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Modification of personal hygiene and grooming behaviors with contingency contracting: A brief review and case study
Author(s) -
Allen Sarah J.,
Kramer Jack J.
Publication year - 1990
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(199007)27:3<244::aid-pits2310270311>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - psychology , contingency , contingency management , intervention (counseling) , hygiene , behavior change , personal hygiene , applied psychology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , medicine , philosophy , linguistics , family medicine , pathology
A discussion of the basic components and characteristics of contingency contracts is presented. A case study is included in which contingency contracting procedures were integrated within a behavioral consultation model used by a school psychologist consulting with a classroom teacher. An attempt was made by teacher and psychologist to modify the personal hygiene and grooming behaviors of a 12‐year‐old male. A changing‐criterion design was employed to assess treatment effects, and social validation measures were implemented to evaluate the impact of the intervention on significant others in the child's natural environment. Results indicated a marked increase in the number of appropriate hygiene behaviors exhibited daily as well as in the incidence rate of each target behavior. Social validation data revealed noticeable improvements in the subject's personal appearance consistent with the findings reported by the classroom teacher. The present investigation demonstrates the manner in which a behavioral consultation model may be implemented in a school setting. Single‐subject designs and social validation procedures offer an effective means for evaluating the efficacy and impact of treatment programs.