Applying Operant Conditioning: Behavior Modification
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Applying Operant Conditioning: Behavior Modification
Behavior modification—the application of learning principles to help individuals develop more adaptive or effective behaviors—often employs techniques associated with operant conditioning. Behavior modification frequently relies on positive and/or negative reinforcement. Reinforcements are utilized to increase the frequency of a desirable behavior. Positive reinforcement occurs when a stimulus or event is followed by something rewarding. The result is that the behavior is likely to be repeated in the future. For example, if you study hard for an exam and earn an A, you are more likely to study hard in the future. Negative reinforcement, in contrast, refers to a situation in which a response results in the removal of, avoidance of, or escape from a punishing stimulus. As with positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement increases the likelihood that the desirable behavior will be repeated in future situations. If your roommate is constantly nagging you to turn off the TV before you go to bed at night, you may start turning off the TV to escape the nagging. Because the nagging has stopped, you are more likely to turn off the TV in the future.
Behavior modification is a useful technique when working with substance use populations and/or those with addictive behaviors. With positive reinforcement, the basic idea is to reward people for making healthy lifestyle choices that are recovery-oriented (Horvath et al., 2014). Rewards must be meaningful or valuable to the individual for the reinforcement to take effect consistently. A young adult who is addicted to cigarettes is unlikely to stop smoking just because his brother says, “Good job!” every time he resists the urge to smoke. However, if the young adult puts $1 in a jar every time he resists the urge to smoke (positive reinforcement), then at the end of two weeks, he may have enough money to purchase something fun or something that he has been saving up for. Keep in mind that what is valuable and rewarding to one person may not be valuable and rewarding to another. Therefore, when using behavior modification, we must tailor the intervention or behavior plan to the individual.
Using the same example as above, negative reinforcement may also be effective. If the young man is constantly having his cell phone shut off for failure to pay the bill, he may look for help to stop smoking as a way to save money to put toward his cell phone bill and, subsequently, avoid having his phone shut off. Negative reinforcement therefore applies.
Identify a behavior that you want to change in yourself. Perhaps you want to eat healthier, exercise more, watch less TV, or spend less time on Facebook. Or maybe you want to change something completely different. Make sure that you select a behavior that you are comfortable sharing with your instructor and/or the class.
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Conduct an online search about using behavior modification techniques to change behavior. For example, you might search key phrases such as, “Using behavior modification to lose weight” or “Using behavior modification to stop biting your nails.” You can choose any behavior that you think is interesting. a. What behavior did you choose? Make sure to include the URL of the article or Web site from which you gathered your information. b. What behavior modification techniques were mentioned in the article or Web site? c. Do you believe that the techniques would be effective? Why or why not?
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Chris’s roommate has asked her every day for the past two weeks to clean the shower drain after washing her hair. Whenever she forgets to clean the drain, her roommate complains. One day, Chris cleaned the drain in order to avoid hearing her roommate complain about it. This example illustrates:
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Rodrigo is a kindergarten teacher who believes that behavior modification is especially effective in training young children to behave in more prosocial ways. Rodrigo has a wall chart on which he has put every child’s name and each day of the school week. Each time one of Rodrigo’s students demonstrates a desirable behavior—such as waiting for his or her turn, saying please or thank you, or sitting quietly during story time— Rodrigo puts a sticker next to the child’s name. Once the child has earned five stickers, he or she can pick a prize out of the treasure box. What technique is Rodrigo using to increase the children’s prosocial behavior?
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Which of the following increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated in the future?
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Suggested Answer: Multiple answers will work for this question. A primary reinforcer is one that is naturally reinforcing. For example, food and water are primary reinforcers. Conditioned reinforcers are those that have acquired reinforcing value due to their association with a primary reinforcer. Money, trophies, college degrees, and nods of approval are examples of conditioned reinforcers.