Negative Reinforcement in Classrooms: What We're Beginning to Learn

This paper presents the negative reinforcement paradigm as a framework with potential to guide development of classroom interventions that increase desirable and decrease undesirable behaviors of students with disabilities. The paradigm (having been defined for some years) seems to be described rarely and is seldom presented in depth in teacher educating programs. Results of studies involving children with emotional and behavioral disorders are presented to convey the importance of teachers' awareness of the paradigm's usefulness. Recommendations are presented regarding content and delivery of training in pre-and inservice programs.