Teacher-Mediated Peer Feedback Treatment of Behaviorally Handicapped Children

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This study was designed to determine the influence of behavioral goals and behavioral goals plus peer feedback on negative and positive social interactions of behaviorally handicapped children and to assess the efficacy of the teacher-mediated peer feedback treatment package as a decelerating consequence. Four boys, described as negative and abusive in their peer interactions were target subjects. The six peers in the special education class were several years below grade level in all academic areas and were frequently observed to violate school and class rules. The target children were exposed sequentially to behavioral goal and behavioral goal plus peer feedback conditions in a modified withdrawal of treatment design. Observations showed that: behavioral goals alone produced modest and clinically insignificant reductions in each boy's level of negative interaction; no positive interaction changes occurred during goals only conditions; and goals plus peer feedback produced a substantial reduction in negative interaction and a like increase in positive interaction.