Behavior Modification Research Paper

*Since Week 1 was unsuccessful in going to sleep around that specific goal time I changed my project by pushing my sleep goals back 30 minutes for the remaining 4 weeks.

Behavior Modification, a psychological theory of human behavior. It evolved from the application of experimentally derived principles of learning to the modification of problem behaviors. The theory is based on a psychological model of human behavior that rejects the psychoanalytic or quasi-disease model of mental illness. Approaches to behavior modification assume that abnormal behavior is acquired and maintained in the same manner as normal behavior and can be changed directly through the application of social-learning principles. Assessment procedures focus on describing how an individual behaves, thinks, and feels in specific situations. Treatment methods are derived from the theories and findings of

Are you the type of person who wants to be able to go to work everyday doing something you love, helping others who need it, and getting a smile on your face just by the smallest of things that someone does? That is the type of person I am, which is why I chose the career path of a Behavior Specialist. A Behavior Specialist is someone who works with a person who may have a disability, and they study and work with them to make things as easy as possible for their daily life. They focus on the perception of life, however sometimes hesitate to present the strong conclusions how behaviors cause certain emotion (Thompson). A Behavior Specialist is also known as a Social Psychologist, because they study how a person’s mental life and behavior are shaped by interactions with other people (“Pardon Our Interruption”). The four main behaviors that Behavior Specialists look for when studying the actions of a person are, “Self-awareness, emotion, motivation, and feelings” (“Modeling the Early Human Mind”). Although I believe being a Behavior Specialist is a dream job, there are always issues that go along with any job, in this case emotions play a role in the occupation working with people who need extra help.

A student named Jamie refuses to do her work. She is constantly talking and interrupting the other students and makes no effort to participate in class. The teacher has to constantly reprimand the student and it is causing less learning due to the interruptions within the classroom. She seems somewhat clear of the rules and procedures in the classroom, but is not motivated to follow them.

Keeping in mind that identifying the variables that maintain problem behavior (reinforcement) is more affective for treatment selection (Mevers, Fisher, Kelley, and Fredrick, 2014), one common treatment for problem behavior is Noncontingent reinforcement. (Carr, Severston, & Lepper, 2009). NCR is used in combination with extinction for problem behavior and involves dense schedules of reinforcement that are decreased gradually (as cited in; Phillips, Iannaccone, Rooker, and Hagopian, 2017). The problem behavior may be replaced by an alternative behavior already existing in the individual repertoire, during NCR (Virues-Ortega, Iwata, Fahmie, and Harper, 2013). The American Psychological Association’s Division 12 criteria for empirically supported treatments established NCR and extinctions as an effective treatment for problem behavior (Chambless & Hollon, 1998). When the schedules of NCR are dense there is a reduction of the Motivating operation (MO) for problem behavior (as cited in; Phillips, Iannaccone, Rooker, and Hagopian, 2017). NCR is more effective when the same reinforcement maintaining the behavior (functional reinforcement) is used in the contingency instead of an alternative reinforcement (as cited in Phillips,iannaccone, Rooker, & Hagopian, 2017). Thus, the same reinforcement responsible for maintaining problem behavior should be used in an NCR contingency (Vollmer et al. 1993). In a study by Phillips, Iannaccone, Rooker, & Hagopian (2017), Non-contingent

Multiple treatments have been established to treat escape maintained behavior. Escape extinction is often utilized in the treatment of behaviors that are maintained through the removal of demands. Escape extinction involves no longer allowing the delay, removal, or avoidance of demands contingent on the occurrence of the problem behavior (Iwata, Pace, Kalsher, Cowdery, & Cataldo, 1990). Escape extinction provides some advantages as it is easily compatible with other treatments, increasing the effectiveness of those treatments. However, escape extinction may have some disadvantages including that it may be difficult for those providing treatment to do so with high levels of integrity due to the effort involved in doing so. If treatment is not implemented consistently it may make it more difficult to implement extinction in the future (McConnachi & Carr, 1997). There may also be an increase in the targeted response and aggression following extinction (Lerman, Iwata, & Wallace, 1999). While extinction is effective there are associated side effects that are incompatible with wide spread use in many public settings such as classrooms. There is a need for

Learning obedience is an important part of early child development. Obedience is the main tool parents use to train their children. Through obedience your child will use things he or she needs later in adulthood that force obedience upon a child will soon create resentment within their children, which will eventually lead to rebellion.

The purpose of the goal staff will be to help a youngster in improving a specific behavior. This goal will be assessed by the staff and they will present their review twice a day on the basis of their observation that they noticed in an individual regarding a specific behavior.

I will be able to take kaylen to the park if I am able to decrease the amount of symptoms per day.

There are two common type of disruptive behavior disorders that affects children lives in a negative fashion when not treated properly. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2004) “Behaviors typical of disruptive behavior disorders can closely resemble ADHD particularly where impulsivity and hyperactivity are involved but ADHD, ODD, and CD are considered separate conditions that can occur independently. About one third of all children with ADHD have coexisting ODD, and up to one quarter have coexisting CD” .The two types of disruptive behavior disorders are oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder. Some symptoms of disruptive behavior disorder is breaking rules, defiant, argumentative, disobedient behaviors towards authority

At the beginning of the spring semester, when I read the syllabus for the Models of psychotherapy class assignments, the one that took my attention was about behavioral change exercise. I thought, this exercise could help me through my high temper combined with my anger issues by screaming all the time my family. In all my college experience this was the specific project I was really looking forward to complete. Not just for doing my homework, but also because I was thinking this will be really beneficial for my family well been and my own harmony.

Overall, I really enjoyed doing the behavior modification project this semester. Originally I did not think I was going to be able to take much away from the project since I was not the one who was having a behavior modified, but surprisingly I was able to learn a lot from the project. After a while of watching and observing my partner, Karley, who was the participant in the project, have success with the stress management techniques, I decided to apply some of the techniques to my life as well. Even if it wasn’t part of the project, I still felt I could benefit from the techniques.

Waking up in the morning, weather it for school or work, is something most people struggle with, so I chose it for my behavior modification project. Every morning when I get up for school I find it hard to stay awake. Ether after my alarm or after i'm woken up I usually fall back to sleep. This could be the result of staying up to late, but I usually get to bed at a good time. My goal going into this project was to be able to get up and stay up at the end of the modification. I feel that this could be achieved it just might take more than three days.

Ever since I moved to the United States in August 2016, the amount of junk food I eat has increased drastically. My friend and I go to Wendy’s or McDonald’s at least twice a week. Whenever I don’t feel like cooking, I just open up the Domino’s app on my phone and order a medium pizza with beef and onion. Sometimes I feel wild and get a ranch sauce as well. I think that my problem with fast food comes from the unhealthy environment that I live in; every day when I go to school, I go past Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Chick-Fil-A. When I’m hungry, it can be difficult to not go buy a quick Double Quarter Pounder with cheese. During these next five weeks, I’m going to attempt to decrease my junk food consumption.

Today schools are faced with an overwhelming amount of behavior problems as a result they have incorporated programs to help create a positive culture within each school system. Several behavior management programs have been implemented in schools all over the United States therefore the school environment can run more smoothly. Here are some approaches that aid in creating a positive and safe environment in schools.