The teacher as observer and experimenter in the modification of disputing and talking-out behaviors.
Teachers can quickly reduce student arguing and call-outs by ignoring the disruption and praising proper participation.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Teachers in several classrooms acted as both observers and experimenters. They stopped giving attention when students argued or called out, and praised students for raising hands or joining discussions properly.
The study used an ABAB design. Teachers first recorded baseline levels of disputing and talking-out. They then applied the extinction-plus-praise package, removed it, and brought it back again to show clear control.
What they found
Disruptive verbal behavior dropped sharply and reversed cleanly with each phase change. The same pattern held across different rooms and teachers, showing the effect was reliable.
When teachers withheld attention for arguing and praised appropriate talk, students quickly shifted to more respectful, on-topic comments.
How this fits with other research
Zimmerman et al. (1962) did something similar nine years earlier with two boys in special ed. They also used extinction plus social reinforcement and saw big drops in problem behavior. Hall et al. (1971) widened the same logic to general-ed classes, proving regular teachers can run the show.
Tarbox et al. (2023) now offers a kinder twist. They kept the extinction piece but added warm, genuine comments right after the problem behavior. Their kind extinction produced even faster reductions and higher teacher approval. If you like the 1971 package, try adding a soft touch.
Lydersen et al. (1974) extended the teacher-experimenter idea in a different direction. Instead of praising quiet talking, they gave tokens for accurate reading work. Disruption still fell to near zero. The message: teachers can reinforce academics or social behavior — either route calms the room.
Why it matters
You already have the main tools: your eyes, your voice, and your attention. This study shows you can cut arguing and call-outs tomorrow by ignoring the noise and praising the good. No extra staff, no tokens, no tech. Track talking-out for ten minutes, flip the contingency, and watch the change. If you want an upgrade, borrow Tarbox’s kind tone or T’s academic focus to fit your class.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Disputing and talking-out behaviors of individual pupils and entire classroom groups in special education classes and regular classes from white middle-class areas and from all black poverty areas ranging from the first grade to junior high school were studied. The classroom teacher in each case acted as the experimenter and as an observer. Various means of recording behaviors were used and reliability of observation was checked by an outside observer, another teacher, a teacher-aide, a student, or by using a tape recorder. Observation sessions varied from 15 min to an entire school day. After baseline rates were obtained, extinction of inappropriate disputing or talking-out behaviors and reinforcement of appropriate behavior with teacher attention, praise and in some cases a desired classroom activity or a surprise at the end of the week brought a decrease in undesired verbalizations. A reversal of contingencies brought a return to high levels of inappropriate talking with a return to low levels when reinforcement for appropriate talking was reinstated. The experiments demonstrated that teachers in a variety of classroom settings could obtain reliable observational records and carry out experimental manipulations successfully using resources available in most schools.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1971 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1971.4-141