The control of "classroom attention": a group contingency for complex behavior.
One class goal plus tokens lifts student attention fast, but check academic data separately.
01Research in Context
What this study did
A teacher wanted her whole class to pay attention. She set one goal for everyone together.
When the group hit the goal, every kid got tokens. Kids traded tokens for prizes later.
The study ran an ABAB design. The teacher turned the plan on, off, on, off to be sure it worked.
What they found
Class-wide attention jumped to 70-85%. Many kids hit 90-100% on their own.
When the tokens stopped, attention dropped. When tokens came back, attention rose again.
How this fits with other research
Little et al. (2015) pooled 50 later studies. They found the same big boost, so the 1970 result still holds.
Alba et al. (1972) used the same token setup but tracked math work. Attention rose, yet math scores stayed flat. The papers seem to clash, but they measure different things: looking versus learning.
Hirsch et al. (2016) and Kuhl et al. (2015) moved the plan to PE and step counting. Attention tricks work for moving bodies too, not just eyes.
Why it matters
You can raise class attention tomorrow with one clear group goal and any small token. Just remember: on-task eyes do not guarantee better work. If you also want learning gains, add goals for correct answers, not only quiet bodies.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Cumulative time measures of classroom attention, as delineated by the teacher, were taken of four elementary classes (kindergarten, third, fifth, and sixth grades) and of 16 randomly chosen students in these same classes. Each class of students was viewed as an individual responding organism. Base rates showed considerable variability. Explicit instructions alone concerning student attention produced temporary increase for some students and for some grades. Adding group contingencies (i.e., contingencies dependent on the attention of every student in the class) and token-mediated reinforcement to class achievement of a gradually increasing attention criterion raised group measures to a consistent 70 to 85% level of time attending to task as instructed, and raised individual student measures to a stable 90 to 100% level. Reversals and other data indicate that the elementary teacher can, by herself and with little effort, maximize what she considers the "paying-attention behavior" of all her students by her less-than-precise measure and consequation of the attention of the class as a whole.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1970 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1970.3-13