This investigation examined the effects of peer approval and disapproval on improvement in pitch-intonation performance and on the approval/disapproval behavior of fellow students. Eighty high school musk students participated in a pitch-matching training program while confederate peers approved or disapproved of the group performance on experimenter's cue. A significant finding was that 10% of the total group pitch-matching variance during treatment was attributable to the number of approvals/disapprovals offered by subjects. The greater the number of approvals, the better the performance. The greater the number of disapprovals given by subjects, the lower the performance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alexander, L.Peer tutoring effects on the music performance of tutors and tutees in beginning band classes. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1980.
2.
Bailey, J. S., Timbers, G. D., Phillips, E. L., & Wolf, M. M.Modification of articulation errors of predelinquents by their peers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1971, 4, 4, 265–281.
3.
Baker, D. S.The effect of appropriate and inappropriate in-class song performance models on performance preference of fourth-grade students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 1980, 28, 1, 3–17.
4.
Coyne, P. D.The effects of peer tutoring with group contingencies on the academic performance of college students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1978, 11, 305–307.
5.
Dennis, C. C.The conditioning of a pitch response using uncertain singers. In C. K. Madsen, R. D. Greer, & C. H. Madsen, Jr. (Eds.), Research in Music Behavior. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975.
6.
Dineen, P., Clark, H. B., & Risley, T. R.Peer tutoring among elementary students: Educational benefits to the tutor. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1977, 10, 231–238.
7.
Dorow, L.The effect of teacher approval/disapproval ratios on student music selection and concert attentiveness. Journal of Research in Music Education, 1977, 25, 32–40.
8.
Flohr, J., & Brown, J.The influence of peer imitation on expressive movement to music. Journal of Research in Music Education, 1979, 27, 143–148.
9.
Forsythe, J. L.The effect of teacher approval, disapproval, and errors on student attentiveness: Music vs. classroom teachers. In C. K. Madsen, R. D. Greer, & C. H. Madsen, Jr. (Eds.), Research in Music Behavior. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975.
10.
Greer, R. D., Dorow, L. G., Wachhaus, G., & White, E. R.Adult approval and students' music selection behavior. Journal of Research in Music Education, 1973, 21, 143–148.
11.
Hamblin, R. L., Buckholdt, K., Ferritor, D., Kozloff, M., & Blackwell, L.The humanization process: A social, behavioral analysis of children's problems. New York: Wiley-Inter science, 1971.
12.
Harris, V. W., & Sherman, J. A.Effects of peer tutoring and consequences on the math performance of elementary classroom students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1973, 6, 587–597.
13.
Hughes, C. J.The effect of adult and peer modeling and approval on the music selection behavior of high school students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1980.
14.
Kuhn, T. L.The effect of teacher approval and disapproval on attentiveness, music achievement, and attitude of fifth-grade students. In C. K. Madsen, R. D. Greer, & C. H. Madsen, Jr. (Eds.), Research in Music Behavior. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975.
15.
Madsen, C. K., & Yarbrough, C.Competency-based music education. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1980.
16.
McGee, C. S., Kauffman, J. M., & Nussen, J. L.Children as therapeutic change agents: Reinforcement intervention paradigms. Review of Educational Research, 1977, 47, 451–478.
17.
Murray, K. C.The effect of teacher approval/disapproval on musical performance, attentiveness, and attitude of high school choruses. In C. K. Madsen, R. D. Greer, & C. H. Madsen, Jr. (Eds), Research in Music Behavior. New York: Teachers College Press, 1975.
18.
Netherland, V. R.The effect of adult, peer, and tape-recorded models on piano students' sight reading and practiced performance achievement. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1975.
19.
Parson, L. R., & Heward, W. L.Training peers to tutor: Evaluation of a tutor training package for primary learning disabled students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1979, 12, 309–310.
20.
Polirstock, S. R., & Greer, R. D.Remediation of mutually aversive interactions between a problem student and four teachers by training the student in reinforcement techniques. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1977, 10, 707–716.
21.
Skinner, B. F.Science and human behavior. New York: MacMillan, 1953.
22.
Solomon, R. W., & Wahler, R. G.Peer reinforcement control of classroom problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1973, 6, 49–56.
23.
Surratt, P. R., Ulrich, R. E., & Hawkins, R. P.An elementary student as a behavioral engineer. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1969, 2, 85–92.
