Note: Science Research Associates published the book in 1971. I am unsure if the publishers reprinted the book or if it is available to buy. I found it through a university inter-library loan program. I suspect that Becker or Engelmann use the book or some form of it in their special education teaching classes at the University of Oregon.
- Reinforcers sometimes learn their effectiveness
- Competing reinforcers: reinforcers that are stronger than what the planned reinforcer is
- Example: Wanting to stand after sitting for 30 minutes
- Example: Peers paying attention to a student vs. the teacher
- Example: The need to go to the bathroom
- Example: Holidays coming up
- Satiation: a reinforcer’s effectiveness decreases
- Known as “too much of a good thing”
- Example: saying “good” every time a student does something well and he no longer cares about the verbal praise of “good”
- To combat satiation, vary reinforcers
- New or difficult tasks sometimes need more frequent or stronger reinforcement
- With familiar tasks, students know that reinforcement is coming
- But with new and more difficult tasks, students do not know when reinforcement is coming
- Overcome loss in reinfrorcer effectiveness
- Change reinforcers
- Increasing quality or quantity of reinforcers
- Example: if praise and attention do not reinforce a student to work, the teacher can use points to exchange for a reward
- Example: If through a lesson students are not reinforced by what the teacher planned, she can change the reinforcer
- But she focuses on what the students are doing correct to earn the reinforcer so they are encouraged to act inappropriately (i.e. “goof off” because they are losing attention)
- Shift reinforcers frequently
- Watch for attention loss with students by backing up in the lesson or changing the reinforcers
- How to plan a token system
- Start with tokens that can be earned quickly and easily given
- Use a variety of amounts of tokens to earn for reinforcement
- Reinforce often in the beginning and intermittently later on as behavior improves
- Pair tokens with social reinforcement such as verbal praise so you can fade the token system
- Examples of token systems used to help struggling students
- After school program for students academically behind
- The students had cards with squares where they earned check marks (the tokens) for work completed
- New students earned checks for every little amount of work completed
- Students familiar with the program earned checks for increasing amounts or difficulty of work
- Students earned extra points for improvement in grades, attendance, and behavior
- Filled cards of checks were traded for reinforcing things and events
- Examples: going to the circus, zoo, pool, or getting candy, toys, or even bicycles
- Certain amounts of points were also earned so that students could do more preferred activities
- Results: students made 1.5 year academic gains vs. students not on the token system who made .6 year academic gains
- Classroom for students with behavior problems
- Students were often off-task
- Described as being out of seat, talking out, taking with peers, making noises, turning away from work
- Token system was only in effect from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM everyday
- On the first day the students were told the rules and token procedures
- Rules and procedures were put on the board
- Students received notebooks where they received points every 15 minutes
- They could receive 1-10 points at a time
- 10 points meant they were following on-task rules
- 1 point mean they were not following the rules
- Students traded the points for small tangibles
- A variety of tangibles meant that at least one of them would reinforce the students
- Students could trade the tokens at the end of the token period
- After a few days points were given out every 30 minutes instead
- Over time the students had to wait up to four days to trade the tokens
- Results
- The students’ off-task behavior occurred 76% of the time when recorded before the token systems
- After the token system the off-task behavior occurred 10% of the time
- Students also behaved better in other activities when they did not receive points or tangibles
- Informal token systems for single children in the classroom
- Explaining informal token systems for one child to the other children
- A simple explanation is recommended that the student needs extra help
- But if the child needs help with getting along with the class, then the child should earn rewards not just for him but for the class so the other students motivate him
- Example: Jimmy was aggressive in the class and did not do his work
- The teacher sent home a note every day Jimmy did his work and cooperated
- Jimmy was allowed to watch TV for a certain time if he came home with a note
- Example: Aaron distracted others in the class, did not do his work, and hit littler kids when they were coming or leaving school
- Aaron earned check marks on the board for every 10 minutes that he showed good behavior
- When he earned 10 checks, he spent 30 minutes in the kindergarten classroom helping the students with carpentry tools
- The students could only use the tools if he was there to help, so they wanted to see him
- Example: students were playing unsafely outside of the classrooms
- Patrol staff gave tokens to students they saw behaving
- Classrooms with the most chips received signs for their classrooms
- Example: Jack received an X on the board for every half of a day he did not fight with someone
- When he received four Xs he earned a party for the class, so his class wanted him to do well
- Later on he had to receive more Xs
- Example: Kenny was having tantrums often and was sent to the social worker every time
- It was found that he wanted to be sent to the social worker
- So he was allowed to earn time to see her if he showed improved behavior
- Example: teachers encouraged their students to behave well to earn recess time
- First they divided the amount of time to work by the amount of recess time
- For every 5, 8, 10, or 15 minutes of good work behavior shown, 1 minute of recess was earned
- Over time, improved working would mean slightly longer recess time
- Other reinforcers the teacher can use
- Anything that children want to do can be used to reinforce behavior they don’t want to do
- Example: “you can lead the pledge of allegiance since you raised your hand”
- Example: “this row is quiet and ready to get up so they can line up first”
- Example: “he has finished his work so he can help me pass out papers”
- Example: “you worked well today, so what game should the class play at recess?”
- Is reinforcement bribery?
- Bribery for adults means paying someone to do something illegal
- Bribery for children means giving the children something because they protested to do what you asked (like clean their rooms)
- That means you reinforce their protest
- The reinforcement discussed is setting up proposed rewards for the desired behaviors
- The children only get something they want if they do what you ask
- If you find a need to change the reinforcement for a student or students, do not do it when they are misbehaving
- Why else is reinforcement effective?
- Some children have been taught to avoid punishing adults and failure situations (teachers and school)
- To combat this avoidance, you need basic reinforcers to attract the children like food, tangibles, and fun activities
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