Increasing positive social interactions by handicapped individuals during a recreational activity using a multicomponent treatment package.
A short combo of role-play, visual feedback, praise, and self-monitoring lifts friendly talk fast, then fades to kid-run upkeep.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team worked with handicapped kids during a free-play period.
They built a four-part package: role-play, graphic feedback, praise for talking, and self-monitoring.
An ABAB reversal design showed if the package really drove the change.
What they found
Positive peer comments shot up when the package was on.
When it stopped, comments dropped; when it returned, they rose again.
Later, most kids kept the gains with only self-monitoring or light praise.
How this fits with other research
Jones et al. (1977) did the same BST steps a decade earlier for shy, unassertive children.
K et al. added graphic feedback and self-monitoring, making the package easier to fade.
Matousek et al. (1992) saw only tiny, shaky gains in adults with schizophrenia.
The clash is not real: kids learn fast, chronic schizophrenia needs longer, richer support.
Why it matters
You can copy this four-part script in any school or camp session.
Run role-play, show a quick bar chart, praise talking, then hand the clicker to the kid.
Plan to drop extra rewards once self-monitoring keeps the talk flowing.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A multicomponent treatment package increased the rate of positive statements among handicapped youth during a social/leisure activity at a work training setting. The package of role playing, graphic feedback, contingent reinforcement, and self-monitoring was directly replicated across three experiments in producing normative rates of positive verbal statements. There was no evidence of generalization to other stimulus activities. There was limited response generalization to a class of negative verbal statements. The study further examined the critical components of the maintenance package through a withdrawal design. It was found that contingent reinforcement and self-monitoring could maintain substantial rates of positive behaviors. In the third experiment it was further demonstrated that self-monitoring alone could maintain positive statements in three of the four students in the group.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1987 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(87)90057-6