Date of Award

4-1985

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Richard W. Malott

Second Advisor

Dr. Wayne Fuqua

Third Advisor

Dr. Malcolm Robertson

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of contracting for all classes and the contigent presentation of incentives for school work completed. fifteen high school students who earned a grade point average below 1.5 (on a 4.0 scale) volunteered for the contracting classroom. The subjects were ranked and randomly assigned to the first experimental group, the second experimental group, or the control group. The first experimental group had incentives contingent upon contracts completed, the second experimental group received the incentive noncontigent upon contract completion, and the control group did not attend the contract completion, and the control group did not attend the contracting classroom. After the first 3 weeks, the difference between the first experimental group versus the control group was statistically significant and the two experimental groups switched treatment conditions. After the second 3 weeks, the first experimental group decreased and the second experimental group increased. The difference between the experimental groups versus the control group was not statistically significant.

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