Citation

Nau PA, Van Houten R, O'Neil A. Educ. Treat. Child. 1981; 4(2): 101-113.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, West Virginia University Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The effects of feedback and a principal-mediated timeout contingency on the disruptive behavior of a class of junior high school students was investigated using a counterbalanced multiple-baseline-across-situations design. After establishing baseline levels of disruptive behavior in math and science classes, students received publicly posted feedback for each instance of disruptive behavior observed by the teacher in math class. Later, a principal-mediated timeout procedure was added, in which students receiving two reprimands were sent to the principal who had them work in a large room adjacent to his office. Students worked in this group timeout area for several days before being permitted to return to their classroom. Next the principal-mediated timeout procedure was introduced during the science period, and later public posting of feedback for disruptive behavior was added. The results demonstrated that the principal-mediated timeout procedure was effective in reducing disruptive behavior in the class. Feedback alone was ineffective, and the addition of feedback to the principal-mediated timeout was no more effective than principal-mediated timeout alone.

Language: en