Positive and Negative Reinforcement

In the article, “Positive and Negative Reinforcement in Increasing Compliance and Decreasing Problematic Behavior”, (Bernier, Simpson, & Rose, 2012) the authors research the idea of using both positive and negative reinforcement to increase desired behavior.  The subjects preferred positive reinforcement which was edible rewards than to the negative reinforcement which was a break from the task at hand.  The research showed that the combination of both types of reinforcement they saw a decreased undesirable behavior when the reinforcement was dependent upon task completion.

          Using fixed-time reinforcement to change classroom behavior as in, “The Effects of Fixed-Time Reinforcement Schedules on Problem Behavior of Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in a Day-Treatment Classroom Setting” (Rasmussen, & O'Neill, 2006), is using positive reinforcement for students who had frequent verbal disruptions.  These included singing out loud; talking to a peer when teacher was talking, and talking out without raising hand causing disruption.  The students were observed and a fixed time was decided upon. The positive reinforcement desired by these students was teacher/adult attention.  This was successful for this group of students and the teacher saw a decrease in the disruptive behavior.   

Positive reinforcement was also used in the study; “A Token Reinforcement Procedure in a Third Grade Inner City Classroom” (Piper, McKinney, & Wick, 1972) states that elementary teachers usually have a collection of reinforcers within their personalities as well as material goods that the students see as a token/reward.  (I.e. stickers, books, games, computer time, lunch with the teacher, teacher helper, etc.)  The teacher must be able to match the desired reward to the student’s interest.  First in this study the teacher made tokens out of poster board with number denotations on them and gathered three tubs with three different types of snacks/candy.  The students earned tokens for following four specific rules.  They could then use their tokens to purchase rewards.

 After two weeks the teacher added reinforcers beyond candy.  The “natural” reinforcers were added which included teacher’s helper for one day, token distributor for a day, leaving the room to get a drink, time to spend in the art center, privilege of playing with a game or puzzle, lunch with the teacher, etc.  Soon the original candy reinforcer was rarely being selected by the students.  The change in the student behavior and classroom atmosphere had been changed.  This would not work as well in an art room just based on the large amount of students serviced during a week.  However, if you had only one or two students with behavior plans in place it could definitely be carried on through art with the aid of the classroom teacher giving the rewards.  This would also allow the students to see the teachers working collaboratively to make the learning environment better for them. 

I am all for collaborating and continuing the behavior plan that the classroom teachers have in place for certain students when they come into my classroom.  However, the largest problem is getting the classroom teacher to communicate with me what they have in place and what they are doing with specific students. Many times classroom teachers drop their students off at my door and say, “good luck…they are in rare form today!”  I absolutely hate when teachers to this to specialist.  You are setting me AND your students up for failure when this is said in front of the students….becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point.

Check out this article at: 

 Bernier, S., Simpson, C. G., & Rose, C. A. (2012). Positive and negative reinforcement in increasing compliance and decreasing problematic behavior. National Teacher Education Journal, 5(1), 45-51.

 

 

Pre-K students creating "themselves".  They really were into the dressing and attaching hair!!  This was their first time being able to dig through the scrap boxes and finding just the right materials they wanted to use!!Amazing to see what they come up with and the detail that they put into the person.