Reducing Defiant Behaviors Among Elementary School Students with Behavioral Difficulties through Self-Monitoring and Behavioral Incentives

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the implementation of self-monitoring strategies tied to incentives would decrease the amount of argumentative and noncompliant behaviors within the intermediate elementary classroom setting. This study utilized a pre experimental design with a variant of the one-group pretest-posttest design. Students served as their own controls. Data was collected during a weighted baseline period and during an intervention period. This study included 9 students enrolled in a Harford County public school. The participants in this study ranged in grade levels from grades 3 to 5, all with Individualized Education Plans including documented disabilities. The study hypothesized that there will be no significant difference in the mean arguing, noncompliant, and total defiant scores of intermediate grade students with behavioral difficulties during a weighted baseline period and an intervention period involving self-monitoring and incentives. All facets of the null hypothesis that there will be no significant difference in the mean Arguing, Noncompliant, and Total Defiant scores of intermediate grade students with behavioral difficulties during a weighted baseline period and an intervention period involving self-monitoring and incentives were rejected. Students displayed significantly less of these problematic behaviors during the intervention. Further study of the usefulness of a self monitoring system and similar interventions appears warranted.