Sounds a cautionary note about the advances being made in operant conditioning and describes how behaviorism might be used to control people by stripping them of their freedom and dignity. (RB)

An investigation of the applicability of behavior modification techniques to the operant crying behaviors (OCBs) in a regular kindergarten classroom was conducted. With baseline, reinforcement, and extinction conditions, the OCBs of two 5-year-old subjects were significantly decreased between baseline and reinforcement conditions. (Author/CS)

Children's avoidance responses were conditioned and then extinguished in a laboratory analog of a social threat situation. (DP)

Depression in a college population was found to be correlated with small changes in many activities rather than with the large reductions in overt behavior reported for clinically depressed individuals. Results of the study suggest the possibility of an operant component in maintaining depressive behavior. (Author)

Forty-five youngsters rehearsed one of three types of mediating response, involving different types of sentences. Analyses revealed that different training significantly influenced duration and intensity settings, with the "competence" group generally superior to the "stimulus" and "neutral" verbalization groups. (Author)

This paper presents a pilot study designed to suggest an experiential interpretation of the development of extreme activity levels in infants (specifically, hyperactivity) and to demonstrate that general activity in infants may be influenced by the reinforcement contingencies established by mothers. Subjects were three 13-week-old infants. Operant…

Behavior can be modified because it is governed by its consequences. Observable behavior, excluding its causes, is modified by the application of techniques derived from B.F. Skinner's operant learning theory. Optimum effects can be achieved only after thorough knowledge of the child is gained, particularly in the area of his capabilities. The…

Thirty five volunteer college women were divided into three groups to determine if heart rate could be conditioned instrumentally and lowered during exercise stress on the treadmill. The three groups were a) experimental group I, 15 subjects who received instrumental conditioning with visual feedback; b) instrumental group II, 9 subjects who…

The purpose of the present study was to investigate more directly the effects of content and repetition of contingent visual feedback on a discrete operant pulling response and accompanying visual attention in 24 six- to seven-month old infants. Simultaneous recording was made of infant operant behavior and visual attention. Results indicated…

One in a series of over 50 similar listings relating to handicapped and gifted children, the bibliography contains 81 references selected from Exceptional Child Education Abstracts concerning behavior modification. The following information is provided for each entry (which includes research reports, conference papers, journal articles, texts, and…

Instructional academic material from regular class course offerings was used with 125 high school special education students. (Author/CL)

The article proposes a tripartite sequence of "I, IT, YOU" statements for helping students at work. The three-step guide to action presupposes the value of encouragement. (NQ)

Hypothesis refining is the combining of two separate rules (conjunctive concept), the combination of which is more accurate than either rule alone. Each of 70 subjects was reinforced independently for either rule alone or their combination under one and only one of seven reinforcement conditions. Tests Verplanck's paradigm, a model for studying…