BEHAVIOR CONSULTATION

CASE PRESENTATION
Ariel Ellis
Psychology 636
Fall 2014
California State University, Chico

CLIENT DEMOGRAPHICS
Name: N
Gender: Female
Grade: 7th
Age: 12

Ariel Ellis, 2014

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
BY THE CONSULTEE
N is very unmotivated. She never turns in homework and rarely

completes work in the classroom. Sometimes she works with her group
on class problems, but she doesnt actually write them down so she
doesnt get credit. N is not a disruptive student. She is quiet and just
appears uninterested. I enjoy having her in my class and want to see
her be successful. I am concerned that she will continue to fall behind
in math.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

BEHAVIOR SPECIFICATION
Problem Behavior
Low Work Completion:
N completes a low amount of in-class
group work compared to how much her
group completes.

Example:
If her group completed 6 problems,
she should have completed 6
problems as well. However, she will
only complete 1 or 2.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

Dimension
Increase the QUALITY of Work Completion.
i.e., we want to increase the number
of group problems N completes in
the class period.

Work Completion

SEQUENCE ANALYSIS
ANTECEDENT

Small Group
Work

Ariel Ellis, 2014

BEHAVIOR

Low Work
Completion

CONSEQUENCE

CODE

Gets A Low
Grade

Punishment

Rates Herself
Poorly On SelfRating Scale*

Punishment

*Students are required to rate themselves each day in

regards to teamwork and individual work completion.

SCHEDULE
Period

Time

Subject

1st
2nd
3rd
4th

8:35-9:31
9:36-10:24
10:29-11:17
11:22-12:10

English
Home Ec
PE
Math

Lunch
5th
6th

12:10-12:40
12:45-1:33
1:38-2:26

Lunch
History
Science

Study Hall

2:26-2:46

Study Hall

Ariel Ellis, 2014

This is where the

intervention took place.

DESCRIPTION OF MATH CLASS

Typical Schedule:
The teacher gives a new lesson.
The teacher assigns math problems to be completed by students in their groups.
The students work in their groups until the class is over.

Classroom Set-Up:
The desks are set up in clusters of four.
The students have been previously assigned to groups of four.
The teacher bases the groups off of how well the students are doing in the class. There are two high
achieving students and two lower achieving students in each group. This provides an opportunity for
the higher achieving students to serve as tutors and for the lower achieving students to receive help
when necessary.

The students are required to work with their group members on the assigned problems.

Since our goal was to have N reach the level of her peers, we calculated her work
completion in comparison to how many problems her group had completed.
Ariel Ellis, 2014

BASELINE

BASELINE DATA SHEET

The consultee collected baseline

data over the course of two weeks
using this data sheet.
Due to student and teacher
absences, we gathered six days of
baseline data.

INSTRUCTIONS: Each day at the end of math, please write down

the number of math problems completed by N and the number
of math problems completed by Ns group.
Date
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday

Thursday
Friday
Ariel Ellis, 2014

Number of Problems
Completed by N

Number of Problems
Completed by Group

BASELINE DATA
Number of Problems Completed

Number of Problems

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

4
Days

Group
Ariel Ellis, 2014

Student

BASELINE DATA
Percentage of Work Completed
100
90

Percentage

80
70
60

Criterion

50
40
30
20
10

Aimline
M=59%
SD=23%

Baseline Mean

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Baseline

Ariel Ellis, 2014

Days

BASELINE DATA
The baseline data showed that N, on average, completed about 59%
of the problems her group completed. Her work completion was varied
with a standard deviation of about 23%.
The teacher considered this percentage of work completion to be very low
in comparison to Ns peers.

Baseline:

Goal:

Mean was 59%.

Increase mean to 100%.

Standard deviation was 23%.

Decrease standard deviation to 0%.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

INTERVENTION
IMPLEMENTATION

INTERVENTION PROCEDURES
Goal: Shape the quality of Ns work completion.

Quality is considered the percentage of work completed.

Ns work completion was at an average of 59%. We wanted to increase the
quality of her work completion to approximately 100%.

Shaping is referred to as the reinforcement of successive approximations of a

target behavior. The target behavior in this case was high work completion
at approximately 100%.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

INTERVENTION PROCEDURES
Shaping of Ns Work Completion:
N was reinforced for successive approximations of the target behavior.
Successive approximations were specified percentages of work completion that
moved closer and closer to 100%.

Since Ns average work completion in baseline was 59%, we decided to start

the intervention by reinforcing her at 55%.
This was a criterion she had successfully met in the past.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

SHAPING THE QUALITY OF WORK COMPLETION

Small Group
Work Assigned
Phase

Criterion

Days
Required at
Criterion

55%

65%

75%

85%

95%

At the end of the period

student has completed
____ % or more of the
problems her group has
completed.

Teacher gives student

two class points to be
exchanged for prizes
any day of the week.
Ariel Ellis, 2014

At the end of the period

student completes less
than ____ % of the
problems her group has
completed.

