In a sentence-completion task, eighty sixth-grade students were assigned specific difficult goals or general goals ("do your best"). Subjects received one of four levels of monetary incentive. Specific difficult goals produced higher performance than nonspecific across various incentive conditions, and maintained those levels when previously…

Fifth-grade students classified as high or low in self-concept were paired in an achievement-related task in which one succeeded and one failed. High self-concept children attributed success more to their high ability and engaged in more positive self-reinforcement than did low self-concept children. Results were discussed within an attribution…

Measures the relative effectiveness of a short-term punishment versus a snort-term positive reinforcement contingency system for reducing the frequency of specific inappropriate behaviors of a group of senior elementary students. Students were directly involved in identifying the different types of discipline so that they might help determine the…

The reward structure of a classroom refers to the rules under which students are reinforced for academic achievement. Various types of interpersonal reward structures--competitive, cooperative, and independent--are discussed. Studies of the effects of rewards on performance, attitudes and interpersonal relations are reviewed, emphasizing…

Outlines the management-by-objectives process used to monitor, train and develop personnel in a youth service project. (BR)

The extended resident outdoor education experience is one of the most successful ways for an individual to have consistent positive experiences in terms of learning, socialization, and growth of self-concept. (Author/JC)

Describes the SUCCESS program which is based on the idea that success plays a major role in determining a child's self concept and future goal setting behavior, and that systematic parental attention and positive reinforcement are basic to helping each child feel successful and valuable as a person. (MS)

Acquisition, discrimination, and review training were used to teach four severely retarded adolescents to tell time to the nearest 5-minute interval. All subjects acquired the target behavior, and three of four maintained appropriate responses after 8 weeks. Discrimination errors and the social relevance of the skill are discussed. (Author/JW)

Four young mothers with one-year-old infants were successfully taught to reduce their children's potential for injury in the home through interventions which included increasing positive interactions with the infant, child-proofing the home, using playpen time-out for potentially dangerous behaviors, and giving positive attention for safe…

Suggestions on how to improve physical education by improving the classroom environment and teaching methods and by inviting full participation of students, faculty and administration are given. (JL)

Two studies are reported in which the behaviors of four infant class teachers in England and their respective classes were observed and recorded. The aim of the studies was to examine the effects of contingent teacher touch behavior upon children's classroom behavior. Touch was found to increase on-task behavior and decrease disruptive behavior.…

Describes the efforts of the Sara Lee Corporation in adopting an urban Chicago high school in order to encourage good grades. Professional football player Willie Gault's role as academic team "captain" is discussed. Program elements such as business education class speakers, peer tutors, scholarships, faculty support programs, and…

Presents an annotated bibliography for children in kindergarten through grade six. The titles in this bibliography focus not on world problems but more on the child's everyday world, particularly in the home and community. They positively strengthen and reinforce children's own world views and illustrate active roles children can play. (BB)

Explores the effects of positive and negative reinforcement in the classroom and the role of language in the "celebration of learning." (HTH)

Observation of 97 teachers during group instruction of elementary students with mental retardation, severe multihandicaps, and learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders revealed that teachers made limited use of praise over criticism in managing classroom behavior. (CL)