Effect Of Cognitive Restructuring And Shaping Techniques In Handling Lateness To School Among Secondary School Students

Chima (2006) in her studies on efficacy of Premack principle, Self-monitoring and Rational Emotive Therapy in checking perambulating behaviour among secondary school students and idiosyncratic foundation observed that RET (cognitive restructuring) was effective in handling the case in question. She had three treatment groups and a control group. The subject for the study which numbered 48 were placed into the treatment groups and the control group. She used the pre-treatment, treatment and post-treatment exercises. The results using ANCOVA showed that RET was effective in managing perambulating behaviour of the students treated.
Empirical Studies on the Effect of Shaping in Changing Undesirable behaviour
People at one time or the other have used shaping to change undesirable behaviour. According to Davidoff (1987) some parents use shaping intuitively to teach small children. For example, mothers have used it to give potty training to their small children.
Isaac (as cited in Akinade & Adedipe, 1994) shaping was successfully used to reinstate verbal behaviour in hospitalized psychotics.   Kanfer and Philips also discovered that shaping can be used when new complex responses are desired (Akinade & Adedipe, 1994). Traver (1977) said it worked very effectively in persons with mental problem and also in children who find it difficult to communicate.
Empirical Studies on Lateness
Ogbuvbu (2008) carried out an intensive study on absenteeism and lateness among secondary school students in Nigeria. He used seventeen thousand, four hundred and seventeen (17,417) respondents made up of four hundred and thirty two (432) principals, five thousand, seven hundred and sixty (5760) teachers five thousand, seven hundred and sixty (5760) secondary school students. In this study, he analytically discovered that lateness leads to absenteeism, which results in dropout. The study equally revealed that lateness can lead to other deviant acts.
Ohazulike (2004) and Emore (2005) in their different studies on lateness found out that there were many factors that make students to be late to school. They identify parental factor as one of them.
Summary of Related Literature Review
The review on related literature focused on the three major variables in this study, namely cognitive restructuring technique, shaping technique and lateness. These were discussed under the following sub-headings: conceptual framework, theoretical framework and empirical studies.
Conceptually, cognitive restructuring technique is a process whereby one’s thought pattern is altered with a view to achieving a rightful thought pattern associated with right behaviour. Also the concepts of shaping technique and lateness were discussed. The concept of shaping technique makes one to see that reinforcing behaviour that is closer to the final behaviour will bring about the desired response. In the concept of lateness, it was highlighted that lateness means coming after the scheduled time and that it is experienced in the home and in the public life.
Under theoretical framework, cognitive restructuring was presented as any form of cognitive therapy. Shaping was shown as a technique derived from operant conditioning theory. The causes, effects and strategies for reducing lateness among secondary school students were discussed.
Empirical studies on cognitive restructuring techniques showed that the technique was effective in handling behaviour problems such as social phobia and anger. Empirically too, studies on shaping proved that the technique was excellent in teaching new behaviour. Finally studies on lateness showed that lateness behaviour has adverse effects on the students.   Such adverse effects include development of anti-social behaviour and poor academic achievement.
The researcher noticed at the end of the review of literature that no work appears to have been done on the topic of the current study, particularly on empirical basis. A vacuum in literature (gap in knowledge) thus appears to exist. It was the attempt to provide the apparent missing link that formed conception of the research, to investigate the effect of cognitive restructuring technique and shaping technique in handling lateness among secondary school students.