Prompting is a simple strategy that has been demonstrated to increase appropriate (and decrease inappropriate) behavior when used (a) as a stand-alone strategy with preschool students and individuals with disabilities and (b) in combination with other strategies (e.g., active supervision) with K-12 students in general education settings. Until now, no studies have specifically investigated the effectiveness of prompting as a stand-alone strategy in a general education setting. This study used a single-subject alternating treatment design, with a baseline phase, to explore the relationship between the presence (or absence) of prompting and off-task behavior of two male middle school students in general education. Study results document a decrease in off-task behavior with prompting. Results and implications are discussed in light of limitations.
ArceneauxM.MurdockJ. (1997). Peer prompting reduces disruptive vocalizations of a student with developmental disabilities in a general eighth-grade classroom. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 12, 182–186.
2.
AustinJ.AlveroA.OlsonR. (1998). Prompting patron safety belt use at a restaurant. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 31, 655–657.
3.
BarlowD. H.HayesS. C. (1979). Alternating treatments design: One strategy for comparing the effects of two treatments in a single subject. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 12, 199–210.
4.
BegenyJ. C.MartensB. K. (2006). Assessing pre-service teachers’ training in empirically-validated behavioral instruction practices. School Psychology Quarterly, 21, 262–285.
5.
ColvinG.SugaiG.GoodR.LeeY. (1997). Using active supervision and precorrection to improve transition behaviors in an elementary school. School Psychology Quarterly, 12, 344–363.
6.
CooperJ. O.HeronT. E.HewardW. L. (Eds.). (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
7.
CrockettJ.HagopianL. (2006). Prompting procedures as establishing operations for escape-maintained behavior. Behavioral Interventions, 21, 65–71.
8.
CroneD. A.HornerR. H.HawkenL. S. (2004). Responding to problem behavior in schools: The behavior education program. New York: Guilford.
9.
De PryR.SugaiG. (2002). The effect of active supervision and pre-correction on minor behavioral incidents in a sixth grade general education classroom. Journal of Behavioral Education, 11, 255–267.
10.
EngermanJ.AustinJ.BaileyJ. (1997). Prompting patron safety belt use at a supermarket. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30, 577–579.
11.
FloodW.WilderD.FloodA.MasudaA. (2002). Peer-mediated reinforcement plus prompting as treatment for off-task behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 199–204.
12.
GastD. L. (Ed.). (2010). Single subject research methodology in behavioral sciences. New York, NY: Routledge.
13.
GenaA. (2006). The effects of prompting and social reinforcement on establishing social interactions with peers during the inclusion of four children with autism in preschool. International Journal of Psychology, 41, 541–554.
14.
HornerR. H.CarrE. G.HalleJ.McGeeG.OdomS.WoleryM. (2005). The use of single subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 165–179.
15.
HornerR.SpauldingS. (2010). Single-case research designs. In SalkindN. J. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of research design (pp. 1386–1394). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
16.
HornerR. H.SugaiG. (2005). School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: An alternative approach to discipline in schools. In BambaraL.KernL. (Eds.), Positive behavior support (pp. 359–390). New York, NY: Guilford.
17.
HunsakerA. (1983). A prompt/reward technique to elicit socially acceptable behavior with Chicano gang delinquents. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 5, 105–113.
18.
LancioniG.O’ReillyM.Brouwer-VisserG.GroenewegJ.BikkerB.FlamelingT.Van den Hofe. (2001). Frequent versus non-frequent prompts and task performance in persons with severe intellectual disability. Scandinavian Journal of Behaviour Therapy, 30, 134–139.
19.
LewisT.ColvinG.SugaiG. (2000). The effects of pre-correction and active supervision on the recess behavior of elementary students. Education & Treatment of Children, 23, 109–121.
20.
LombardD.LombardT.WinettR. (1995). Walking to meet health guidelines: The effect of prompting frequency and prompt structure. Health Psychology, 14, 164–170.
SugaiG.HornerR. H. (1999). Discipline and behavioral support: Preferred processes and practices. Effective School Practices, 17, 10–22.
24.
SugaiG.HornerR. H. (2002). The evolution of discipline practices: School-wide positive behavior supports. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 24, 23–50.
25.
SugaiG.HornerR. H.DunlapG.HienemanM.LewisT. J.NelsonC. M.. . . WilcoxB. (2000). Applying positive behavior support and functional behavioral assessment in schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2, 131–143.
26.
TilleryA. D.VarjasK.MeyersK.CollinsA. S. (2010). General education teachers’ perceptions of behavior management and intervention strategies. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 12, 86–102.
27.
WalkerH. M.HornerR. H.SugaiG.BullisM.SpragueJ. R.BrickerD.KaufmanM. J. (1996). Integrated approaches to preventing antisocial behavior patterns among school-age children and youth. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 4, 194–209.
28.
WilderD.AtwellJ. (2006). Evaluation of a guided compliance procedure to reduce noncompliance among preschool children. Behavioral Interventions, 21, 265–272.
