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), 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 would like 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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