Using Interdependent Contingencies with Groups of Students: Why the Principal Kissed a Pig

Abstract

Educational administrators at the school level can use a variety of techniques to encourage desired behavior from students. Recently, various media have carried stories about school principals engaging in some unusual behavior, such as kissing a pig at a school-wide assembly and reading books on the school roof. For the most part, these administrators have been employing interdependent group contingencies to reinforce desired behaviors. In this article, interdependent group contingencies are described and analyzed. Applied examples are provided to make school administrators aware of strengths and limitations associated with these procedures. Recommendations are provided for implementing interdependent group contingencies in educational settings that should allow school leaders to alter the behavior of students without inadvertently occasioning inappropriate student behaviors.