Protocol for a Systematic Review: Self‐Management Interventions for Reducing Challenging Behaviors among School‐age Students: A Systematic Review

The review will focus on the effectiveness of school-based "self-management" (SM) interventions--a widely-used cognitive behavioral intervention to address disruptive and challenging behaviors in school settings. Though SM interventions are referred by many names (e.g., self-control, effortful control, self-regulation), SM is defined as a set of strategies that students are trained in to assess, monitor, and evaluate their own behavioral performance (Briesch & Chafouleas, 2009; Cole, Marder, & McCann, 2000; Fantuzzo, Polite, Cook, & Quinn, 1988; Maggin, Briesch, & Chafouleas, 2013; Rothbart & Rueda, 2005; Shapiro & Cole, 1994; Shapiro, Durnan, Post, & Skibitsky-Levinson, 2002). More specifically, Fantuzzo and colleagues (1988) suggest a SM intervention includes one or a combination the following elements: (1) self-selecting a target behavior; (2) self-defining the target behavior; (3) self-determining a performance goal; (4) self-identifying reinforcers; (5) self-prompting a reflection of behavior; (6) self-observing a target behavior; (7) self-recording the observations; (8) self-charting the observations; (9) self-appraising performance; (10) self-administering primary reinforcers; and (11) self-administering secondary reinforcers. The purpose of the review is to inform practice and policy by evaluating the effectiveness of SM interventions designed to reduce challenging classroom behaviors. The following research questions guide this study: (1) How effective are SM interventions at reducing challenging classroom behavior/increasing positive and pro-social classroom behavior?; and (2) What does the existing body of literature tell us regarding the state of research on SM interventions?