The Good Behavior Game

1. The Good Behavior Game Prevent the disruptive behavior Li-Lin Chen University of Pittsburgh ADP program

2. Our Objectives • Define the disruptive behavior. • Different interventions to address the disruptive behavior in the classroom. • Learn the Good Behavior Game. • Apply the Good Behavior Game in the classroom. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

3. Our Agenda • A short story • Introduce disruptive behaviors • Introduce the Good Behavior Game • Procedures of the Good Behavior Game • The pros and cons of the Good Behavior Game • Conclusion 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

4. Short story Ms. Jones is a young teacher in a middle school, and this is her first year teaching sixth to eighth grade students. She found there are always a few students who talk to each other in the classroom, and this behavior bothers other students’ learning and interrupt Ms. Jones’s teaching. Sometimes Ms. Jones feels tired and frustrated. She often has to stop her lessons to manage those talking students, or they will talk louder and louder. Recently, she used the Good Behavior Game to address the talking problem, and she found it worked very well at managing students’ talking and other disruptive behaviors in the classroom. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

5. Disruptive behaviors • Definition: disruptive behavior is student noncompliance with teacher requests (De Martini-Scully, Bray, & Kehle, 2000). • Common disruptive behaviors in the classroom setting may include talking, being out-of-seat, name calling, cursing and verbal aggression. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

6. Influences of disruptive behaviors • Teachers have to spend considerable time to control the disruptive behaviors. Therefore, there is a decreased amount of time spent on academic instruction. • Managing and preventing disruptive behavior is a topic of concern to many middle school educators. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

7. Glossary • Interdependent group contingency: a group receives a consequence after the behavior of each student in that group meets a standard. • Reinforcement: A behavior system involving nonsocial condition reinforcers such as points, chips earned for displaying desired academic or social behaviors that can be exchanged for backup reinforcers of predetermined token value. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

8. Glossary • Token economy: A behavior system involving nonsocial condition reinforcers such as points, chips earned for displaying desired academic or social behaviors that can be exchanged for backup reinforcers of predetermined token value. • Mystery motivators: A description or picture of a reinforcer placed in an envelope and the name of individual student was written on it. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

9. Literature review • There were several kinds of interventions for teachers to prevent the disruptive behavior. • De Martini-Scully et al. (2000) successfully combined precision requests with positive reinforcement, reductive techniques, and commands to prevent the disruptive behavior. • Mottram, Bray, Kehle, Broudy, & Jenson (2002) integrated posted classroom rules with a token economy, response cost, and mystery motivators. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

10. Good Behavior Game: History • About 30 years ago, Barrish, Saunders, and Wolf, published a study called the Good Behavior Game. • The game first was applied successfully in a classroom of 4th grade students with high rates of talk-outs and out-of-seat behavior. • Most graduate students in behavior analysis or special education learned the game during the “heyday of behavioral psychology (p.276)”. (Embry, 2002). 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

11. Good Behavior Game: Concept • The Good Behavior Game is an interdependent group contingency (Tingstrom, Sterling-Truner & Wilczynski, 2006). • The primary participants in Good Behavior Game studies were students in 1st through 6th grades and are either typical development children who are in general classes or who had a history of behavior problems. • The Good Behavior Game is a good way to prevent the general disruption of 90% students. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

12. Good Behavior Game: Concept • Disruptive behaviors by students might happen “due to peers and others reinforced them in school settings.” (Embry, 2002, p.279). • A group-based reward like the Good Behavior Game could deal with the disruptive behavior effectively. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

13. Good Behavior Game: Procedures • Harris & Sherman (1973) analyzed the components of Good Behavior Game, they found there are only three essential features: (1) dividing the class into teams. (2) setting criteria for winning. (3) reinforcement for the winning team. (Tingstrom, 2006). 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

14. Good Behavior Game: Detailed steps • Teachers announce the rules of the game to students such as “no tattling” and “no out-of-seat”. All of the rules are labeled as “the good things we all want.” • Teachers elicit and combine students’ descriptions of behaviors that would interfere with desirable outcomes and label those negative behaviors as “fouls.” 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

15. Good Behavior Game: Detailed steps • Teachers provide examples of both (the good things and fouls) which are presented physically and in words for the children to form a generalized concept. • Teachers explain that the game is played at intervals. The duration of the game should base on the length of academic period. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

16. Good Behavior Game: Detail steps • Teachers divide the group into teams and explain that a team may win the game by having the fewest fouls (or fouls is below a criterion, so enabling multiple winners). • The team wins the game can get the prize. The prize (reinforcer) could occur naturally in the school setting. • A scoreboard should be highly visible in the classroom. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

17. Good Behavior Game: Pros vs. Cons • Pros (Tingstrom, 2006) • The reinforcers are efficient resources and difficult to purchase, steal, or share. • The Good Behavior Game utilizes the group solidarity and cooperation within teams. • Students can win the game in a variety ways. • Group-oriented procedures may alleviate some teachers’ concern that a particular student will be singled out and treated differently. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

18. Pros • The game is a great deal of flexibility and can be designed to be as simple or as complex as desired. • The game may not require rigorous compliance on the part of the teachers to be effective. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

19. Cons (Tingstrom, 2006) • Peer influence can be the greatest potentially disadvantage: peer influence can produce undue pressure verging on harassment toward the individual who does not exhibit the requisite behaviors. (O’Leary and Drabman, 1971). • Students may still not comply with the rules of good behavior, if the reinforcers are not attractive enough or are not what they want. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

20. Conclusion • The Good Behavior Game have been recognized by several sources such as Colorado Violence Prevention Blueprints Project and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (Embry, 2002). • According to Tingstrom (1994), the Good Behavior Game was found to be acceptable as individually based interventions by teachers. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

21. The study guide 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

22. Case study • Three students often drop their materials, then looks over to see the responses of Ms. Wang and other students when Ms. Wang is presenting a lesson. • Some students think their behavior is interesting. • Ms. Wang has tried scolding the disruptive students, putting them in time-out, and telling others to ignore their behavior. However, these efforts didn’t work well. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

23. Case study • Group discussion: If you are Ms. Wang how will you utilize the Good Behavior Game to address students’ disruptive behavior? 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

24. References Embry, D. D. (2002). The Good Behavior Game: A best practice candidate as a universal behavioral vaccine. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 5(4), 273-297. Kerr, M.M. & Nelson, C.M. (2006) Strategies for addressing behavior problems in the classroom (5th ed.), Addressing Disruptive Behaviors (pp.192-219). Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

25. References Tingstrom, D.H., Sterling-Truner, H.E., & Wilczynski, S. M. (2006). The Good Behavior Game: 1969-2002. Behavior Modification, 30(2), 225-253. Tingstrom, D.H. (1994). The Good Behavior Game: An investigation of teachers’ acceptance. Psychology in the Schools, 31, 57-65. 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

26. Useful website Dealing with disruptive behavior in the classroom. Illinois State University, Center for Teaching Learning & Technology. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.teachtech.ilstu.edu/additional/tips/disBehav.php Good Behavior Game. Blueprint for violence prevention, Blueprints Promising Program. Retrieved from March 10, 2008, from http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/promising/programs/BPP06.html 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

27. Useful website Good Behavior Game. Intervention center. Retrieved from March 10, 2008, from http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/classroom/gbg.php 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh

28. Contact information • Name: Li-Lin Chen • E-mail: windbell818@hotmail.com 2008 Li-Lin Chen, University of Pittsburgh