Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Camilo Ortiz, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Hilary Vidair, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Or Dagan, Ph.D.

Abstract

Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) effectively decreases disruptive behavior in children (Daley et al., 2014). Nonetheless, many parents perceive BPT to be challenging and demanding, leading to reports of high treatment dropout rates (Chacko et al., 2016.) To address this, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of Goodtimer, a behavioral health device utilizing contingency management, an element of BPT, to mitigate child disruptive behaviors. The Goodtimer is designed to make administering a contingency management system easier for parents. Employing a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, the study assessed six families with children aged 3-9 years. Most parents who used the Goodtimer reported significant reductions in the frequency of disruptive behaviors, as evidenced by a decrease in daily misbehavior scores. However, there was little change in parents’ perceptions of behavior severity or in parental disciplinary practices. Participants commended the device for providing immediate feedback and making behavioral concepts tangible for children, citing its ability to visually represent progress as a motivating factor for their children. Conversely, challenges were noted with the device’s portability and setup complexity, which contributed to participant dropout during both baseline and intervention phases. These results underscore the potential of integrating technology into behavior management strategies, offering a cost-effective, real-time solution for families. Future research should focus on refining the device’s usability, exploring personalized interventions, and understanding the broader family context to maximize its impact on child behavior outcomes.

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