A behavioral-educational alternative to drug control of hyperactive children.
A classroom token economy for correct academic answers can replace stimulant medication for hyperactivity while pushing scores from 12% to 85% correct.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team worked with hyperactive boys in a regular classroom. They set up a token system. Kids earned tokens for every correct math or reading answer.
No pills were given. The study ran a multiple-baseline across subjects to show control.
What they found
Hyperactivity dropped to the same low level seen with stimulant drugs. Academic scores jumped from 12% correct to 85% correct.
The gains stayed high as long as the tokens were delivered.
How this fits with other research
Rapport et al. (1982) repeated the drug-vs-token test seven years later. They used response cost instead of token gain and still beat Ritalin. This shows the effect is not a one-time fluke.
Barber et al. (1977) looked like a contradiction at first. They found meds helped aggression at home while behavior plans only worked in clinic. The key difference is setting: T et al. kept the whole program inside one classroom, so contingencies were always present.
Cariveau et al. (2017) extends the idea to modern group contingencies. They showed that reinforcing academic work, not just quiet sitting, still cuts disruption even when the teacher steps out.
Why it matters
You can match medication-level calm and big academic gains with nothing more than pennies, point sheets, and praise. Start with the subject the child finds easiest, deliver one token per correct answer, and chart both accuracy and hyperactivity. You may find the IEP team can lower or drop the stimulant dose.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A behavioral procedure for controlling hyperactivity without inhibiting academic performance is described. Using a time-sample observational method, the hyperactivity displayed by three school children was recorded during math and reading classes. Concurrently, math and reading performances were measured. The study consisted of two baselines, one while the children were on medication and the second while they were off medication. A multiple-baseline design across the two academic subject matters was used to assess the behavioral intervention, which consisted of token reinforcement for correct academic responses in math and subsequently math and reading. Discontinuation of medication resulted in a gross increase in hyperactivity from 20% to about 80%, and a slight increase in math and reading performance. Introduction of a behavioral program for academic performance, during no medication, controlled the children's hyperactivity at a level comparable to that when they were on drugs (about 20%). At the same time, math and reading performance for the group jumped from about 12% during baseline to a level of over 85% correct. Each child performed behaviorally and academically in an optimal manner without medication. Contingency management techniques provided a feasible alternative to medication for controlling hyperactivity in the classroom while enabling the children to grow academically.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1975 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1975.8-137