Effects of the Good Behavior Game on student and teacher behavior in an alternative school
Good Behavior Game quickly tamed disruption and lifted teacher praise in alternative-school rooms—no extra coaching needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Rubow et al. (2018) ran the Good Behavior Game in two alternative-school classrooms.
The kids had mixed diagnoses and high rates of disruption.
No extra teacher training was given—just the basic GBG rules, team points, and a 5-minute fun activity reward.
What they found
Disruption dropped sharply in both rooms as soon as the game started.
At the same time, teacher praise more than doubled.
Teachers and students both said they liked the procedure.
How this fits with other research
Allen et al. (2016) also cut student problems in special-ed rooms, but they used one-on-one coaching in a mixed-reality simulator.
The GBG study shows you can get the same win without expensive tech or extra coaching time.
Verriden et al. (2019) added punishers when DRA alone failed.
Rubow’s team contingency worked with only reinforcement, hinting that group contingencies may suffice when peer pressure is strong.
Why it matters
If you serve tough classrooms, you can start GBG tomorrow.
Pick two teams, post the rules, hand points for good behavior, and reward the winners with five minutes of basketball or music.
You will likely see fewer disruptions and catch yourself praising more—all without extra training hours or software.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a classroom behavior management procedure that has been shown to be effective in reducing disruptive behavior across many settings and populations (Flower, McKenna, Bunuan, Muething, & Vega, 2014). We investigated the effects of the GBG on student and teacher behavior in two classrooms containing fourth- to eighth-grade students in an alternative school for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Results indicated the GBG reduced disruption and increased the teacher's use of praise relative to reprimands. Social validity measures, collected from both teachers and students, indicated strong approval of the GBG.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2018 · doi:10.1002/jaba.455