There is a positive relationship between teaching effectiveness and the teacher's perceptions of himself and his abilities. The educational leader should try to enhance the teacher's self-image in order to improve instructional quality. (Author)

The author describes the Medina Senior High School (New York) program to improve student motivation and achievement by positive reinforcement of accomplishment. (DS)

The author recounts his experience in dealing with a child of normal intelligence but an unusually short attention span and physical restlessness. (JD)

In this study, designed to explore the relationship between pleasure and cognitive challenge, 32 normal first grade children and 32 MA-matched familial mentally retarded children were given puzzles representing four difficulty levels. (Author/SB)

A program of cooperation between teachers and professional consultants in the field of mental health made possible the identification of children with problems and the successful modification of their behavior. (JD)

Middle class students received significantly more nonverbal reinforcements than lower class students. However, a reliable difference in frequency of verbal reinforcement was not observed. (Author/DEP)

The absence of genital stimulation in a 16-year-old severely retarded male (IQ 21) was reinforced with a combination of edibles and a stereotypic behavior. Among results were that edibles alone maintained the reductions in genital stimulation, and that withholding edibles had little effect in reducing the stereotypic behavior. (Author/JW)

The article describes the Behavior Management Level System (BMLS), a model program for emotionally disturbed adolescents combining a token economy approach with a hierarchial system of levels which provides an objective standard for graduation from the system. Points are accumulated as immediate reinforcers and traded for tangible or social…

Using language that focuses on what children have achieved and what we want them to achieve (rather than on what they have failed to achieve and what we want them to avoid doing) can help them gain the confidence and positive self-attitudes that encourage positive, responsive behavior. (PGD)

Twenty-three mentally retarded workshop clients were assigned to experimental or control groups in a 10-day intervention. The introduction of music as a reinforcer and elimination of distractions were among easily implemented, cost-effective program changes which resulted in significantly higher productivity rates for the experimental groups.…

Points out that a key to discipline is the developing of a fun-filled friendship between adults and children in the child care environment. Suggests that "me vs. you" situations can be avoided by distracting the child with something interesting and fun, such as directions given in the form of a jingle or song. (RWB)

The "PEZ" candy dispenser has been used effectively to deliver reinforcers to moderately handicapped preschool students who display desirable behaviors. Contingency management procedures are described for using the candy dispenser to deliver reinforcers and subsequently to fade out the edible reinforcer and have the colorful dispenser itself…

Use of primarily reinforcement-based behavioral procedures decreased aggressive pinching in a 10-year-old severely retarded female to near-zero levels. Procedures included differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO), DRO plus timeout, DRO plus response prevention, and differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior. Results were…

The study compared four methods of increasing quantity and quality of play interactions between nonhandicapped and 11 moderately/severely handicapped children in an integrated preschool. Results of contingent reinforcement, reinforcement plus modeling, reinforcement plus behavior management, and reinforcement plus modeling plus behavior management…