Graduation Term

2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Psychology: School Psychology

Committee Chair

Gary Cates

Abstract

This dissertation reports on the effects of noncontingent praise (NCP) as a classroom behavioral intervention. Six teacher participants were trained to provide NCP to the classroom at their free operant level of praises and reprimands directed towards the classroom, either at fixed (NCPf) or variable (NCPv) rates. Class-wide rates of academic engaged time and inappropriate behaviors were collected to examine the student effects of the intervention. In addition, teacher perceptions of their relationships with their students, stress, and job satisfaction were measured both pre- and post- intervention. Treatment fidelity and intervention acceptability data were also examined.

Upon implementation of the intervention in each classroom, an immediate and stable increase in AET and decrease in IB was established. Effect sizes were varied. The trends in student behavior were more promising in the NCP variable intervention, suggesting that the variability of the schedule of praise may have a longer lasting effect on student behavior than a fixed schedule. In all NCPf and NCPv classrooms, praise increased from baseline to intervention. Limitations and implications were examined.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2019.Poirot.K

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