CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING IN THE ELEMENTARY GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM

CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING IN THE ELEMENTARY GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM

by Kaleena Ann Selfridge B.S. Special and Elementary Education, Slippery Rock University, 2005 M. Ed. Special Education, Slippery Rock University, 2009

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The School of Education in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

University of Pittsburgh 2014

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

This dissertation was presented by

Kaleena A. Selfridge It was defended on July 8, 2014 and approved by

Sheila J. Conway, Clinical Faculty, Department of Instruction and Learning Benjamin L. Handen, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Steven R. Lyon, Associate Professor, Department of Instruction and Learning Rachel E. Robertson, Assistant Professor, Department of Instruction and Learning Dissertation Advisor: Douglas E. Kostewicz, Associate Professor, Department of Instruction and Learning

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Copyright ? by Kaleena A. Selfridge 2014

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CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING IN THE ELEMENTARY GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM Kaleena A. Selfridge, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2014

Elementary teachers educating both students with and without disabilities require access to effective, easily implemented classroom management techniques to address challenging behaviors. One such intervention is a contingency contract. A review of literature suggests that contracts are implemented for students experiencing challenges with academic and social behaviors both with and without formally diagnosed disabilities in general and special education settings. However, there was little consideration of the social significance of behaviors, and contract goals were not often set according to behaviors of comparison peers. The purpose of the current study examined the effects of contingency contracts on engagement for three students in an elementary general education classroom for three participants exhibiting high rates of disengaged behavior during instruction. Contingency contracts were written with consideration of social significance and function of behavior, preference surveys, observation of comparison peers to set goals, and reinforcement for desired behaviors. Using an ABAB withdrawal design, duration of engagement and frequency of instances of engagement were both recorded. Experimental effects were observed when participants' duration of engagement increased and frequency of engagements decreased while under contract. The results suggest that contingency contracts can successfully be implemented to increase a desired behavior (engagement) with students in the general education classroom. Implications and future research directions immediately follow a discussion of the results.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... xii

1.0

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 1

2.0

LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................ 5

2.1

TEACHER ATTITUDE AND SUCCESS OF INCLUSION........................... 5

2.2

INCLUSION AND PLACEMENT DECISIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH

DISABILITIES ..................................................................................................................... 7

2.3

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS TO FACILITATE INCLUSION ....... 7

2.4

BASIC CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES............................... 8

2.5

ANTECEDENT INTERVENTIONS ................................................................. 9

2.6

CONSEQUENCE BASED INTERVENTIONS.............................................. 10

2.6.1 Reinforcement based interventions.............................................................. 10

2.6.2 Punishment based interventions................................................................... 11

2.6.3 Intervention considerations .......................................................................... 12

2.7

CONTINGENCY CONTRACTS..................................................................... 13

2.7.1 Purpose of the review .................................................................................... 15

2.8

METHODS ......................................................................................................... 16

2.9

RESULTS ........................................................................................................... 21

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2.9.1 Who and what: Participants, behaviors, and consequences ...................... 21 2.9.1.1 Participants and settings .................................................................... 21 2.9.1.2 Target behaviors ................................................................................. 22 2.9.1.3 Consequences....................................................................................... 23

2.9.2 Contract creation and implementation........................................................ 25 2.9.2.1 Writing the contract............................................................................ 25 2.9.2.2 Introducing the contract to student................................................... 26 2.9.2.3 Consequence delivery ......................................................................... 27 2.9.2.4 Criterion for contract termination .................................................... 27

2.9.3 Effect of contingency contracts .................................................................... 28 2.9.3.1 In isolation ........................................................................................... 28 2.9.3.2 With other interventions .................................................................... 30

2.10 DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................... 31 2.10.1 Contract participants, behaviors, and consequences ................................ 32 2.10.1.1 Participants........................................................................................ 32 2.10.1.2 Defining behaviors ............................................................................ 33 2.10.1.3 Replacement behaviors..................................................................... 35 2.10.1.4 Selecting reinforcers and determining preference ......................... 36 2.10.2 Creating and implementing contingency contracts................................... 38 2.10.2.1 Student as an active participant ...................................................... 38 2.10.2.2 Presentation to students.................................................................... 38 2.10.2.3 Delivery of consequences .................................................................. 39 2.10.3 Contract effects ............................................................................................. 40

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2.10.4 Implications for practitioners...................................................................... 41

2.10.5 Directions for future research ..................................................................... 43

2.10.6 Conclusions and research questions ........................................................... 44

3.0

METHODS ................................................................................................................. 46

3.1

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING ................................................................... 46

3.1.1 Materials......................................................................................................... 48

3.1.2 Dependent variable........................................................................................ 49

3.1.3 Independent variable..................................................................................... 50

3.1.3.1 Daily contingency contract ................................................................. 50

3.1.3.2 Daily performance feedback .............................................................. 51

3.1.3.3 Role-play of target behavior............................................................... 51

3.1.3.4 Student-chosen consequences............................................................. 51

3.1.4 Experimental design ...................................................................................... 52

3.1.5 Procedures ...................................................................................................... 52

3.1.5.1 Participant nomination and selection of target behaviors .............. 52

3.1.5.2 Baseline condition (Phase 1)............................................................... 54

3.1.5.3 Preference survey and determining consequences........................... 54

3.1.5.4 Intervention condition (Phase 2)........................................................ 55

3.1.5.5 Withdrawal condition (Phase 3) ........................................................ 57

3.1.5.6 Intervention condition (Phase 4)........................................................ 58

3.1.6 Procedural fidelity ......................................................................................... 58

3.1.7 Reliability ....................................................................................................... 58

3.1.8 Social validity ................................................................................................. 59

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4.0

RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 60

4.1

COMPARISON STUDENTS ........................................................................... 60

4.2

PARTICIPATING STUDENTS....................................................................... 61

4.2.1 Seconds of engagement.................................................................................. 61

4.2.2 Seconds of engagement during Phase 1 (Baseline 1) .................................. 62

4.2.3 Seconds of engagement during Phase 2 (Intervention 1) ........................... 62

4.2.4 Seconds of engagement during Phase 3 (Baseline 2) .................................. 64

4.2.5 Seconds of engagement during Phase 4 (Intervention 2) ........................... 64

4.2.6 Engagement duration summary................................................................... 65

4.3

FREQUENCY OF ENGAGEMENT ............................................................... 65

4.3.1 Frequency of engagement during Phase 1................................................... 65

4.3.2 Frequency of engagement during Phase 2................................................... 66

4.3.3 Frequency of engagement during Phase 3................................................... 66

4.3.4 Frequency of engagement during Phase 4................................................... 66

4.3.5 Summary of engagement frequency ............................................................ 68

4.4

SOCIAL VALIDITY ......................................................................................... 68

5.0

DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 70

5.1

REINFORCERS ................................................................................................ 71

5.2

ROLE OF COMPARISON PEERS................................................................. 72

5.3

CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................... 73

5.4

FUNCTION OF BEHAVIOR........................................................................... 74

5.5

MEASUREMENT OF ENGAGEMENT ........................................................ 75

5.6

LIMITATIONS.................................................................................................. 77

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