Token economy plus self-monitoring to reduce disruptive classroom behaviors.

Abstract

The current study examined the effectiveness of a combined token economy and self-monitoring package with a youth displaying a major mental illness and severe aggressive and persistent disruptive behaviors. The student received points for lower rates of aggressive/disruptive behavior and 'bonus' points for accurately self-monitoring and recording his own behaviors. The results indicate that the addition of the self-monitoring component decreased the number of targeted behaviors beyond the substantial reduction of the token economy alone. In the reversal, there was a slight rise in the emission of problem behaviors, yet the frequency was still significantly below baseline. Implications for clinical applications and future research are discussed. Youth diagnosed with Conduct Disorder, Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder or those who have emotional or behavioral problems often experience academic deficits or problems meeting the expectations of schools. These difficulties are often apparent in many other aspects of their lives; including home, social, and recreation. The difficulties experienced by youth with emotional or behavioral disorders include inattention, disruptive behaviors like calling out and out of seat behavior, social skills deficits, aggression and other maladaptive behaviors. Many different interventions have been implemented to decrease the occurrence of these behaviors to acceptable and appropriate levels. For example, behavioral interventions that are typically implemented to manage inappropriate and disruptive behaviors are variations of differential reinforcement of incompatible or appropriate alternative behaviors where the frequency of appropriate behaviors increase and a natural consequence of the increase is a decrease in disruptive inappropriate behaviors (Gaughan & Axelrod, 1989). Additionally, Fontenell and Holloman (1983) investigated the effects of differentially reinforcing hand-raising in a classroom on the rate of disruptive behavior of calling-out for teacher attention. Token economies have also been implemented to decrease disruptive behaviors and increase appropriate behaviors. A token economy is an intervention that includes contingencies in which tokens or points are given following the emission of targeted behaviors. Tokens can then be redeemed for reinforcing objects or activities at a later point in time. Many studies have produced data that affirmed the effectiveness of token economies and contingency plans with behaviorally and /or emotionally-disordered youth for a variety of target behaviors, including aggression, on-task behavior, and social skills (Phillips, 1968). Subsequent studies have investigated token economy procedures to reinforce on-task behavior, reduce disruptive classroom behavior, and improve social skills of youth with weak reinforcement histories and emotional problems. (Ferritor, Buckholdt, Hamblin, & Smith, 1972; Ayllon & Roberts,1974, & Gaughan & Axelrod, 1989). Self-monitoring and self-recording have been examined as a technique to influence behavior change in multiple human populations but few have specifically targeted youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. McLaughlin et al. (1985) found that self-monitoring can improve social behavior and attending behavior in school settings. Few studies have examined the combined effects of token-economies with self-monitoring on disruptive behaviors in a classroom setting. Champagne, et al. (1990) used a token economy to effectively decrease talk outs and inappropriate facial expressions in classroom and group therapy settings. The procedures included a self-monitoring component but the contribution of the self-monitoring to the treatment effect was not investigated. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effects of a combined intervention consisting of a token-economy program with self-monitoring of disruptive classroom behaviors in an adolescent with emotional and behavioral disorders. …