Application of an interdependent group contingency mediated by an automated feedback device: An intervention across three high school classrooms

Contemporary roles of school psychology include the provision of ongoing support for teachers to prevent and remediate problematic behaviors within the instructional setting. Early research on the use of automated feedback devices to influence classroom behavior yielded promising results. The present study examined the effect of an interdependent group contingency as mediated by the Digital Scoreboard in three high school inclusion classrooms. The scoreboard provided ongoing positive feedback to students using an automated digital count-down timer and a digital delivery system of digital tokens. Teachers interrupted the positive feedback when students engaged in disruptive behaviors. The intervention effectively reduced the rate of disruptive behavior and teacher corrections for disruption, increased rates of active engagement and uninterrupted instructional time, and corresponded with high levels of teacher acceptability. Implications, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed.