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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers

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Programming a randomized dependent group contingency and common stimuli to promote durable behavior change.

Tom Cariveau¹, Tiffany Kodak²

¹University of Oregon.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis

|October 6, 2016

Summary

Group contingencies can boost student academic engagement during reading and writing lessons. This intervention improved participation for most second graders, even after the intervention ended.

Keywords:

academic engagement dependent group contingency generalization maintenance randomized group contingencies

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Area of Science:

Education
Behavioral Psychology

Background:

Low academic engagement hinders skill development in students.
Group contingencies offer a potential strategy to improve student participation during instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of a randomized dependent group contingency on academic engagement.
To assess the effectiveness of this intervention in second-grade students during small-group literacy instruction.

Main Methods:

A randomized dependent group contingency was implemented.
Academic engagement was measured during small-group reading and writing instruction for second graders.

Main Results:

The intervention significantly increased academic engagement for primary participants.
Academic engagement also improved for several other students in the group.
High engagement levels persisted even after the contingency was removed, especially with common stimuli present.

Conclusions:

Randomized dependent group contingencies are effective in enhancing academic engagement during small-group literacy instruction.
The positive effects of the intervention can be sustained, suggesting long-term benefits for student participation.