Any planned behavioral management system is controlled.  There is an administrator. Bear in mind folks, I’m in favor of exercise of authority by parents, teachers, librarians and others. However, the deliberate manipulation of reinforcers is not ‘authority’. It is a system, a system devised and administered by someone with an eye towards influencing decisionmaking by others.  

Children subject to the system are encouraged to ‘chase’ the prize or mind their manners, lest they be embarassed by their name on the board. There is nothing ‘natural’ about the administration of such systems. They are contrived. As is the case given any ‘institutionalized system’, moment to moment administration may be measured against the system itself. Opportunities to argue unfair administration of the system are abundant. Children and parents get bogged down in arguments about the ‘fairness’ of the administration of the system. Teachers may not get so bogged down but they will find the value placed upon reinforcers shifts beneath their feet. Children begin to care less.

Exerise of parental discipline may benefit from tenets of behaviorist psychology but:

1. Behavioral psychology has limited applications. The work of linguist, Noam Chomsky highlighted the very limited applicability of behavioral management strategies to human psychology.
2. Understanding of how behavioral management strategies work most effectively has positively impacted psychology.
3. Understanding potential use vs. abuse of power in administration of behavioral management systems is critical.

Note: Use of behavioral management systems in pre schools and kindergarten classes places an undo burden upon very young children. ‘Memorization of ‘rules’ and ‘bearing rules in mind’ is a cognitive burden. Children who feel free to explore, initiate play, run off with things , etc. are enjoying ‘being children’. From moment to moment, authority figures can intervene and present a demand upon a child, e.g. “Give that back to Johnnie, he had it first.”, “we don’t push, we ask nice”. This frequent exercise of authority in the moment is far superior to formalized systems of rules. Other feedback systems  are effectively in play within the child  that will give rise to a workable value system for most children. If one or another needs a bit of help ‘being nice’, an individual assessment of his or her developmental needs is appropriate.