Effect of Contingent Reinforcement on Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Performance

Abstract
72 8-yr.-old indigent children, equally divided according to race and sex, were administered Form A of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test via tape recorder, then randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions. Treatment 1 Ss received alternate Form B of the Peabody according to standard testing instructions. Treatment 2 children also received the alternative form, except each S was provided with immediate knowledge as to his accuracy on each test item. Treatment 3 was similar to that of Treatment 2, except the correct responses of children in this group were extrinsically rewarded according to a fixed ratio schedule. Analysis of variance of the difference scores yielded a significant effect for race but not for treatment.