A study of teaching reality therapy to adolescents for self-management

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether teaching the principles and skills of Reality Therapy as a self-management strategy to disruptive pupils would significantly increase their time-on-task behavior as measured by direct observation in the classroom, their positive perceptions of themselves as measured by the Self Observation Scales and their positive ratings by teachers as measured by the Haring and Phillips Rating Schedules and the Burks' Behavior Rating Scales. Seventh grade teachers identified six male students as the most disruptive students in their grade level, and a multiple baseline across subjects research design was used to evaluate the treatment. The six students were randomly assigned to their respective baselines and experimental or placebo condition. The four experimental pupils were taught the steps of Reality Therapy and to practice those steps in their classrooms. The two placebo students participated in unstructured discussions of current events