Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
06:57
Modeling Verbal Behavior Deficits with the Stimulus Control Ratio Equation, SCoRE
Published on: May 14, 2019
Current behavior modification in the classroom: be still, be quiet, be docile
1State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 1, 1972
Summary
Behavior modification in classrooms, often used to enforce stillness and obedience, has largely maintained the status quo. This approach may need re-evaluation for true educational change.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Classroom Management
Background:
- Classrooms are criticized as total institutions demanding order and control.
- Behavior modification is seen as a key driver of classroom change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the role of behavior modification in classroom settings.
- To evaluate if behavior modification truly changes or merely supports the existing classroom structure.
Main Methods:
- Review of journal articles on behavior modification in classrooms.
- Analysis of how 'inappropriate behavior' is defined in educational contexts.
Main Results:
- Inappropriate behavior is consistently defined as that which disrupts order, quiet, and stillness.
- Behavior modification practices appear to uphold, rather than challenge, the traditional classroom environment.
Conclusions:
- Behavior modification in its current form may reinforce the status quo in traditional classrooms.
- Exploring alternative applications and the role of behavior modification in open classrooms is necessary.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Behavior Modification
Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
00:54What is Behavior?
Behaviors are actions that an organism engages in—they can be related to finding food, reproducing, defending against threats, and many other possible actions. Behaviors include activities related to the environment around the animal—such as migration—as well as social interactions within a species or population. Many behaviors involve motor output—that is, muscle movements—while others involve less visible actions, such as learning.
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
01:28Behaviorism
The field of behaviorism was pioneered by figures such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, and B.F. Skinner fundamentally shifted the focus of psychology to the observable and controllable aspects of human and animal behavior. This shift marked a critical evolution in the discipline, emphasizing scientific rigor and experimental methodology.
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
The core premise of behaviorism is its focus on observable behavior rather than internal thoughts or feelings. This approach argues that true scientific...
01:24Operant Conditioning Intervention
Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
01:20Conformity
Conformity is the change in a person’s behavior to go along with the group, even if that person does not agree with the group.