Behavior Modification

CHS 385

WHAT IS BEHAVIOR ?

Essentially behavior is anything that a person says or does..

Technically is any muscular, glandular, or electrical activity of an organism..

Behavior can be :#Overt(visible) behavior. E.G. Walking, talking…

#Covert (private, internal) behavior. E.G. Thinking, feeling..

Behavior Modification

Involves the systematic application of learning principles and techniques to assess and improve individuals' covert and overt behaviors in order to enhance their functioning..

Behavior Modification

Misconception about behavior modification:

Myth 1: use of rewards by behavior modification to change behavior is bribery.

Myth2: behavior modification involves the use of drugs, psychosurgery, and electro-convulsive therapy.

Myth3:behavior modification only changes symptoms, it doesn't get at the underlying problems.

Myth4: behavior modification can be applied to deal with simple problems, such as toilet training children or overcoming fear of heights, but it is not applicable for changing complex problems such as low self esteem or depression.

myth5: behavior modification workers are cold and unfeeling and don't develop empathy with their clients.

myth6: behavior modification deal only with observable behavior, they don't deal with thoughts or feelings of clients.

myth7: behavior modification is outdated.

Basic behavioral principles and procedures

Maintenance or removal of a response :

Reinforcement &Extinction

Definitions

Reinforcement :An event, or a condition that increases the likelihood that a given response will recur in a situation like that in which the reinforcing condition originally occurred.

Reinforcer :A stimulus, such as a reward, that maintains or strengthens a desired response.Ex: gift - money

Getting A behavior to occur more often with positive reinforcement

#Positive reinforcer : is an event that, when presented immediately following a behavior, causes the behavior to increase in frequency (or likelihood of occurrence)…

Cinderella Positive Reinforcement.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgvyVqosMq0

Factors influencing the effectiveness of positive reinforcement

1-Selecting the behavior to be increased.

2-Choosing reinforces.

3-Reinforcer size.

4-Reinforce immediacy.

5- Contingent versus non-contingent Reinforcement

1-Selecting a behavior to be increased :

-Behavior to be reinforced must be identified specifically.

Ex: if you start with general behavior such as(being friendly) you should then identify specific behavior such as(smiling)

2- Choosing reinforces..

•Different individuals are frequently turned on by different things.

•The important thing is to use a reinforce that is effective with the individual with whom you are working…Negative Reinforcement or Escape Conditioning: The removal of an event following a response.

Positive reinforcement can be classified under 5 categories:

1-consumable :

Reinforcer that can be consumed (food or drink)

Ex: cookies, fruits ,Pepsi ?.

2-Activity:

Ex: watching TV.

3-Manipulative:

Ex: play with favorite toy ,color, paint, surf the internet.

4-Possetional:

Ex: have a private room.

5-Social:

Ex: hugs, smiles, nods.

3- Reinforcer size:

The size(magnitude)of reinforcer is an important determinant of its effectiveness. Ex:Many of teenagers would likely be unwilling to eat fruits for 10 SR but many will eagerly do so for 50SR.

4-Reinforce immediately :

For maximum effectiveness , a reinforcer should be giver immediately after the desired response.

5-Contingent versus non-contingent Reinforcement :

Contingent reinforcement:

When a behavior must occur before a reinforcer will be present .

Ex: child doing his homework after that the mother reward him with a chocolate.

Non-contingent reinforcement:

If a reinforcer is presented at a particular time , regardless of preceding behavior.

Ex: The teacher told the student that he’s smart and he can do the test ,after that the student confidently take the test.

Pitfalls of positive reinforcement:Some of reinforcer unfortunately might strengthen some undesired behavior unknowingly.Ex: Situation response Immediate

consequences Long-term

effect

Mother and child are shopping in a supermarket.

Child begins to whine ‘I want home , I want home”

Mother is embarrassed and leaves the store

immediately .

Child is more likely to whine in similar situations

Positive and negative reinforcment

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxdtMVww2q0

Decreasing a behavior with extinction

If a response has been increased in frequency through positive reinforcement, then completely ceasing to reinforce the response will cause it to decrease in frequency.

Example:

Stimulus Control

*When a particular behavior is more likely to occur in the presence of a particular stimulus and not others, we say that the behavior is under the control of that stimulus.

*The term stimulus control refers to the degree of the correlation between stimulus and subsequent response.

stimulus response

*Through experience, we learn to refrain from performing certain behaviors in the presence of certain stimuli because we have learnt that those behaviors will go unreinforced.

Shaping

• Shaping is used to develop a target behavior that a person does not currently exhibit.

• Shaping is defined as: the differential reinforcement of successive approximations of a target behavior until the person exhibits the target behavior.

Differential Reinforcement

• A procedure in which a reinforcer follows a specific desirable behavior but other undesirable behaviors are not reinforced

• The result is an increase in the desirable behavior and extinction of the other behaviors

(Miltenberger, 2012)

Successive Approximation

• In the process of shaping, a successive approximation is a behavior that more closely resembles the target behavior.

(Miltenberger, 2012)

Target Behavior

• Is the behavior one want to see demonstrated; the end goal.

