Programming a randomized dependent group contingency and common stimuli to promote durable behavior change

Cariveau and team worked with three second-grade reading groups.

They used a randomized dependent group contingency.

Each day one mystery student was picked.

If that student met the engagement goal, the whole group earned a prize.

The twist: they kept the same posters and point cards even after prizes stopped.

This is called common stimuli.

They wanted: baseline, contingency on, contingency off with posters still up.

While prizes were active, engagement jumped from a large share to a large share.

After prizes ended but posters stayed, kids still worked hard at a large share.

Only when posters were removed did engagement fall back to baseline.

The posters alone kept the behavior alive.

Jones et al. (2019) used the same contingency style with high-schoolers.

They cut cell-phone use fast, but never tested what happens after rewards stop.

Cariveau shows the missing piece: keep visual cues to lock in gains.

Zerger et al. (2017) ran a near-copy of the procedure at recess.

They paired active and inactive kids and used a daily public lottery.

Steps rose just like reading engagement did, proving the trick works across subjects.

Regnier et al. (2022) reviewed dozens of token studies.

They say the best way to keep gains is to thin rewards and add self-monitoring.

Cariveau offers a simpler path: just leave the posters up.

No extra steps, no fading, still durable.

You can run this tomorrow in any small group.

Pick one mystery student, set a clear rule like "eyes on text for 5 minutes," and post the score.

After a week, stop the prizes but leave the chart.

The room itself keeps the kids on task.