Group Contingency Research Articles

Can providing incentives to stop smoking to adult smokers of mixed populations increase quit rates?

High‐certainty evidence shows that providing incentives such as cash for abstinence (contingent rewards) or monetary incentives in the form of vouchers or more complex payment schedules to adult smokers from mixed populations improves smoking cessation rates at 6 to 24 months. However, quit rates were very low in both groups (70 vs 47 per 1000 people). In addition, some trials compared contingent reward and automatic reward groups, with the latter serving as the control group. Trials did not assess adverse events associated with incentives.

СТРАТЕГІЧНІ ОРІЄНТИРИ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ПРОМИСЛОВИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ

The article seeks to explore the concepts of building strategy and strategic guidelines for industrial enterprises to ensure their economic security. It should be noted that in modern business settings, company strategy is of long-term character and is affected by a wide range of economic activity factors. Operating in industrial sector of the economy is associated with multicomponent production arrangements that challenge the need for high-quality technical support. In this regard, investment activity is of critical importance to industrial enterprises. Its key strategic priority is to promote research and development, technological and technical modernization of production. Within the scope of this study, the two issues of the industrial enterprise investment plan have been addressed, i.e. investment funds attracting and their placement. Investment generation to upgrade the production process, along with gaining additional benefits triggers certain risks inherent to such type of financial instruments. In the context of setting strategic guidelines for industrial enterprises, it is suggested to consider investment security as a subsystem and critical element in the economic security system. It is argued that investment security policy should be developed within the framework of tactical planning, since investment security is only part of the overall economic security paradigm. However, the outcomes of such activities should be anticipated at the stage of designing strategic guidelines for efficient enterprise functioning. While implementing the company strategy, it is proposed to divide the total range of tactical actions into two contingent groups: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal activities are targeted on enhancing the enterprise capacity building which in turn will make a resource base for facilitating the transition to the next stage of approaching the desired effect or a final goal. It is also argued that selecting strategic priorities and developing pathways to implement them is a complex and multifaceted process that requires a thorough approach for setting strategic objectives as well as elaborating interim stages in total enterprise development plan.

Improving Student Behavior in Middle School Art Classrooms: Initial Investigation of CW-FIT Tier 1

Classroom management is commonly challenging in middle schools. Class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT) is a multitiered intervention designed to decrease problem behaviors at the classroom level. It is comprises evidence-based practices such as teaching classroom expectations, increasing teacher praise, and using positive reinforcement in an interdependent group contingency. CW-FIT has shown promise in a variety of school settings, but it has not been tested in middle school art classrooms. This initial investigation examined the effects of CW-FIT using a single-subject ABAB design in two middle school art classrooms. Results indicated that class on-task behavior increased by more than 25% and teacher praise-to-reprimand ratios more than doubled during CW-FIT implementation compared with baseline levels. Results also indicated that on-task behavior for students identified as at risk for behavioral disorders improved by more than 18% during the intervention. Teachers and students found the intervention to be socially valid. Resulting implications were promising for using CW-FIT in other middle school art classrooms.

Efficacy of teacher-implemented good behavior game despite low treatment integrity.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a well-documented group contingency designed to reduce disruptive behavior in classroom settings. However, few studies have evaluated the GBG with students who engage in severe problem behavior in alternative schools, and there are few demonstrations of training teachers in those settings to implement the GBG. In the current study, 3 teachers were trained to implement the GBG in a restrictive setting for students with histories of emotional and behavioral disorders and delinquency. The teachers used the GBG to produce substantial reductions in problem behavior despite low treatment integrity. Clinical implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Technology-Based Contingency Management in the Treatment of Substance-Use Disorders.

Contingency management is one of the most efficacious interventions to promote drug abstinence. Contingency management has traditionally been delivered in person so that clinicians could confirm drug abstinence and provide access to additional therapeutic services. Now, new technologies not only permit remote confirmation of abstinence, but also remote delivery of incentives. We discuss several technology-based tools to assess substance use, and new ways to deliver contingency management to promote tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis abstinence. These new tools have the potential to dramatically increase access while maintaining high levels of treatment fidelity. Technology-based methods also allow arranging group contingencies that harness online communities, and they permit targeting multiple health-risk behaviors with a combination of sensor-based technologies. Overall, there are unprecedented opportunities to link technology with contingency management to promote drug abstinence.

