Author Question: Why do you think the marble jar is effective in improving students' behavior in Mr. Fenwick's ... (Read 33 times)

bobypop · **on:** Jun 20, 2018

Why do you think the marble jar is effective in improving students' behavior in Mr. Fenwick's classroom?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Characterize the nature of the reinforcement that Mr. Fenwick is using.

What will be an ideal response?

Dinolord · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 20, 2018

Answer to Question 1

The marbles presumably have become secondary reinforcers for the children. They may also be providing a way in which Mr. Fenwick can give concrete and consistent feedback about how individual children are behaving.

Answer to Question 2

He is using positive reinforcement. His strategy resembles a token economy, in that a full jar of marbles is traded for a back-up reinforcer that is likely to vary from one time to the next. His strategy also has elements of a group contingency, in that reinforcers are contingent on many students' good behavior; however, it does not require that everyone behave appropriately.