behavioral-contracts

name	behavioral-contracts
description	Use when designing contingency contracts for behavior change including negotiation, goal setting, monitoring, self-contracts, and applications across clinical, educational, and organizational settings.

Behavioral Contracts

A behavioral contract (contingency contract) is a written document that specifies a contingent relationship between the completion of a specified behavior and access to a specified reward or consequence. Contracts formalize expectations, increase accountability, and leverage rule-governed behavior.

Conceptual Foundation

Behavioral contracts work through several mechanisms:

• Public commitment: Written statements of intent increase follow-through compared to verbal agreements.
• Rule-governed behavior: The contract serves as a verbal rule specifying the contingency (if-then relationship).
• Stimulus control: The physical contract serves as a discriminative stimulus, prompting the target behavior.
• Reciprocity: Both parties (or all parties) have obligations, creating mutual accountability.

Components of an Effective Contract

1. Task Description

• Specify the exact behavior(s) required.
• Use operational definitions: observable, measurable, with clear boundaries.
• Specify the amount, duration, or frequency required.
• State when and where the behavior must occur.
• Example: "Complete all assigned math problems during independent work time (9:15–9:45 AM) with at least 80% accuracy, Monday through Friday."

2. Reward/Consequence

• Specify exactly what will be earned for meeting the contract terms.
• Rewards should be identified through preference assessment or negotiation—not assumed.
• Can include tangible items, activities, privileges, or removal of non-preferred activities.
• Specify when the reward will be delivered: immediately, end of day, end of week.
• Optionally include consequences for not meeting terms (though positive-focused contracts are generally preferred).

3. Task Record

• Include a mechanism for tracking performance: a checklist, data sheet, or log.
• Specify who is responsible for recording.
• The record should be accessible to all parties.

4. Monitoring

• Specify how performance will be monitored: who checks, when, and how often.
• Regular review points prevent drift and maintain motivation.
• Monitoring should be as objective as possible—tie it to the data record.

5. Review and Renegotiation

• Specify when the contract will be reviewed (weekly, biweekly, monthly).
• Contracts should be living documents—modified as behavior changes.
• Include a process for renegotiation: who initiates, what can be changed, how agreement is reached.
• Successful contracts are renegotiated to increase expectations as the client progresses.

Types of Contracts

Two-Party Contracts

Between the client and another person (parent, teacher, employer, therapist).

• Both parties sign, indicating agreement to the terms.
• Both parties have specified obligations.
• Example: "If Marcus completes his homework before 7 PM, then his parent will provide 30 minutes of video game time."

Self-Contracts

An individual contracts with themselves for self-management purposes.

• The individual specifies the behavior, the criterion, and the self-delivered consequence.
• May include a "contract manager" who monitors and provides social accountability.
• Example: "I will exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days per week. If I meet this goal, I will purchase the book I've been wanting on Saturday."

Multi-Party Contracts

Involve more than two parties (e.g., student, parent, and teacher).

• All parties have specified roles and obligations.
• Coordination across environments (home-school contracts).
• Requires clear communication channels between all parties.

Negotiation Process

Effective contracts are negotiated, not imposed.

Steps

1. Identify the target behavior: Agree on what behavior needs to change and in what direction.
2. Discuss priorities: What matters most to each party?
3. Set realistic goals: Start with achievable targets. Early success builds commitment.
4. Select reinforcers: Client identifies preferred rewards; the other party confirms feasibility.
5. Agree on terms: Duration, frequency, monitoring, and consequences.
6. Draft the contract: Written in clear, simple language.
7. Review and sign: All parties read the contract, ask questions, and sign.
8. Display: Post the contract where all parties can see it daily.

Negotiation Principles

• Both parties should feel the contract is fair. If one party feels coerced, adherence will be poor.
• Start with easy-to-achieve terms. Gradually increase expectations.
• Reinforcement should be proportional to the effort required.
• Avoid punitive contracts—contracts should emphasize what is earned, not what is lost.

Age-Appropriate Considerations

Young Children (5–8 years)

• Simple language, possibly with pictures.
• Short contract periods (daily).
• Concrete, immediate rewards.
• Adult reads the contract to/with the child.
• "First-Then" format is essentially a simplified contract.

Older Children and Adolescents (9–17 years)

• Involve the youth meaningfully in negotiation—this is critical for buy-in.
• Allow longer contract periods (weekly).
• Rewards can include privileges, activities, and social opportunities.
• Include the youth's signature.

Adults

• Use professional language appropriate to the context.
• Self-contracts are more common.
• Rewards may be self-determined: personal purchases, leisure activities, social events.
• In organizational settings, contracts may be performance agreements.

Goal Setting Within Contracts

Principles

• Specific: Exactly what, when, where, and how much.
• Measurable: Tied to observable data.
• Achievable: Within the client's current capability (with effort).
• Relevant: Meaningful to the client.
• Time-bound: Clear deadline or review date.

Progressive Goals

• Set initial goals slightly above current performance.
• As each goal is met, renegotiate to increase the criterion.
• Use a changing-criterion approach embedded within successive contracts.
• Example: Week 1: 15 minutes of reading per day → Week 3: 20 minutes → Week 5: 30 minutes.

Applications

Academic Performance

• Home-school contracts: student earns privileges at home for meeting academic goals at school.
• Daily report cards: teacher rates behavior/performance; parent delivers consequences at home.
• Effective for homework completion, on-task behavior, and grades.

Self-Management

• Adults contracting with themselves for health behaviors (exercise, diet, medication).
• Include a social accountability partner.
• Deposit contracts: put money in escrow; earn it back by meeting goals; forfeit for non-compliance.

Family Agreements

• Parent-child contracts for household responsibilities.
• Sibling conflict reduction.
• Adolescent privileges tied to responsibilities.

Organizational Settings

• Performance contracts between employee and supervisor.
• Attendance contracts.
• Safety behavior contracts.

Monitoring Effectiveness

• Track data on the target behavior before, during, and after the contract.
• If the behavior is not changing, assess:
  • Is the goal too difficult?
  • Is the reinforcer sufficiently motivating?
  • Is monitoring consistent?
  • Is the reinforcer being delivered as specified?
• Renegotiate based on data.

Fading Contracts

The ultimate goal is for the behavior to be maintained by natural contingencies without the contract.

1. Gradually increase the criterion within the contract.
2. Shift from external monitoring to self-monitoring.
3. Shift from tangible rewards to social reinforcers and self-reinforcement.
4. Increase the delay between behavior and reward.
5. Eventually, phase out the formal contract while maintaining informal agreements.

Key References

• Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson.
• Homme, L. (1969). How to Use Contingency Contracting in the Classroom. Research Press.
• Kelley, M. L., & Stokes, T. F. (1982). Contingency contracting with disadvantaged youths: Improving classroom performance. JABA, 15, 447–454.
• Ruth, W. J. (1996). Goal setting and behavior contracting for students with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Psychology in the Schools, 33, 153–158.