Remediation of mutually aversive interactions between a problem student and four teachers by training the student in reinforcement techniques.
Train a disruptive student to give teachers real praise and watch teacher approval climb while conflict drops for weeks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jones et al. (1977) worked with one disruptive student and four teachers. They taught the student to give teachers genuine praise when teachers did things the student liked. The team used an ABAB reversal design to test the effects. They measured how much approval and disapproval flew both ways in class.
What they found
When the student gave more praise, teacher approval rose and teacher disapproval fell. The good climate lasted six weeks after training ended. The student’s own approval shots went up while his disapproval comments dropped.
How this fits with other research
Thompson et al. (1974) showed the same pathway in reverse: cut student disruption and teacher praise naturally rises. R et al. flipped the agent — now the student fuels the loop with praise, not the teacher with discipline.
Rapport et al. (1982) later added tokens for peer tutors who gave praise. Academics and on-task behavior rose for both tutor and tutee, backing the social-power idea with extra reinforcement.
Lerman et al. (1995) extended the trick to classmates. They trained peer tutors to give clear commands and praise for a student with severe disabilities. Problem behavior fell and compliance rose, showing the move works across ability levels.
Why it matters
You can turn a problem student into an ally. Teach him to spot and praise teacher positives. The brief script flips classroom vibes and keeps teacher approval high for over a month. Use it when teacher-student battles block learning.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Write a five-step student script: notice teacher help, say specific thank-you, give reason it helped; rehearse twice and cue him to use it three times each period.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study tested the effect of a social reinforcement training procedure for a problem student on the verbal and nonverbal approval and disapproval of four of the student's teachers. A design incorporating aspects of a multiple baseline within an extended reversal design (ABABA) was employed. Data were taken on the four teachers' approval and disapproval of a student regarded as a major discipline problem and the target student's approval and disapproval of the four teachers during baseline 1, experimental condition 1, baseline 2, experimental conditon 2, and a postcheck or baseline 3 condition six weeks after experimental condition 2. Results showed that increased student approval and decreased disapproval were attributable to training procedures. The increased student approval increased three of the four teachers' approval and decreased the disapproval of all four teachers. Six weeks after experimental condition 2, both approval and disapproval by three of the four teachers and the student and disapproval by all four teachers and the student remained changed over baseline conditions. Student and teacher approval and disapproval were highly correlated at statistically significant levels.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1977 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1977.10-707