Abstract
25 kindergarten children were given tangible rewards for inhibiting inappropriate responses and for engaging in appropriate behavior. The teacher associated her approval with the tangible rewards and, after she withdrew the tangible reinforcers, the desired behavior was maintained for a period of 2 mo. Repeated measures were assessed across 5 conditions using undesired behavior as the dependent variable. The baseline was significantly different, in the expected direction, from each of two acquisition periods and from each of two follow-up periods (p < .01). It was suggested that the behavioral maintenance occurred as a function of the shifting of behavioral control from tangible to social reinforcement after the reinforcement value of the social cues had developed.
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