Contingent public posting of photographs to reinforce dental hygiene. Promoting effective toothbrushing by elementary school children.
A simple photo on the wall cut dental plaque in first graders—no tokens or money needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Two first-grade classrooms joined a tooth-brushing game. Each morning a dental hygienist checked every kid’s teeth for plaque.
If a child had little or no plaque, the teacher snapped their photo and pinned it on a big “Clean Teeth Club” board in the hallway. The board stayed up all day for everyone to see.
What they found
Plaque scores dropped right after the photos went public. The downward trend held in both rooms.
No stickers, no candy—just a picture on the wall was enough to keep teeth cleaner.
How this fits with other research
Williams-Buttari et al. (2023) gave college students $40 back if they cut phone use. Both studies use a “you can see it” reward—photo or cash—to shape healthy habits. Money worked for young adults; a photo worked for young learners.
Cameron et al. (1996) also ran a classroom study, but they taught reading instead. Matching book level to the child gave the biggest gains. Together the papers show that clear, visible feedback—photo, money, or matched text—drives school-based behavior change.
McIntyre et al. (2002) checked grading accuracy in college CAPSI courses. Like the tooth-brush study, they kept the consequence public and immediate. All three classroom papers line up: show results right away and kids (or college students) respond.
Why it matters
You don’t need a treasure box to improve health skills. Pin up a photo when kids meet the goal—clean teeth, quiet hands, finished worksheet. The public cue becomes the reinforcer. Try it next week: snap a quick pic, post it by the door, watch the behavior stick.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of public posting of photographs as a reinforcer for low levels of dental plaque in first and second grade children. Using a multiple baseline design across classrooms, photographs were used after12 calendar days in classroom A and 28 calendar days in classroom B. Baseline consisted of feedback, instructions for plaque removal, praise for low levels of plaque, or encouragement to try harder if plaque levels were high. The following phase included the above components plus publicly posting the child's photograph contingent on low levels of plaque. When using photographs, there were reductions in the level of plaque in both classrooms, with clear downward trends apparent throughout the treatment phases.
Behavior modification, 1984 · doi:10.1177/01454455840081005