A recruitment-of-praise package to increase productivity levels of developmentally handicapped workers

Abstract

This research examined the effectiveness of a recruitment package to increase production rates of three developmentally handicapped adults in a sheltered workshop. A baseline phase measured production rates of a paper-folding task under "typical" supervisory conditions. The recruitment package, introduced in a multiple-baseline design across subjects, involved goal setting by the experimenter, and self-monitoring, recruitment of praise, and self-delivery of a "happy face" by the worker. The recruitment package increased the production rates for two subjects, but decreased production rates for the third subject. Social validity data indicated that all subjects preferred the recruitment package, and staff continued to employ the recruitment package for two subjects when the formal research was terminated.