Reproduced here are symposia papers dealing with behavior theory and therapy. Behavior therapy attempts to apply the findings of experimental psychology and the laboratory to the clinic. It takes the principles of learning and scientific psychology and makes them useful therapeutically. The two orientations in this area are operant and classical…

This interim report presents an introduction to a research study designed to develop educational procedures for modifying deviant behavior in children. A five-component treatment model was developed and research designed to evaluate the weights of each variable in the treatment process. Studies were designed to define strategies that would…

Special schools or special classes are the prevalent vehicles of deviant behavior modification, although it is proposed here that effort should be first made to determine variables which influence behavior development and disturbance in the regular classroom. A need is seen to develop methods useful in regular classrooms to prevent or intervene in…

Two methods of scheduling reinforcement, differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) and differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL), were investigated in two experiments that demonstrated each procedure's effectiveness in reducing misbehavior when used by teachers in school settings. A third experiment was undertaken to…

In this paper it is argued that successful parenting techniques can be applied by classroom teachers to increase their teaching effectiveness. Based on a review of research on effective parenting, three factors were identified as being especially important to parenting success: (1) the use of affect when controlling children, (2) the organization…

Films function as a persuasive process in that they bring about a reinforcement or change in attitude, belief, or behavior by producing a cognitive restructuring of the audience's frame of reference. Organized research into the effects of films falls into two categories: macro-media studies exploring the way films reflect the psychological…

Guidelines are offered on the technique of establishing understanding between pupil, teacher, and parent by formal and informal conferences. Means of establishing goals for individual students are suggested, and methods of evaluating performance are given. The importance of communication between parent and teacher by means of conferences and…

Approaches to organizational change are examined, and the means for overcoming resistance to change are suggested. Seven models of change commonly used are identified as: (1) decree; (2) replacement of personnel; (3) structural reorganization; (4) group agreement; (5) data discussion; (6) group problem solving; and (7) T group. The sixth change…

The trainers guide was developed to facilitate the implementation of four inservice training modules by local educational agency personnel. The modules are separate but an overview and descriptions of audience, objectives, organization and process are provided for (1) school/community relations, (2) vocational education, (3) teaching methods, (4)…

The questionnaire in a study of perceived mass media effects included nine statements about the possible negative effects of the mass media, to which respondents could agree, disagree, or indicate "no opinion," and an open-ended question that asked the subjects what effects the mass media had on them personally. Most of the 340…

The study examined the effectiveness of teaching self-management of classroom on-task behavior to four mentally retarded/emotionally disturbed children (6-9 years old). Also explored were the effects of procedures on disruptive behavior, task performance, and task accuracy. Following baseline, a standard token program was instituted. After…

Background music has significant implications for the teaching-learning process in special education. Unobtrusive or background music is a powerful medium which can accentuate, maintain or attentuate overt behaviors in response to conscious sensory stimuli, and special educators could use music as a tool to increase the effectiveness and…

Rhetorical activity is fundamental to the process of psychotherapy. This paper discusses a study of the consistent use of rhetorical strategies in distinctly different forms of psychotherapy as an initial step in analyzing the effectiveness or failure of therapeutic situations. The data for this two-part study consisted of eleven hours of…

Major problem areas in evaluating token economies for psychiatric inpatients are identified and discussed. Three categories of methodological deficiencies frequently encountered in the token economy literature are described: (1) inadequate specification of treatment procedures; (2) insufficient or inadequately described dependent measures; and (3)…

The impulsivity-reflexivity dimension of cognitive style is a variable that significantly affects a learning/teaching situation. Previous investigations have suggested, for example, that learners with an impulsive cognitive style are at a disadvantage in problem-solving situations. This review focuses on investigations into four specific…