the teacher. This increases school-home communication and often improves classroom behavior as well. (BP)