The Clean-Up Scream
A preschool teacher has 14 children, aged 3–4. At clean-up time, one child, Mira, screams and throws blocks. Clean-up lasts 5 minutes and is signalled by a song. The teacher usually shouts 'Stop that!' and, to restore quiet, lets Mira continue playing for five more minutes. Two aides occasionally give Mira a block to keep her quiet. Mira's screaming has increased from twice a week to eight times a week over a month. The teacher says she is 'at her wit's end' and has started giving the whole class a sticker only on days when Mira does not scream; on those days Mira often screams just before stickers are handed out. The parent reports the same pattern at home when screen time ends. The teacher wants to use 'time-out', but school policy forbids isolation; a quiet corner with books is allowed.
1. Analyse the contingencies maintaining Mira's screaming and the teacher's responses.
Read the worked answer
For Mira, screaming is followed by continued play, which is positive reinforcement, and by escape from clean-up, which is negative reinforcement. The aides occasionally giving a block reinforces screaming on a variable schedule, making it resistant to extinction. For the teacher, shouting and giving in terminate the noise, so her own behaviour is negatively reinforced. The whole-class sticker contingent on 'no scream' is a differential reinforcement of zero behaviour schedule, but it is delivered to all and is delayed, so Mira's screaming may still be followed by peer attention. The predictable sticker time also creates a last-minute burst because the contingency is visible.
2. Propose a plan using antecedent change, extinction and differential reinforcement, and predict what will happen in the first week.
Read the worked answer
Antecedent change: give a 2-minute warning with the song, use a visual timer, and give Mira a job such as carrying the block basket. Teach and rehearse 'blocks away' with praise. Replace the scream contingency: when Mira screams, do not give extra play or a block; keep the routine going with minimal attention. When she is calm or approximates cleaning, give specific praise and a preferred activity. Use differential reinforcement of alternative behaviour and, if needed, a short-interval differential reinforcement of zero behaviour schedule, such as 2 minutes of calm earning a sticker. The quiet book corner may be used only briefly, calmly and without isolation, and she must return to clean-up so it does not become escape. Predict an extinction burst in the first week: screaming may increase in frequency or intensity before declining. Staff consistency is essential. Avoid the whole-class sticker on 'no scream' days because it is delayed and non-contingent for Mira.
3. How would you evaluate whether the plan worked with 14 children and no extra staff?
Read the worked answer
Define the behaviour operationally: screams per clean-up and duration of clean-up. Have two aides record independently for 5 days to establish a baseline. Use a simple AB design, continuing for 3 weeks, and track teacher responses as well. With 14 children, add a whole-class measure of clean-up time and a short anonymous staff checklist. With no extra staff, use a 1-minute tally sheet on a clipboard, inter-observer checks on 20% of sessions, and a weekly review. Include social validity: does Mira seem calmer, and do peers settle faster? Ethics require obtaining parental consent for a behaviour plan, never using isolation, and not withholding attention entirely.