Student-Like Behavior as a Function of Contingent Social Interaction in a Psychiatric Day Treatment Program

Abstract

Social reinforcement provided by staff was made contingent upon bringing folders to class in a psychoeducationally oriented psychiatric day treatment program. Compliance was readily fostered by this approach. It was concluded that assumptions regarding the unamenability of psychiatric populations to social reinforcement are unwarranted. Research implications of this finding for psychoeducationally oriented psychiatric treatment programs are discussed.