Effects of Teacher Behavior Modification on Unresponsive Students. Final Report.

This study was concerned with the classroom adjustment of the nursery school child and the role of the teacher as a facilitator of change in adjustment. The first objective was to increase the value of the teacher's social responses of attention and approval in children who seemed to value these responses least, and the second objective was to assess whether an increase in the value of the teacher's social responses would produce increases in classroom adjustment. One member of each of 12 pairs of low attraction children was rendomly assigned to the experimental condition, and the other was assigned to the control condition. The assistant teacher in each class served as the treatment agent who implemented a 19-session program of interaction with the child. The treatment program, derived from principles of desensitization and positive attitude conditioning, was designed to reduce aversion or dislike and increase attraction to or liking of the teacher. All nursery school children were pre- and post-tested on a 26-item rating scale of classroom adjustment. Significant increases were shown in social interaction and compatibility by the children nominated as shy/avoidant or unresponsive. (Author/DB)