Overcorrection as an Academic Remediation Procedure

Abstract

Overcorrection procedures traditionally were designed to reduce the behavioral excesses of persons with mental retardation. However, beginning with a study of Foxx and Jones (1978), it became clear that variations of the procedure could be used to enhance academic proficiency in students with average intelligence, borderline intelligence, learning disabilities, and various levels of mental retardation. Studies were reviewed in this article that have used overcorrection procedures to enhance academic proficiency, and it was concluded (a) that overcorrection, alone or combined with positive reinforcement, significantly increased the academic proficiency of the students, and (b) that the label "overcorrection" is inappropriate, given that the procedures described in these studies did not meet the criteria for overcorrection procedures. It was suggested that overcorrection procedures used for academic remediation be called directed rehearsal in the future to reflect more accurately the procedures actually used.