Effectiveness of Three Contingency-Nonspecific Stimuli on Bathroom Graffiti Prevention in a College Setting. Issue 2 (April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Jin; Chung, Kyong-Mee
• Is Part Of: Psychological reports. Volume 112:Issue 2(2013)
• Page Start: 408
• Page End: 418
• Publication Date: 2013-04
• Subjects: Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychologie -- Périodiques; Psychology; 150.5
• DOI: 10.2466/01.21.PR0.112.2.408-418
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-2941

Abstract

An A-B-A design was adopted to test the effectiveness of different types of contingency-nonspecific stimuli in the prevention of bathroom graffiti in a college setting. The three stimuli examined in this study have been frequently used to prevent bathroom graffiti in South Korea and they were: (a) "Please do not write, draw, or mark on these walls;" (b) a mirror; and (c) "Courteous people keep public places clean." No graffiti was observed when the first and second stimuli were presented. In contrast, a notable increase in bathroom graffiti was observed when the third sign was presented. The results suggest that a contingency non-specific stimuli posting intervention can be effective in the prevention of bathroom graffiti only when appropriate stimuli are used. The practical implications, including cost-effectiveness, are discussed.