|
Behavior Analysis in Educational Settings |
Sunday, May 25, 2014 |
10:00 AM–10:50 AM |
W196a (McCormick Place Convention Center) |
Area: EDC; Domain: Applied Research |
Chair: Jeanne M. Donaldson (Texas Tech University) |
CE Instructor: Jeanne M. Donaldson, Ph.D. |
Abstract: This symposium includes two talks on the use of the Good Behavior Game in classrooms. One of those talks will describe a systematic replication of the Good Behavior Game in a classroom for students with behavior disorders, and the other will describe the effects of the Good Behavior Game on individual students and on academic performance. The third talk will describe some determinants of verbal-nonverbal (i.e., "say-do") correspondence. |
Keyword(s): group contingencies, verbal-nonverbal correspondence |
|
Some Determinants of Verbal-Nonverbal Correspondence |
KATHRYN GUENEVERE HORTON (University of Florida), Brian A. Iwata (University of Florida), Sarah C. Mead (University of Florida) |
Abstract: Verbal-nonverbal "correspondence" is defined as consistency between what one says and what one does, and "noncorrespondence" refers to a lack of such consistency. Previous research has examined correspondence in either a say-then-do (say-do) sequence, in which the student is asked what (s)he will do and then is given an opportunity to respond, or a do-then-say (do-say) sequence, in which the student is given the opportunity to respond and then asked what (s)he did. In lay terms, correspondence in the say-do sequence is like "keeping a promise," and correspondence in the do-say sequence is like "telling the truth." Because both forms of behavior are valuable, research that identifies the variables that influence both correspondence and noncorrespondence should assist in determining how to strengthen the former and decrease the latter. The current research examines the influence of two potential determinants, the likelihood that one would (or would not) engage in the response promised or reported, and whether engaging (or not) would be detected. |
|
Immediate Effects of the Good Behavior Game on Individual Student Behavior and Academic Performance |
Jeanne M. Donaldson (Texas Tech University), ALYSSA FISHER (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Paul L. Soto (Texas Tech University), SungWoo Kahng (Kennedy Krieger Institute) |
Abstract: The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classwide group contingency that involves dividing students into two or more teams, giving team points for disruptive behavior, and delivering rewards to the team with fewer points or all teams if they scored below a set criterion. The purpose of the current study was twofold: (a) to examine the effects of the GBG on individual student behavior of students identified by their teachers as particularly disruptive, and (b) to determine the immediate effects of the GBG alone on academic performance. Students in two kindergarten classrooms and one first grade classroom participated. A reversal design was used to evaluate the effects of the GBG on individual student behavior. Academic performance was evaluated by comparing standardized scores in classrooms that participated in the GBG evaluation to classrooms within the same school that did not using a repeated measures analysis of variance. The GBG was effective at reducing the disruptive behavior of all 12 participants, but no significant differences in academic scores were found between classes that played the GBG and classes that did not. |
|
Implementation of the Good Behavior Game in Classrooms with Children with Behavior Disorders |
P. RAYMOND JOSLYN (University of Florida), Timothy R. Vollmer (University of Florida) |
Abstract: First introduced by Barrish, Saunders, and Wolf (1969), the Good Behavior Game (GBG) is now a commonly used interdependent group contingency procedure designed to reduce disruptive behavior in classroom settings. In the GBG, a class is divided into two groups, simple rules are made, and contingencies are placed on the students following and breaking the rules. This procedure has been shown effective across various student ages, and its simplicity and long-term effects have contributed to its popularity in school settings. Although it has been systematically evaluated across a wide range of student ages, research on the GBG is lacking in the area of population and setting-specific assessments. In this evaluation, the GBG was implemented at a school for children of various ages with behavior disorders, and this application extends the current literature by systematically replicating the results of the GBG in children with behavior disorders. Implementation of the GBG, population-specific obstacles, results, and future directions are discussed. |
|
|