Effects of Noncontingent Attention on the Behavior of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders and Staff in Alternative Settings

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often receive low rates of positive attention in the classroom. Further, students with EBD may receive attention from teachers and peers contingent on disruptive behavior, which may reinforce disruption. In our study, we conducted two experiments, involving one special education teacher, one undergraduate staff, and two students with EBD. Both the teacher and the staff were trained to provide noncontingent attention (NCA) to the students with EBD who exhibited disruptive behavior maintained by attention. Noncontingent attention reduced disruptive behavior and increased on-task behavior; additionally, both the teacher and staff member provided more praise than reprimands during all NCA sessions, whereas both predominantly provided reprimands during baseline sessions. Results suggest educators can implement NCA to decrease disruptive behavior, increase student on-task behavior, and improve interactions between educational staff and students with EBD.