Forty adult overweight female volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (1) two self-control instruction conditions; (2) an automatic immunization instruction group; and (3) a no treatment control group. In the self-control groups, treatment was presented as an aid to gaining self-control over behavior, while in the automatic…

The use of operant conditioning techniques in a classroom for educationally handicapped children was studied to determine if it would result in a reduction of maladaptive behavior. The subjects consisted of an experimental and a control group of elementary school children, with an IQ range in the experimental class of 88 to 119. The experimental…

B. F. Skinner's suggestions concerning control of society are discussed with reference to the kinds of control already taken over children and students. An emphasis is placed upon the behavioral goal as a necessary characteristic of educational and child rearing procedures. It is suggested that a prejudice against the young allows us to use…

The classroom teacher should be proficient in the use of the operant conditioning principles of positive reinforcement and extinction. An eight-step outline of one approach to modifying classroom behavior uses and builds on these principles. People have been afraid to use scientific knowledge of human behavior because of their fear of being…

The paper briefly explains operant conditioning as it pertains to special educators. Operant conditioning is thought to be an efficient method for modifying student behavior. Using the B. F. Skinner frame of reference, operant conditioning is said to include behavior modification and therapy, programed instruction, and computer assisted and…

THE EFFECTS OF SPECIFIC OPERANT AND MODELING PRINCIPLES ON INCREASING ATTENTIVE (TASK-ORIENTED) CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR OF HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN WERE STUDIED. THE METHODS OF BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATION USED IN THE STUDY WERE DISCRIMINATION-MODELING AND OPERANT CONDITIONING. SUBJECTS WERE 24 STUDENTS FROM GRADES 1 THROUGH 4 WHO WERE JUDGED HYPERACTIVE BY…

This study compared children's dependence on situational cues by a model to their reliance on the general affective valence of the model, in order to assess the role of each in determining vicarious changes in preference. Subjects were forty 4-year-olds attending a day care center. Among five toys used in pilot testing, a box of clothespins was…

The material in this beginning book for vocational students presents fundamental principles needed to understand the heating aspect of the sheet metal trade and supplies practical experience to the student so that he may become familiar with the process of determining heat loss for average structures. Six areas covered are: (1) Background…

This project was designed to collect information on the types of skills common to the appliance repair, refrigeration, and air conditioning service areas. A single task inventory was constructed from available course materials, revised by consultants, and administered to a random sample of 30 incumbent workers in each of the two service areas in…

Three experiments were conducted in a variety of settings to test the effectiveness of differential reinforcement of other behavior in reducing high rates of inappropriate behavior in 6 mildly and severely retarded children (8-14 years old). (Author/CL)

A 13-year-old congenitally blind black girl was involved in a study designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a longitudinal behavior modification approach in extinguishing "blindisms" (persistent autistic-like behaviors) in a variety of settings. (SB)

Describes the Dorm 5 experiment at Windham College, Putney, Vermont, designed to create a living environment to assure individual rights and intellectual values through positive reinforcement techniques following operant conditioning. Problems of vandalism and noise were solved as physical space was utilized to meet student needs for social and…

An overview is presented of systematic behavioral analysis as a method for modifying both social and cognitive behaviors through reinforcement. Various techniques are explained: response differentiation, shaping, chaining, fading, extinction, timeout, and response cost. (SJL)

The article reviews the recent literature dealing with teaching autistic children acceptable behaviors using behavior modification techniques. (DLS)