Improving Student Behavior in Middle Schools: Results of a Classroom Management Intervention

Transitioning from elementary to middle school is a time of particular vulnerability for students with behavior problems. This study examined the effects of class-wide function-related intervention teams (CW-FIT) in three middle school classrooms to determine whether this multitiered intervention could help teachers proactively manage student behavior. With a focus on teaching classroom expectations, delivering behavior-specific praise, and providing differential reinforcement within an interdependent group contingency, CW-FIT is designed to teach functional replacement behaviors that support students’ academic engagement. Intervention effects were assessed with seventh- and eighth-grade students from diverse backgrounds. Results, evaluated using a single-subject withdrawal (ABAB) design, indicated improved rates of on-task behavior at both class-wide and individual student levels, with corresponding increases in teacher praise and decreases in teacher reprimands. The positive way in which participants viewed CW-FIT implementation and its accompanying effects on student behaviors was consistent with earlier findings in elementary schools. Study limitations and areas for future research are discussed.

Exploring the Influences of Assessment Method, Intervention Steps, Intervention Sessions, and Observation Timing on Treatment Fidelity Estimates

Treatment fidelity data are critical to evaluate intervention effectiveness, yet there are only general guidelines regarding treatment fidelity measurement. Initial investigations have found treatment fidelity data collected via direct observation to be more reliable than data collected via permanent product or self-report. However, the comparison of assessment methods is complicated by the intervention steps accounted for, observation timing, and intervention sessions accounted for, which may impact treatment fidelity estimates. In this study, we compared direct observation and permanent product data to evaluate these varied assessment and data collection decisions on treatment fidelity data estimates in three classrooms engaged in a group contingency intervention. Findings revealed that treatment fidelity estimates, in addition to being different across assessment method, are, in fact, different depending on the intervention steps assessed, intervention sessions accounted for, and observation timing. Implications for treatment fidelity assessment research, reporting in intervention research broadly, and implementation assessment in practice are described.

Assessing the Differential Effects of Known and Mystery Rewards in a Preschool-Based Group Contingency

Group contingencies have been used successfully to modify a variety of behaviors for children with diverse characteristics across multiple settings. However, these interventions have not been applied to increase social interactions (SI) between typically developing children and those with multiple or severe disabilities (MSD). Furthermore, little research has been conducted to examine whether differential outcomes are associated with the type of reward used (known or mystery). The purpose of this study was to examine the differential effects of known versus mystery rewards on the SI of preschool children with and without MSD within an independent group contingency. The findings indicated that although there were no differences in levels of SI between reward types, both were superior to the baseline condition and were viewed as socially valid by classroom teachers and naive raters. In addition, this study was conducted with high methodological quality exceeding that of previous group contingency research conducted in preschool settings and of other studies examining the differential effects of known and mystery rewards. The results provide meaningful information regarding practices that support children with MSD and add to the group contingency literature.

The Good Behavior Game: A brief review

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a group contingency that reduces disruption and increases engagement in various contexts. In recent years, researchers have extended the GBG in at least 3 ways: (a) demonstrating its efficacy with novel populations, settings, and behaviors, (b) examining procedural variations that improve contextual fit, and (c) using more comprehensive data collection methods to explore the behavior of individual students and indirect effects. The purpose of the current review is to summarize recent advances, discuss implications of recent studies and potential mechanisms for the general efficacy of the GBG, and suggest future directions.

Group Contingencies to Improve Classwide Behavior of Young Children

Group Contingencies to Improve Classwide Behavior of Young Children

Interdependent Group Contingencies Reduce Disruption in Alternative High School Classrooms

Group contingencies have been indicated to be effective in reducing disruptive behavior and increasing academic engagement in school settings. Previous research has demonstrated their efficacy with a wide range of student ages, but there have been few studies with older students who engage in severe disruptive behavior. In the current study, we implemented an interdependent group contingency in three high school classrooms of students aged 14–19 years with histories of delinquency, emotional and behavioral disorder diagnoses, or both. Results indicated that interdependent group contingencies can be effective in reducing the disruptive classroom behavior of these students. Implications for future research and special considerations for this population are discussed.

Effects of Rules and Feedback on Classroom Behavior of Adolescents in a Residential Treatment Setting.