Reinforcer

•Is a stimulus or event that increases the future probability of a behavior when it occurs. It is

contingent on the occurrence of the behavior.

(Miltenberger, 2012)

What is shaping??

• having a target (goal) behavior in mind• Establishing steps that work toward that

target behavior • positively reinforcing only a specific behavior

at a time while ignoring all other behaviors• once one step has been accomplished,

shaping requires moving on to the next step, only ever reinforcing the current step until the target behavior is reached

There are five aspects or dimensions of behavior that can be shaped :

•topography,•frequency,•duration,•latency,

•and intensity.

Dimension Definition Example

Topography (form) Physical movement involved in the behavior

Walking

Amount: frequency Number of instances of the behavior in given time

Number of times to exercise

Amount: duration Continuous amount of time behavior lasts

Length of time of exercise

Latency Time between the controlling stimulus and the behavior(Reaction time)

Time between time and exercising

Intensity (force) Amount of energy expended on the behavior

Force of a punch in boxing

DIMENSIONS OF BEHAVIOR THAT CAN BE SHAPED

Steps to shaping

1. Define the behavior 2. Determine whether shaping is the most

appropriate procedure3. Identify the starting behavior4. Choose the shaping steps5. Choose the reinforcer6. Differentially reinforce successive approximations7. Move through the steps at a proper pace

1 .Define the behavior •The first stage in shaping is to identify clearly the final desired behavior, which is often referred to as the terminal behavior.

• A precise statement of the final desired behavior increases the chances of consistent reinforcement of successive approximations of that behavior.

• The final desired behavior should be stated in such a way that all the relevant characteristics of the behavior (its topography, amount, latency, and intensity) are identified.

• The conditions under which behavior is or is not to occur should be stated, and any other guidelines that appear to be necessary for consistency should be provided.

•If the person already demonstrates the behavior on occasion you can use other techniques to strengthen that behavior.

•If you can tell the person to do the target behavior, if you can physically assist the person in doing the behavior, or if you can show the person the correct behavior you do not need to use shaping

2 .Determine whether shaping is the most appropriate procedure

3 .Identify the starting behavior

•Because the final desired or terminal behavior does not occur initially, and because it is necessary to reinforce some behavior that approximates it, you must identify a starting point.

• This should be a behavior that occur often enough and it should approximate the final desired behavior.

•It is helpful to outline the successive approximations through which the person will be moved, in the attempt to approximate the final desired behavior.

•There are no specific guidelines for identifying the ideal step size.

•Whatever guidelines or guesses are used, it is important to try to stick to them and yet be flexible if the trainee does not proceed quickly enough or is learning more quickly than had been expected.

4 .Choose the shaping steps

5 .Choose the reinforcer

•Must be a strong reinforcer for the participant being shaped.

•Must be able to be delivered immediately following a behavior (i.e. clicker with animals)

•Reinforce each behavior until they happen on their own.

•Once the participant masters a stage, you move on to the next approximation and only reinforce that behavior, putting the previous approximation on extinction.

6 .Differentially reinforce successive approximations

•It is advisable not to move too fast from an approximation to another; on the other hand, it is advisable not to move too slowly.

•Need to master each approximation before moving on.

7 .Move through the steps at a proper pace

Shaping is so common in everyday life that often people are not even aware

of it. Sometimes the shaping proceeding is applied systemically,

sometimes no systemically, and sometimes shaping occurs from

consequences in the natural environment.

Then he decided to try a new procedure. -Frank’s goal was to jog a quarter of a mile each day.-Frank decided that, at the very least, he would walk around his home (approximately 30 yards). Although this was along way from a quarter of a mile, it was at least a START.- Frank decided to use the drinking of beer as a reinforcer. After the first approximation had occurred on several successive afternoons, Frank increased the requirement to walk around the home twice(60yards). Then the distance was increased to four times(120yards), then six times(180yards), then more until the distance became a quarter of a mile. By reinforcing successive approximations to his goal, Frank reached the point!

After taking an early retirement at the age of 55, Frank decided to make some changes in his life. On the advice of his doctor, he resolved to begin a regular exercise program. Frank had been a “couch potato” all his life. Frank launched his exercise program with a pledge to his wife that he would jog a quarter of a mile each day. But after a couple of attempts, he returned to his couch-potato routine.

Examples

• In playing “Hot & Cold”, you reinforce any movement that takes the player closer to the prize.

• Each of those successive movements is a closer approximation of the desired behavior.

• If the prize is under the couch, and the player is moving toward the couch, every time the player takes a step toward the couch, you are yelling “hotter”, and you are reinforcing the behavior.

• If the player moves away from the couch, you would yell, “colder” (non-reinforcing).

Examples

• Subject: 40 year old woman

• Final Desired Behavior: Workout in the gym 1 hour a day/3 days per week

• Response that could be used as a starting point in working toward the final desired behavior: Driving directly to the gym Monday after work and working out for 20 minutes. Although this was a long way from her final desired goal, it’s a start.

• Reinforce the starting response; then reinforce closer and closer approximations until eventually the desired response occurs: She decided to use a small cup of non-fat yogurt as her reinforcer. Instead of going home to eat ice cream after work, she is going to have a lower calorie treat but not until she works out.

Examples