A Systematic Review of Dependent Group Contingencies (1970–2019)

Dependent group contingencies offer an efficient way to improve the behavior of an entire group of students, as the performance of only one or a few students needs to be monitored at a time. Prior literature reviews outlined the use of group contingency interventions with children in educational settings; however, these reviews did not exclusively examine dependent group contingencies or the varied conditions under which this intervention has been implemented. The purpose of this review was to classify the settings, populations, outcome measures, intervention components, and procedural parameters of dependent group contingencies across the research literature. We completed electronic database searches between 1970 and 2019 for experimental studies in APA PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, CINHAL Complete, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Education Source, Academic Search Ultimate, and ProQuest and ancestral searches for the exact terms “dependent group contingenc*” OR “dependent group-oriented contingenc*” in the title, abstract, or author-defined keywords. The results of our review are summarized and discussed in terms of directions for future research and implications for practice.

Independent and Dependent Group Contingencies

Group contingencies include the arrangement of a common consequence for responding by members of a group. Independent group contingencies involve a common consequence being delivered to an individual student based on her performance. Dependent group contingencies involve the consequence being delivered to the entire group based on the performance of an individual or small group of students. Numerous variables may be altered in a group contingency and arranging an effective intervention requires planful incorporation of each. This chapter reviews the components of independent and dependent group contingencies and considerations when designing and implementing group contingencies in educational settings.

Peer-Mediated Group Supports

Peer-mediated group supports are distinguished from peer-mediated behavioral interventions due to their potential to affect the behavior of a large number of students in an efficient manner. As such, this chapter introduces School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, classroom management strategies, and group contingencies, discussing the research supporting these strategies. This chapter also discusses the strengths and challenges of these approaches, as well as considerations for implementing peer-mediated group supports in schools.

Interdependent Group Contingencies

Interdependent group contingencies involve a common consequence based on the behavior of all members of the group, as groups may have to meet a behavioral criterion together or all group members must meet a criterion to access a consequence. Interventions such as the Good Behavior Game, Peer Reporting Interventions, and mystery motivators are examples of interdependent group contingencies that utilize peer influence to improve appropriate behaviors in classrooms. This chapter discusses implementation issues with group contingencies, including target behavior selection, classroom training, addressing group sabotage, and managing contingencies. This chapter also discusses considerations of diversity and equity within interdependent group contingencies.

Effects of Obtrusive Observation and Rules on Classroom Behavior of Adolescents in a Juvenile Residential Treatment Setting

Several studies have used interdependent group contingencies to decrease disruptive behavior and increase appropriate behavior for groups of adolescents. In addition, one study demonstrated that rules plus feedback about rule violations, without additional group contingencies, decreased problem behavior and increased appropriate behavior for adolescents in three classrooms within a residential juvenile facility. Given the rapid behavior change observed in the aforementioned study, it is possible behavior changes were produced by reactivity to obtrusive observation from program implementers. To address this question, we used two A-B designs in conjunction with the conservative dual-criterion (CDC) method to evaluate the extent to which obtrusive observation alone and rules, without systematic consequences, decreased problem behaviors in two classrooms within a residential juvenile facility. Results from visual and CDC analyses indicate that (a) obtrusive observation did not affect problem behavior in either classroom and (b) rules decreased problem behavior in both classrooms and increased appropriate behavior in one classroom. In addition, a measure of social validity indicated that the procedures and outcomes were acceptable to the classroom teacher.