Interpreting the Conflicting Results of Individual versus Group Contingencies in Classrooms:

Abstract

This paper reviews 20 studies which directly compare the relative efficacy of individual and group contingencies in classroom settings. The authors differentiate between the studies according to the targeted behaviors. This strategy led to markedly different results than previous reviews. Group contingencies were generally superior to individual ones when academic performance was the targeted behavior. Furthermore, during the group contingencies there were reports of an increase in presocial, cooperative behavior among group members. In contrast, there was no consistent differential effect when the social responding of students was the targeted behavior, yet there were reports of an increase in verbal threats during the group condition. Tentative hypotheses are presented to account for these findings.