ABSTRACT

It is well known within behavioral approaches that differential reinforcement (i.e. positive reinforcement of target behaviours and ignoring of undesired behaviours) is an effective technique for managing classroom behaviour (Presland, 1989). What is less well recognised is that by attending to pupil’s misbehaviour (for example, through reprimands, reminders about classroom rules, and ridicule) class teachers may encourage the very behaviours they are attempting to discourage. While teacher behaviours of this type may temporarily halt the misbehaviour, there is a plethora of available evidence showing that the misbehaviour often continues in the long term (Herbert, 1981). Misbehaviour in the classroom, therefore, can be reinforced – albeit unintentionally and unwittingly – through positive reinforcement of undesirable behaviour (Cullinan et al., 1983).