Methods of Behavior Modification

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Methods of Behavior Modification
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Student Learning Objectives

• 1. Compare and contrast positive and negative
  reinforcement.
• 2. Evaluate the effects of punishment.
• 3. Describe effective behavior modification.

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Terms The following terms are presented in this
lesson (shown in bold italics)

• behavior modification
• corporal punishment
• external rewards
• internal rewards
• negative reinforcement
• positive reinforcement
• punishment
• self-efficacy

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Objective 1

• Compare and contrast positive and
  negative reinforcement.
• Anticipated Problem
• What is the difference between positive and
  negative reinforcement?

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Objective 1 (contd)

• I. Positive and negative reinforcement
• A. Positive reinforcement is the giving or
  granting of a reward based on a behavior.
• 1. External rewards are tangible items (money,
  trophies, toys, stickers, etc.) and also
  intangible items (handshake, smile, words of
  encouragement or praise, applause, etc.) used
  to positively reinforce a behavior.

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Objective 1 (contd)

• A. Positive reinforcement (contd)
• 2. Internal rewards are inner rewards that
  encourage a person to repeat a behavior
  (pride, sense of completion, personal
  accomplishment, self-confidence.

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Objective 1 (contd)

• B. Negative reinforcement is the removal of
  something or the changing of a condition that
  a person does not desire. By removing the
  unwanted, it will allow a person to recognize
  how his or her actions created an undesirable
  circumstance.
• Negative reinforcement is not the same as
  punishment.

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Objective 1 (contd)

• B. Negative reinforcement examples
• 1. Negative reinforcement may consist of
  removing a childs toy airplane from a house
  roof. The child wishes to play with the
  airplane, but will learn through negative
  reinforcement that if he throws it on the
  roof, he can no longer play with it.
• 2. It may also mean that a boss does not praise
  an employee for a report that is
  unsatisfactory. The employee will then work to
  provide a satisfactory report to retrieve
  praise from the boss.

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Objective 2

• Evaluate the effects of punishment.
• Anticipated Problem
• How does punishment affect an individual?

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Objective 2 (contd)

• II. Avoiding punishment
• A. Punishment consists of words or actions that
  are unwanted by a person.
  (examples a video game taken from a
  child, speeding ticket given for driving too
  fast,)
• Punishment can be an effective way to
  modify a persons behavior, however, it
  does so in a negative way and should
  be avoided.

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Objective 2 (contd)

• II. Avoiding punishment (contd)
• B. Corporal punishment is the use of physical
  force to inflict discomfort in order to change
  behavior in a person.
• (ex spanking, paddling a child - illegal in
  public schools and childcare centers in
  Illinois)
• Corporal punishment can produce negative side
  effects for the development of children and
  should be avoided.

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Objective 2 (contd)

• To read more about corporal punishment laws in
  IL, visit
• www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseactionhome
  .dsp_contentcontent ID2596
• To read more about IL Eldercare Law and resources
  visit
• www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseactionhome
  .dsp_Contentcontent ID4238

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Objective 3

• Describe effective behavior modification.
• Anticipated Problem
• How is an individuals behavior
  effectively modified?

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Objective 3 (contd)

• III. Behavior modification
• A. Behavior modification is the practice of
  changing unacceptable behavior through the
  rewarding of acceptable behavior. It is the
  most effective way to work with all ages and
  development levels of people. It values all
  people.

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Objective 3 (contd)

• III. Behavior modification (contd)
• B. Behavior modification creates self-efficacy,
  the ability of a person to build
  self-confidence.
• C. Behavior modification could be used as an
  alternative to punishment in many ways.

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Objective 3 (contd)

• C. Behavior modification examples
• 1. Provide a space where individuals can calm
  themselves if needed. A quiet corner could
  help a child or an adult calm down from a
  stressful situation.
• 2. Allow individuals to fix their own
  undesirable behaviors. If a person spills a
  liquid in the kitchen, permit them to clean
  the mess, rather than punishing the behavior.
• 3. Set clear expectations. Make sure that
  people are aware of the rules that must be
  followed.

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Review

• List some examples of external rewards and
  internal rewards.
• What are the negative side effects of corporal
  punishment?
• Explain why behavior modification is the most
  effective way to work with all ages to make a
  change in unacceptable behavior.