Over the past 30 years, researchers have shown that various types of group contingency procedures can decrease problem behavior displayed by young children in academic settings. Recently, researchers have demonstrated that presession rules, within-session feedback, and interdependent group contingencies (i.e., contingently delivered tangible and edible items) increased appropriate behavior displayed by detained adolescents in a residential treatment facility. Nevertheless, it is possible that rules with feedback about rule violations could produce comparable outcomes. To address this question, we used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across classrooms to evaluate the extent to which rules, visual feedback (i.e., marks on a board denoting rule violations), and postsession feedback decreased problem behaviors in three classrooms within a residential detention facility. Results indicate that problem behavior decreased to less than 10% of observation intervals in each classroom. Results from a social validity measure indicate that the procedures and outcomes were acceptable to the respective classroom teachers.

The Effects of Tootling via ClassDojo on Student Behavior in Elementary Classrooms

The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of a tootling intervention, in which students report on peers’ appropriate behavior, modified to incorporate ClassDojo technology, on class-wide disruptive behavior and academically engaged behavior. An A-B-A-B withdrawal design was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention in 3 fifth-grade classrooms. Student-produced tootles were recorded using the ClassDojo website and displayed to students via projector. Reinforcement for tootling was provided through an interdependent group contingency based on the number of tootles produced. Results indicated substantial and meaningful decreases in class-wide disruptive behaviors and increases in academically engaged behaviors during intervention phases compared to baseline and withdrawal phases across all three classrooms. Limitations, implications for practice, and directions for future research are discussed.

Effects of Daily and Reduced Frequency Implementation of the Good Behavior Game in Kindergarten Classrooms.

An effective group contingency, the Good Behavior Game (GBG), has been implemented successfully with a wide range of age groups. However, improvements in student behavior are often not observed when the GBG is abruptly terminated, and research has yet to evaluate the effects of the GBG when the frequency of implementation is reduced. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of the GBG, implemented daily initially then on a less frequent schedule. The study utilized a multiple baseline design across three kindergarten classrooms to evaluate the effectiveness and maintenance of the GBG at reducing classwide and target student disruptive behavior (DB) and increasing classwide and target student academic engagement. Reduced Frequency data were collected while withholding implementation of the GBG. The results indicate that the GBG was highly effective in improving classwide behavior, which was maintained throughout the final Reduced Frequency phase in which the GBG was reduced in frequency, and moderately effective in improving target student behavior during both phases.

Reducing adolescent cell phone usage using an interdependent group contingency.

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an interdependent group contingency on cell phone usage in an alternative high school classroom. We used an ABAB reversal design to test the effects of the contingency on the cell phone usage of the entire class and an individual student. Results showed a reduction in the cell phone use of the class and the individual when the group contingency was in effect, demonstrating a functional relation between the contingency and student cell phone usage. These findings suggest that group contingencies may be efficacious for teachers to use within their classrooms to curb cell phone usage. Further study of this intervention is warranted to determine its generality.

Combining Social Skills Instruction and the Good Behavior Game to Support Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Research indicates that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) may engage in severe disruptions and off-task behaviors in the classroom setting that adversely impact the learning environment. This leads to many students identified as having EBD being placed in alternative education settings, such as restrictive schools or residential facilities. Due to placement in more restrictive environments and high rates of disciplinary actions, it is especially critical to decrease disruptive behaviors for students diagnosed with EBD. In addition, classroom teachers report disruptive behaviors and conduct problems as a major barrier to teaching their students. An ABC multiple baseline across classes design was used in an alternative school setting to evaluate the effects of explicit social skills training combined with a group contingency on class-wide levels of engagement and disruptive behavior. Participants were students in the first through sixth grade diagnosed with EBD. Through the class-wide intervention, social skills acquisition deficits were targeted through social skills instruction and social skills performance deficits were targeted through reinforcement programs. Results showed an increase in engagement and a decrease in disruptive behavior across all classrooms as a result of the intervention package.

