Behavioral staff management: An analogue study of acceptability and its behavioral correlates

Abstract This study examined the acceptability of four behavioral staff management techniques: instruction/ modeling, reinforcement, punishment, and self‐management. Staff working with developmentally handicapped clients were randomly assigned to these conditions, which were presented in role‐plays with a handicapped confederate, while the experimenter directed the management techniques toward the reinforcing behaviors of staff. Dependent variables included number of reinforcers delivered by the staff person, number of problems attempted by the confederate, and ratings of acceptability from staff. Instruction/modeling was most acceptable, followed, in order, by self‐management, reinforcement, and punishment. A significant interaction showed number of reinforcers to increase only for instruction/modeling and self‐management conditions.