Responding to rule violations or rule following: A comparison of two versions of the Good Behavior Game with kindergarten students.
The purpose of this study was to examine the differential effects of 2 versions of the Good Behavior Game (Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, 1969), allocating teacher attention to rule violations (GBG-response cost) and to rule following (GBG-reinforcement), on student and teacher behavior. The participants were 6 kindergarten students who were nominated as the 3 most disruptive students in each classroom. The study was conducted using single-case A/B/A/C/B/C reversal design with each teacher randomly assigned to either GBG-response cost or GBG-reinforcement condition for implementation in the first B phase. Results indicated that both versions were effective at reducing rule violations and that GBG-reinforcement consistently resulted in either comparable or lower levels of rule violations across classrooms and students. In addition, GBG-reinforcement was preferred by the teachers as a better fit to their classrooms. The implications of the findings to teachers and school psychologists in classroom settings are discussed.
Tanol
Gizem
G
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. tatar009@umn.edu
Johnson
LeAnne
L
McComas
Jennifer
J
Cote
Erin
E
D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012951:Socialization; D014040:Token Economy; D014481:United States