Component Analysis of Stay, Play, Talk Interventions With and Without Self-Monitored Group Contingencies and Recorded Reminders

Multitreatment designs were used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of multicomponent Stay, Play, Talk (SPT) interventions on peer social behaviors for two groups of children, each including one Participant With Autism Spectrum Disorder (PWA) and two socially competent peers. Children were trained to use buddy strategies during 5-min free-play sessions in an inclusive preschool classroom. Additional components were systematically introduced, including a self-monitored group contingency and recorded reminders. Dependent variables were the percentage of intervals peers spent staying near and playing with the PWA, as well as the number of verbal social interactions between the peers and the PWA. Functional relations were identified for some behaviors for some participants, with the SPT variation including recorded reminders and the group contingency associated with the most positive outcomes. Further research is needed to determine effects of the group contingency and recorded reminders without peer training.

Classroom management for ethnic-racial minority students: A meta-analysis of single-case design studies.

Diversification trends of U.S. schools make clear the need for evidence-based practices supporting ethnically-racially diverse students. Yet, there are significant hindrances to readily identifying and summarizing findings generated from diverse classroom contexts. The current meta-analytic review was designed to address this gap in the classroom management literature. This review includes single-case design studies conducted in majority ethnic-racial minority classrooms (≥50%) that included a direct comparison of baseline to treatment for behavior management strategies implemented at the whole class level. A total of 22 studies spanning from 1973 to 2014 met eligibility criteria for this review, including 838 students and 46 K-12 classrooms. Results indicate that classwide management approaches applied in diverse classrooms are heavily behavioral and highly effective in improving student behavior (Mτ = |.92|, MHedges's g = 2.52). Overall, interventions that included an individual or group contingency consistently demonstrated large effects and were the most frequently used strategies. However, other interventions displayed comparably high results but were less frequently studied. Findings further revealed significant gaps in the quality and diversity of research completed to date. Specifically, half of the studies did not include cases that met What Works Clearinghouse design standards for demonstrating methodological rigor. There were also few studies that included minority populations other than African American, and there was limited variation in educational settings and intervention designs. Of some concern was the heightened frequency of response cost procedures included in interventions for diverse classrooms, possibly running counter to recommendations that emphasize reinforcement-based strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Remote Alcohol Monitoring to Facilitate Incentive-Based Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Trial.

BackgroundThe delivery of monetary incentives contingent on verified abstinence is an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. However, technological barriers to accurate, frequent biochemical verification of alcohol abstinence have limited the dissemination of this technique.MethodsIn the present randomized parallel trial, we employed a breathalyzer that allows remote, user‐verified collection of a breath alcohol sample, text messaging, and reloadable debit cards for remote delivery of incentives to evaluate a contingency management treatment for alcohol use disorder that can be delivered with no in‐person contact. Treatment‐seeking participants with alcohol use disorder (n = 40) were recruited from the community and randomized to either a contingent or a noncontingent group (n = 20 each). The contingent group received nearly immediate monetary incentives each day they remotely provided negative breathalyzer samples. The noncontingent group received matched monetary payments each day they successfully provided samples independent of alcohol content. Groups were not masked as awareness of group contingencies was an essential intervention component.ResultsThe primary outcome of the intent‐to‐treat analyses (analyzed n = 40) was percent days abstinent as measured by the remote breathalyzer samples. Abstinence rates in the contingent group were 85%, which was significantly higher than the 38% recorded in the noncontingent group, corresponding to an odds ratio of 9.4 (95% CI = 4.0 to 22.2). Breathalyzer collection adherence rates were over 95%, and participant ratings of acceptability were also high.ConclusionsThese results support the efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility of this remotely deliverable abstinence reinforcement incentive intervention for the initiation and near‐term maintenance of abstinence from alcohol in adults with alcohol use disorder. Due to low provider and participant burden, this procedure has the potential for broad dissemination.

Does the Good Behavior Game evoke negative peer pressure? Analyses in primary and secondary classrooms.

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom management system that employs an interdependent group contingency, whereby students work as a team to win the game. Although previous anecdotal data have suggested that this arrangement may promote prosocial behavior, teachers may have concerns about its fairness and potential to evoke negative peer interactions (especially toward students who break the rules). We evaluated disruptive behaviors and social interactions during the GBG in a secondary classroom for students with emotional and behavioral disorders, as well as in a primary classroom for students with mild developmental disabilities. Results indicate that the GBG reduced disruptive behaviors; further, negative peer interactions decreased and positive interactions increased when the game was being played. Social validity results indicate that the majority of students thought the interdependent group contingency was fair.