The social play of two behaviorally disordered preschool children during four activities. A multiple baseline study

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Behavioral Intervention
• Early Childhood Education

Background:

• Preschool children with behavioral disorders often exhibit isolate behavior.
• Social play is crucial for development but can be challenging for these children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of contingent teacher attention on the social play of two preschool children with behavioral disorders.
• To assess the effectiveness of teacher attention as a behavioral intervention.

Main Methods:

• A multiple baseline design with reversal conditions was employed.
• Social play was measured across four distinct activities: pegs and pegboard, athletic ball, blocks, and water pail.
• Baseline data revealed significant variability in social play.

Main Results:

• The implementation of the experimental contingency led to a substantial increase in the percentage of time subjects engaged in social play.
• The intervention was effective across all measured activities.

Conclusions:

• Contingent teacher attention is an effective strategy for enhancing social play in preschool children with behavioral disorders.
• This approach holds potential for remediating isolate behavior in young children with multiple behavioral deficits.
• Further research can explore broader applications and long-term effects.