Positive antecedent and consequent components in child compliance training.

Four preschoolers who ignored adult requests took part in a university clinic.

The team first tried clear, one-step instructions only. Then they added two things: "time-in" (30 s of adult attention before the request) and praise right after the child obeyed.

Sessions happened during play and clean-up routines. Compliance was scored when the child started the task within 5 s and finished it.

Clear instructions alone lifted compliance from about a large share to a large share.

Adding time-in plus praise pushed all four children past a large share compliance in fewer than ten trials.

Gains dropped a little in follow-up but stayed above a large share without extra training.

Yuwiler et al. (1992) and Waldron et al. (2023) showed the same jump using high-probability request sequences instead of time-in. All three studies prove that stacking easy wins before a hard request works.

Lipschultz et al. (2017) looked like a contradiction: their high-p sequence did nothing. The key difference is they used high-p alone; Dannell blended antecedent warmth with consequent praise. Package beats single part.

Lipschultz et al. (2018) tweaked response form and still saw zero gain. Again, they tested one tiny move; the 2008 package used the full playbook—warm-up, clear cue, and instant praise.

If you want over-a large share compliance, don’t rely on clever prompts alone. Pair any antecedent boost—high-p, time-in, or pre-instruction attention—with immediate labeled praise. The combo takes one extra minute and works in free-play, classrooms, or parent coaching. Try it next session: give 30 s of warm attention, deliver a single clear instruction, and praise the moment the child moves. Track for ten trials; you should see the same leap these clinicians saw.