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The accuracy of teacher predictions of student reward preferences
Author(s) -
Daly Marcia D.,
Jacob Susan,
King Daniel W.,
Cheramie Gail
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6807(198410)21:4<520::aid-pits2310210420>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - psychology , reinforcement , popularity , correlation , mathematics education , social psychology , developmental psychology , mathematics , geometry
This study investigated the accuracy of teacher predictions of student reward preferences on the Children's Reinforcement Survey Schedules. Student‐participants were 49 5th and 6th graders. Correlation coefficients calculated for each student‐teacher pair indicated that teachers were only moderately successful in selecting rein‐forcers consistent with individual student self‐selections. Teachers as a group predicted the reward preferences of students as a group with a high degree of accuracy, however. The correlation between teacher selections and the reward preferences of girls was higher than that between teacher selections and the preferences of boys as a group. Comparison of teacher and student choices suggested that teachers tended to overrate the popularity of certain classroom‐related rewards. Findings suggest that students need to be involved in selecting their own rewards when planning behavioral interventions, and that for some students, particularly boys, rewards available outside the classroom may be most effective in changing behavior.