Modification of Disputing and Talking Out Behaviors

Disputing and talking out behaviors of individual pupils and entire classroom groups in special education classes and regular classes from white middle class areas and from all Negro disadvantaged areas ranging from the first grade to junior high school were studied. The classroom teacher in each case acted as the experimenter and primary observer. Various means of recording behaviors were used and reliability of observation was checked by an outside observer, another teacher, a teacher- aide,, a student, or by using a tape recorder. Observation sessions varied from fifteen minutes to an entire school daye After baseline rates were obtained, extinction of inappropriate disputing or talking out behaviors and reinforcement of appropriate behavior with teacher attention, praise, and in some cases a desired classroom activity or a surprise at the end of the week brought a decrease in undesired verbalizations. A reversal of contingencies brought a return to high levels of inappropriate talking, with a return to low levels when reinforcement for appropriate talking was reinstated. The experiments demonstrated that teachers in a variety of classroom settings could obtain reliable observational records and carry out experimental manipulations successfully using resources available in most schools. (Author) "3