Group Time-Out from Rock and Roll Music and Out-of-Seat Behavior of Handicapped Children While Riding a School Bus

Out-of-seat behavior, a universal and potentially dangerous problem among children while riding school buses, was reduced under a group timeout procedure from rock and roll music. Ss were 6- to 15-yr.-old children from mentally retarded-educable classes. Their classroom teachers acted as observers, recorders, and implementers of the contingencies. Music was played while the bus was moving, as long as all children were sitting in their bus seats and shut-off for 5 sec. for each out-of-seat observed. Reversals to baseline were introduced to assess the effects of the music and group time-out. A marked reduction of out-of-seats occurred with each introduction of the music and group time-out contingency. The results demonstrated the applicability of reinforcement procedures in modifying these behaviors in a moving environment and were consistent with research on reinforcement procedures in modifying out-of-seat behaviors in the closed environment of the classroom.