Volume 44, Issue 2
(June 2015)

< Previous Next >



Current Issue
Available Issues

Alerts for the Journal

Click to get an email alert for every new issue of

School Psychology Review

Journal Information

Online ISSN:  
Frequency: Quarterly
RSS Feed:
(What is this?)
rrs icon

Register for a Profile

Not Yet Registered?

Benefits of Registration Include:

  • A Unique User Profile that will allow you to manage your current subscriptions (including online access)
  • The ability to create favorites lists down to the article level
  • The ability to customize email alerts to receive specific notifications about the topics you care most about and special offers

Register Now!

Previous Article
Volume 44, Issue 2
(June 2015)
Next Article
  • Add to Favorites
  • |
  • Share Article
  • |
  • Export Citations
  • |
  • Track Citations (RSS | Email)
  • |
  • Permissions

  • Full-text
  • PDF

The Effects of the Good Behavior Game With General-Education High School Students

Rachel R. Mitchell

Pascagoula School District

Daniel H. Tingstrom, Brad A. Dufrene, and W. Blake Ford

The University of Southern Mississippi

Heather E. Sterling

Central Louisiana Resource Center on Developmental Disabilities

Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to Daniel H. Tingstrom, Department of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Dr, Ste 5025, Hattiesburg, MS ; e-mail:

Rachel R. Mitchell, PhD, NCSP, works as the school psychologist for the Pascagoula Opportunity Center, the alternative school for the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. Her work within this setting includes coordination of system-wide supports; assessment of student need; and development, recommendation, implementation, and data analysis of group and individual interventions, as well as consultation with parents and school personnel regarding student progress and continued supports.

Daniel H. Tingstrom, PhD, is professor of psychology and director of training of the School Psychology Program in the Department of Psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include applied behavior analysis, compliance training procedures for parents and teachers, and the implementation and evaluation of individual and classroom-based behavioral interventions.

Brad A. Dufrene, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include tiered school and family interventions for young children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders and behavioral consultation in applied settings.

W. Blake Ford, BS, is a graduate student in the School Psychology Program at The University of Southern Mississippi. His research interests include individual and classroom-based behavioral and academic interventions, social skills acquisition for children with autism spectrum disorders, applied behavior analysis, and compliance training for parents and teachers.

Heather E. Sterling, PhD, a licensed psychologist with Central Louisiana's Resource Center for Developmental Disabilities, provides behavioral support services to families, schools, care providers, and individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also is an adjunct instructor with Ball State's Applied Behavior Analysis Program.

Associate Editor: Amanda VanDerHeyden

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to extend previous research by evaluating the effect of the interdependent group contingency procedure known as the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on decreasing disruptive behaviors with general-education high school students. Although many studies exist that have used the GBG to alter behaviors across ages ranging from preschool to adulthood, few studies exist in which the GBG has been used in general-education high school classrooms. The present study used separate ABAB withdrawal designs in three classrooms, with withdrawal and reimplementation in two of the classrooms. All three classrooms demonstrated large effect sizes with clear and substantial decreases in disruptive behaviors during the intervention phases. Teachers found the intervention acceptable, supporting the use of a modified version of the GBG in high school classrooms. Students found it generally acceptable as well, though with some reservations regarding certain aspects of the procedure.

Received: August 7, 2014; Accepted: March 3, 2015;