The real reason PointPals works
PointPals isn't a behaviour-modification system that happens to live in an app. It's a counter-cultural tool for families who want to build real-world habits in a world designed to pull their kids in the opposite direction. Here's the research that shaped it — the good, the messy, and the honest.
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The research behind PointPals
Further reading
These books shaped the thinking behind PointPals. They're worth reading in full:
- Hold On to Your Kids — Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté
- How to Talk So Kids Will Listen — Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
- Dopamine Kids — Michaeleen Doucleff
- How to Raise an Adult — Julie Lythcott-Haims
- Raising Good Humans — Hunter Clarke-Fields
- Daring Greatly — Brené Brown
- Have a New Kid by Friday — Kevin Leman
- The Teenage Brain — Frances Jensen
- Help! I'm Ruining My Kids — Abbey Wedgeworth
- Fight Right — Julie Schwartz Gottman and John Gottman
Selected academic references
- Ayllon, T., & Azrin, N. H. (1968). The Token Economy: A Motivational System for Therapy and Rehabilitation.
- Kazdin, A. E., & Bootzin, R. R. (1972). The token economy: An evaluative review. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 5(3), 343–372.
- Sanders, M. R., et al. (2014). The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(4), 337–357.
- Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668.
- Cameron, J., Banko, K. M., & Pierce, W. D. (2001). Pervasive negative effects of rewards on intrinsic motivation: The myth continues. The Behavior Analyst, 24(1), 1–44.
PointPals is a habit-building tool, not medical or psychological advice. For clinical concerns about a child's behaviour, speak with a qualified professional.