Research in Developmental Disabililiq Vol. 10, pp. 17 I - 182. 1989 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGF Effe c ts 0891-4222/89 13.00 + .OO Copyright 0 1989 Pcrgamon Press plc o f Exp e rim e nte r Surve illa nc e on Re a c tive Se lf-Mo nito ring Philip J. Belfiore Lehigh University F. Charles Mace Rutgers University Diane M. Browder Lehigh University Two women with mild nnd moderate mental retardation self-monitored their work productivity with and without experimenter surveillance. For both sub- jects, reactive effects of self-monitoring werefound without surveillance. Howev- er, reactivity was much greater when an observer was present while subjects self- monitored their work output. Reactive effects for one subject did not occur until she experienced surveillance in zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONM a previous experimentalphase, suggesting that the history of surveillance established the reactivity of self-monitoring. Surveillance is viewed as a setting event that may be an important variable in achieving and maintaining benefits of self-management programs for persons with develop- mental disabilities. Self-management programs have been shown to be an effective and cost- efficient means to improve the functioning of persons with developmental disabilities (Browder & Shapiro, 1985; Fowler, 1984; Shapiro, 1981). A cen- tral component of many self-management programs is self-monitoring (SM). SM is often used alone or in conjunction with other self-management procedures (e.g., self-evaluation, self-instruction, self-reinforcement) be- cause of the reactive effects it can produce. Reactivity of SM refers to the Requests for reprints should be sent to F. Charles Mace, Ph.D., Graduate School of Applied Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854. 171