Evaluation of increasing antecedent specificity in goal statements on adherence to positive behavior-management strategies

Cohrs et al. (2016) worked with teachers who wanted to give more behavior-specific praise.

The team wrote two kinds of goals. One said "praise more." The other added an exact number, like "give four praises each period."

They used a multiple-baseline design to see which goal helped teachers follow through.

Teachers barely changed when the goal lacked a number.

As soon as the goal stated a clear frequency target, praise shot up and stayed high.

The jump was large and immediate for every teacher.

Dukhayyil et al. (1973) already showed that feedback plus social praise helps teachers praise more. Cohrs adds the missing piece: tell the teacher exactly how often to do it.

Plant et al. (2007) used visual feedback charts and also raised praise. Cohrs proves you can get the same lift just by writing the number in the goal, no daily chart needed.

LaBrot et al. (2021) later copied the idea with school-psychology students. They kept the frequency target and added video models, showing the trick works for trainees too.

Next time you coach a teacher, skip vague goals like "praise more." Write the exact number you want, such as "deliver five behavior-specific praises per 15-minute block." The teacher knows the target, you can count it fast, and the praise goes up without extra gadgets or long meetings.