Date of Award
5-2023
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Styleguide
apa
Degree Name
Applied Behavior Analysis: M.S.
Department
Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy
College
School of Health and Human Services
First Advisor
Michele Traub
Second Advisor
Eunju Choi
Third Advisor
Stephen Walker
Fourth Advisor
Benjamin Witts
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
group contingencies, interdependent group contingencies, special education, class-wide interventions, rule-governed behavior, good behavior game
Abstract
Off-task behavior of an individual student can impact the behavior of a class. Group contingencies are an effective behavior management procedure to reduce disruptive behavior and increase academic engagement of a classroom. This study investigated the effects of an interdependent group contingency on the off-task behavior of a special education student. A multiple-baseline design was used to examine whether the intervention could decrease the rate of inappropriate vocalizations and off-task technology use of an individual student as well as their class peers. The interdependent group contingency reduced inappropriate vocalizations by 60.49% for the target student and 62.52% for the class. Off-task technology use was decreased for the target student and their peers by 72.31% and 76.27% respectively. In addition, a correlated increase in academic engagement was observed for the target student and the class once the procedure was fully applied to both target behaviors. The findings suggest the interdependent group contingency reduced off-task behavior of a special education student and increased their academic engagement while further providing an overall reduction in disruptive behavior of the classroom.
Recommended Citation
Anselment, Hannah, "Use of an Interdependent Group Contingency to Decrease the Off-Task Behavior of a Special Education Student" (2023). Culminating Projects in Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy. 101.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/cpcf_etds/101
Comments/Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to my thesis chair, Dr. Michele Traub for your guidance, support, and especially your patience through the many challenges this project faced. I have benefited from your knowledge and experiences, and I will forever be grateful for the time you spent working with me.
Thank you to my mom and dad who spent countless hours watching my daughter to allow me the space and silence needed to write this paper. Your strong support for my success has always been my greatest motivation. Most importantly, thank you to my husband and daughter who provided me with unconditional support and encouragement throughout this entire process.
Many thanks to all the members of the thesis committee for your constructive critiques and recommendations. Your suggestions enhanced my paper and challenged me to include aspects I had not yet considered.