title: Effects of reinforcement on children's academic behavior as a function of self-determined and externally imposed contingencies.
abstract: This experiment was designed to compare the effects of contingent reinforcement under conditions of self-determined and externally imposed performance standards. A major purpose was to examine the maintenance of self-imposed performance standards over time. Children in one contingent reinforcement condition self-determined their academic performance standards. The same performance standards were externally imposed upon children in a second contingent reinforcement condition who were yoked to subjects in the first condition. Children in a no-reinforcement control condition performed in the absence of external reward. Behavioral productivity of the self-determination condition was greater than that of the no-reinforcement condition. Further, no attenuation of the efficacy of contingent reinforcement occurred when performance standards were self-determined rather than externally imposed. Over six sessions, children became progressively more lenient in their self-imposed performance demands in the absence of social surveillance.
authors.affiliation: State University of New York at Stony Brook.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Felixbrod
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: O'leary