Self-Monitoring of Attention versus Self-Monitoring of Performance: Replication and Cross-Task Comparison Studies

Abstract

The effectiveness of two self-monitoring interventions on the attentional and academic performance of students with learning disabilities was compared in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, a counterbalanced, multiple-baseline-across-subjects design was used to determine if attention and performance monitoring had differential effects on the spelling study behaviors of four students with learning disabilities. Both interventions had a positive impact on students' on-task behavior as well as the number of times they correctly practiced spelling words. Two of the students, however, were more productive when using self-monitoring of performance, and all the students preferred this self-monitoring procedure. In the second experiment, using the same design and procedures, the two self-monitoring interventions were applied to story writing. Both had a positive effect on the length and quality of students' stories as well as their on-task behavior during writing. Neither of the self-monitoring interventions, however, was clearly or consistently superior to the other. Recommendations for teachers regarding designing, implementing, and evaluating self-monitoring procedures are provided.