The Effects of Solicited Attention on Permanent Product Academic Measures

Abstract

The Problem: Changing teacher behavior to deliver attention to students can be difficult and time consuming for both the therapist and teacher. A more efficient approach to obtaining improvement are necessary to measures on permanent product academic measures may be to reinforce students for soliciting teacher attention for their good work. Procedures: Students were delivered a tangible item contingent upon soliciting their teacher's praise for work on reading skills assignments. The number of solicitations for praise was recorded in both reading and math periods. A percent correct score was obtained for each reading assignment and compared to the scores of a reference group. Findings: The children solicited their teacher's praise for reading and math assignments. Three of the four subject children improved on reading assignments as compared to the reference group. Conclusions: It is possible to use a tangible reinforcer to introduce students to natural contingencies that will subsequently maintain soliciting behaviors. Recommendations: This study has lent support to the hypothesis that solicited teacher attention can serve as a reinforcer, but further investigations are necessary to conclusively establish the effects on permanent product academic measures.