Two studies assessed the relevance of having students perform exercises with words spelled incorrectly on weekly pretests. Both used a multi-element design in which baseline was followed by the alternation of relevant positive practice and irrelevant positive practice. Both types of tests produced superior spelling scores on weekly posttests.…

The negative interactions of a nine-year-old mildly retarded child were reduced in three daily recess periods, with the use of a point system. Results show that a point system, originally designed for adult monitoring, can be adapted without loss of program effectiveness for peer monitoring and that peer monitors may benefit significantly.…

Describes the Lose to Win Program, a weight loss program for third, fourth and fifth grade students. The program included nutrition education, exercise, and improving the self concept, and involved the use of rewards, and support of parents and school staff. (JAC)

A procedure for teaching compliance (and building student time-on-task) and a sequence for compliance training were effective in radically increasing the compliance and on-task behaviors of a 4-year old severely disruptive child who had learned not to comply. (Author/CL)

Six behaviorally disordered sixth, seventh, and eighth graders participated in jogging and outdoor reading sessions. Three Ss also engaged in winning and losing football contests. An examination of the data indicated that a decrease in talk-outs and increase in teacher ratings and problems completed were associated with vigorous exercise.…

Examines effects of playing violent and nonviolent video games on children's aggressive ideation. Children played a violent or nonviolent video game for eight minutes. Provides initial support, at least on a short-term basis, for notion that the playing of video games affects children's aggression fantasies. (Author/DST)

Forty fourth, fifth, and sixth graders were subjects of a study to investigate changes in locus of control orientations resulting from training in self-regulating procedures. Both external and self-regulating procedures were effective in increasing internal expectancies. Self- regulating procedures decreased disruptive behaviors and, to an extent,…

Treatment studies using the Zung Self-Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression as dependent measures were reviewed to determine whether these scales provide comparable data for assessing treatment effects. Results indicated that the Zung and the Beck showed less change in depression following…

Participants in a communitywide stop-smoking contest were interviewed for cognitive, behavioral, and general smoking modification strategies used and amount of social support received specific to stopping smoking. Subjects reported using a variety of cognitive strategies but relatively few behavioral techniques during their attempts to quit.…

Describes a model for behavioral change which synthesizes behavioral awareness with empirically identified target behaviors. Stages of the model are presented and cautions for implementation are given. Suggests the model can help students gain an understanding of the consequences of behavioral problems. (BL)

The effects of an Assertive Discipline program on reducing out-of-seat and inappropriate talking among third-grade students were investigated. Results indicated a functional relationship between the program and the dependent measures. Social validation was provided by informal measures of teacher behavior and interviews with the principal,…

Physical prompts and physical and social reinforcement within a game format helped to reduce head droop in a three-year-old congenitally visually impaired child. Generalization to untrained settings and a high level of maintenance were also revealed. (CL)

Response blocking, differential reinforcement for the omission of behavior (DRO), and a cuing technique were used with a profoundly retarded deaf/blind boy to reduce his stereotypic behaviors. Treatment was used for three high rate stereotypic behaviors and was found to be effective with each. (Author/CL)

A nine-year-old with violent behavior who participated in nondirective art therapy sessions became less violent and more compliant and cooperative. He learned to project his anger onto the materials (mainly clay) and to express his needs and feelings. (CL)

A multiple baseline-across behaviors design was employed to assess the efficacy of a self-control procedure in eliminating three stereotypic behaviors of a 15-year-old behaviorally disordered, deaf, institutionalized student. The self-control procedure eliminated two of the three target behaviors and significantly reduced the rate of the third.…