| 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
- Identify the target behavior: Agree on what behavior needs to change and in what direction.
- Discuss priorities: What matters most to each party?
- Set realistic goals: Start with achievable targets. Early success builds commitment.
- Select reinforcers: Client identifies preferred rewards; the other party confirms feasibility.
- Agree on terms: Duration, frequency, monitoring, and consequences.
- Draft the contract: Written in clear, simple language.
- Review and sign: All parties read the contract, ask questions, and sign.
- 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.
- Gradually increase the criterion within the contract.
- Shift from external monitoring to self-monitoring.
- Shift from tangible rewards to social reinforcers and self-reinforcement.
- Increase the delay between behavior and reward.
- 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.