The Effects of Positive Peer Reporting on Children's Social Involvement

The effects of structured peer praise on the social involvement of 3 socially withdrawn children were examined. Each child's teacher implemented Positive Peer Reporting (PPR), which consisted of rewarding classmates for publicly praising the social behavior of the participant during brief, daily sessions. A multiple baseline design with a reversal phase was used to evaluate the effects of PPR on observed levels of social involvement during recess. Results indicated that PPR was effective for all 3 children. Teacher ratings of the procedure indicated high treatment acceptability. The findings support the use of peers as sources of positive reinforcement for the prosocial behavior of at-risk children.