Individual and group contingencies and collateral social behaviors

Abstract

First individual and next group contingencies were implemented in a sorting task employing nine institutionalized retarded men. A higher frequency of appropriate social behaviors and a lower frequency of inappropriate social behaviors occurred under group task and reward conditions than under individual task and reward conditions. These effects were found to be maintained in a subsequent snack period in which no experimental contingencies were in effect. No difference in task performance was found under the two different contingencies, as it was completed at almost maximal efficiency under both.