No R+

REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM
IN THE CLASSROOM
The teacher used Class Dojo as her behavior
management system for the entire class.
Class Dojo is an easy way to keep track of class
points and to quickly reinforce students for appropriate
behavior.
With Class Dojo each student creates an avatar that
represents them.
The teacher simply clicks on their phone or computer
to add or remove class points for a particular student.
Parents have online access to view how their student is
doing in the classroom.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM
IN THE CLASSROOM
The points students earned through the
Class Dojo could be exchanged any
day of the week for prizes.
The prizes that were available and their
prices are listed in the chart to the right.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

Point Prices for Prizes

Drinking Fountain 1

Pencil 1

Bathroom Pass 1

Sticker 1

Candy 3

Talon Token 1

Music Pass 5

Eat in Class 3

Preferred Seat 5

Homework Pass 10

REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM USED

FOR INTERVENTION
The Class Dojo point system was used for Ns reinforcement because it
already existed in her classroom.
The class points were reinforcing because N had rarely earned class points
before the intervention.

If N met the required criterion for the day she was given two class points at
the end of the class period.
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Total Points

+2

+2

+2

+2

+2

10

Ariel Ellis, 2014

INTERVENTION DATA
= Trendline

Percentage of Work Completed

100

Percentage

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10

0
1

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

Days
Baseline
M=59%
SD=23%
Ariel Ellis, 2014

Phase 1
M=83%
SD=27%
Criterion=55%

Phase 2
M=92%
SD=17%
Criterion=65%

Phase 3
M=88%
SD=25%
Criterion=75%

Phase 4
M=100%
SD=0%
Criterion=85%

INTERVENTION DATA
Number of Problems Completed

Number of Problems Completed

9

8
7
6
5

4
3
2
1
0
1

10

11

Days
Group
Ariel Ellis, 2014

Student

12

13

14

15

16

PLAN EVALUATION

PLAN EVALUATION

Ariel Ellis, 2014

% Change in
Standard
Deviation from
Baseline

Phase

Mean

Standard
Deviation

% Change in
Mean from
Baseline

Baseline

59%

23%

N/A

N/A

Phase 1

83%

27%

24% increase

4% increase

Phase 2

92%

17%

33% increase

6% decrease

Phase 3*

88%

25%

29% increase

2% increase

Phase 4

100%

0%

41% increase

23% decrease

Phase 5

(In Progress)

(In Progress)

(In Progress)

(In Progress)

*Phase 3 contained an unusual data point due to a small number of problems completed by the group
that day. If removed, the mean for Phase 3 would have been 100% and the standard deviation 0%.

Percentage of work completed

PROGRAM EFFICACY
100

90
80

Baseline Compared to Last Completed

Intervention Phase

41%
Increase

70
60
50
40
30
20
10

0
Baseline

Ariel Ellis, 2014

Phase 4

PROGRAM EFFICACY
From Baseline to Phase 4, Ns mean percentage of work completion increased from 59% to 100%. This means
she completed 100% of the work her group completed. In addition, the variation of Ns work completion
decreased from 23% to 0%. This means that she consistently met the 100% criterion with no variation.
Our goal was obtained.
At the end of Phase 4 the consultee stated, N has been on task and her self-scores are much improved. Ive
felt comfortable to call on her in class and tell her group to ask her for things because she has it correct already!
Still occasionally checking out, but rarely now!
The consultee was impressed with Ns improvements.

N was excited to earn class points, but rarely cashed them in for prizes. The biggest impact of this program
could have been the one-on-one attention from the teacher and the positive attention from her peers. Her group
members often encouraged her to meet her daily goals.
N received a lot of positive attention and encouragement.

Ariel Ellis, 2014

MAINTENANCE &
GENERALIZATION

MAINTENANCE
N met the 100% criterion for five consecutive days. In order to
maintain her work completion at 100%, we need her to meet the
criterion for five more consecutive days.
To do this we will continue with the intervention through Phase 5.
The criterion for Phase 5 will change from 95% to 100% since she
has already met the 100% criterion consistently.
N will still be given two class points each day criterion is met.

Once she has met the 100% criterion for 10 consecutive days we
will thin the reinforcer.
Ariel Ellis, 2014

THINNING THE REINFORCER

After Phase 5 the following will be implemented:

Week 1:
The consultee will change the reinforcer to one class point each day she meets
criterion.
Week 2:
The consultee will change the reinforcer to one class point only three times a week
(i.e., Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
Week 3:
The consultee will change the reinforcer to one class point only twice a week (i.e.,
Tuesday, Thursday).
Week 4:
There will be no reinforcer upon meeting the criterion. Rather, N will have the
opportunity to earn points at any time throughout the class period, like her peers.
The consultee will occasionally reinforce N with class points when showing the
appropriate behavior (as she would for other students in the class).
Ariel Ellis, 2014

REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Total
Points

Week 1

+1

+1

+1

+1

+1

Week 2

+1

+1

+1

Week 3

Week 4

Ariel Ellis, 2014

+1

At

the

+1
Level

of

Peers

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Contact Ariel Ellis at:
aellis11@mail.csuchico.edu