Asking constituents to rally around a cause and make stretch gifts when they're already suffering unprecedented hits to their personal finances sounds more like a fool's errand than a best practice in fundraising. The economic crisis has added a tricky new aspect to operating in campaign mode, but savvy fundraisers haven't given up, scaled back,…

The relations among preemptive parenting (i.e., a hypothetical set of strategies parents can use prior to child misbehavior that serves to prevent or avoid undesirable child behaviors), dysfunctional discipline, and praise were examined. Forty mother-toddler (M age = 26.15 months, SD = 5.60) dyads interacted in a standard laboratory task designed…

When she received our call for submissions, high school educator Ariane White saw it as a pedagogical as well as an artistic opportunity. Moved by the shift in the country's leadership, she chose to express her reaction in the following poem. She then used her poem as a teaching and organizing tool, sharing it with colleagues and students in an…

This project assessed an intervention to improve employee customer service behaviors (correct greetings and closing behaviors). A combination of task clarification and manager-delivered social praise resulted in increased correct greeting from 11.5% to 66% and correct closing from 8% to 70%. The effect was maintained at a 48-week follow-up for…

Few direct-assessment procedures are designed to identify potential negative reinforcers (e.g., including demands in the escape condition of functional analyses). Two participants were systematically exposed to a series of demands nominated by caregivers as potential negative reinforcers. Sessions ended following the first instance of problem…

Research begun in the 1960s provided the impetus for teacher educators to urge classroom teachers to establish classroom rules, deliver high rates of verbal/nonverbal praise, and, whenever possible, to ignore minor student provocations. In that there have been significant advances in the knowledge of what constitutes effective classroom…

Positive psychology offers rehabilitation counselor educators a framework to help students evaluate their own competencies and understand the value of a strengths-based approach to rehabilitation counseling. This article reviews several positive psychology techniques and discusses recommended uses as well as their effectiveness. Positive…

In society, expertise bestows directive power--the authority to tell others what to do and how to do it, or simply to do it for them. In a school system that still operates on an authoritarian model, the author's expertise as a writer and teacher gives her directive prerogative when responding to student writing. Traditionally, teachers have used…

Research examining the relationships among Maori cultural identification, drinking behaviour, drinking motivation and mental health is almost non-existent. A review of literature suggests that stronger Maori identification could be associated with lower alcohol consumption on a typical occasion, less frequent drinking, drinking to enhance mood or…

Several review and epidemiological studies have been conducted over recent years to inform behavior analysts of functional analysis outcomes. None to date have closely examined demographic and clinical data for functional analyses conducted exclusively in public school settings. The current paper presents a data-based summary of 90 functional…

Considerable evidence from outside of operant psychology suggests that aversive events exert greater influence over behavior than equal-sized positive-reinforcement events. Operant theory is largely moot on this point, and most operant research is uninformative because of a scaling problem that prevents aversive events and those based on positive…

Research indicates that students with significant needs, including students with autism spectrum disorder, benefit from participating in schoolwide positive behavior supports (SWPBS). Outlined here is how schools can fully implement SWPBS, thus providing a more supportive setting for students on the spectrum.

How do you help students who "act out" or "shut down" due to academic frustration or whose social and emotional issues keep them from achieving success in school? Based on Project ACHIEVE, a nationally recognized model of school effectiveness and continuous improvement program, this book shows you how. Educators will find a pragmatic,…

Assessment and identification of children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is complex and involves multiple techniques, levels, and participants. While federal law sets the general parameters for identification in school settings, these criteria are vague and may lead to inconsistencies in selection and interpretation of assessment…

Creating a positive and engaging classroom atmosphere is one of the most powerful tools teachers can use to encourage children's learning and prevent problem behaviors from occurring. Teachers' responses to children's appropriate and problem behavior can help set the tone of the classroom environment. Creating positive interactions between a…