The application of generalized correct social contingencies: an evaluation of a training program.

Striefel et al. (1974) taught classroom aides to notice and praise appropriate behavior. They used a multiple-baseline design across staff in a residential preschool. Trainers gave each aide short feedback after short observation sessions. They wanted to see if the feedback would stick after they stopped watching.

Staff started giving more attention to kids' appropriate behavior right away. When feedback ended, the higher rates stayed. The authors said the gains 'persisted' without continued observation.

Fifty years later, Fuesy et al. (2025) ran a near-copy of the study in a group home. They also saw quick gains, but the gains vanished when the observer stepped out. Their data suggest the 1974 'persistence' may have been observer reactivity: staff behaved because they still felt watched.

Alsop et al. (1995) kept the feedback idea but moved it up the chain. They trained supervisors to give feedback to aides. Aides' teaching skills stayed sharp longer when their boss knew how to coach. The 1974 paper focused on outside trainers; the 1995 paper shows you can build the same skill inside the house.

Petscher et al. (2006) added self-monitoring to feedback in a classroom for students with disabilities. Staff kept running a token economy correctly even after prompts were removed. The package (feedback plus self-tracking) outlasted feedback alone, updating the 1974 model.

If you give staff feedback, assume the behavior will drop once you leave unless you plan for it. Add self-monitoring, supervisor coaching, or visible permanent cues. Watch Fuesy et al. (2025) for modern tips on keeping gains real.