+

Behavior Modification:What Is It, And How Do We Use It?

Keith E Lyons

Walden University

2015

+ What Is Behavior Modification?

✜ A therapeutic approach designed to change a

particular undesirable negative behavior. 1

✜ By using a system of positive or negative

consequences, an individual learns the correct set of

responses for any given stimulus. 2

✜ It is structured learning in which new skills and

behaviors are learned, undesirable habits are reduced,

and the client becomes motivated for change.

✜ Behavior Modification can not eliminate genetic,

hereditary, physical, or psychological struggles –

but it can help the individual live the most fulfilling

life possible no matter his/her current struggles.

”The

consequences

of an act affect

the probability

of it occurring

again. "

+Other Common Clinical Approaches

Abnormal behaviors are viewed

as symptoms of basic

underlying causes within the

psychological system 1

Medication may be prematurely

or incorrectly applied for

behaviors.

Disempowering to individual

May feel they can not change

because it is pathological 2

Implies defect in individual, and

can ignore environmental

influences.

States it is our thinking that

causes us to feel and act the way

we do, if our mind is healthy.

Psychotherapy approach,

requires focus on the disruptive

or maladaptive thoughts an

individual has, behavior is a

result of this thinking.

Can be combined with Behavior

Modification as Cognitive

Behavior Therapy.

This works well with individuals

that have typically developed

cognition abilities.

Medical Model Cognitive Therapy Approach

+✜ Ivar Lovaas is referred to as the

“Grandfather” of ABA.

✜ Dedicated nearly half a century to

researching how to improve the lives

of individuals with Autism and their

families

✜ In 1965 he published a series of

articles on therapeutic approaches:

✜ Researched effective ways to teach

nonverbal children to speak,

establishing social (secondary)

reinforcers, procedures for teaching

children to imitate, and several

studies on interventions to reduce

life-threatening self-injury and

aggression

+ Applied Behavior Analysis

Process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles

of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a meaningful

degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are

responsible for improvement of behavior

Contrary to popular belief, the science of behavior must be a natural

science, not a social science (Marr, 2009)2

Behavior analysts focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the

environment, including antecedents and consequences; without

hypothetical constructs (Thompson, 1984)3

ABA differs from traditional behavior modification because it analyzes what

is prompting a behavior (the antecedent), establishes replacement

behaviors, and then develops consequential strategies to instill change4

What is it?

+

How do we use it?

+ Applied Behavior Analysis

When a behavior is followed by some sort of reward, the

behavior is more likely to be repeated.

Techniques for instructions are research based, and behaviors

are measurable through operational definitions.

Behavior is tracked and measured in order to analyze what

approaches and schedules of reinforcement are resulting in an

actual positive change in behavior.

Why does it work?

+

Behavior is learned through

motivation. The stronger the

motivation, the easier to

increase or reduce behavior

+Motivation

There can be no discriminative stimulus without motivation, which

is created through reinforcement 1

Motivating Operations (MO) are the change in motivation, and include:

• Establishing Operations (EO): Increase in value of a consequence

as a reinforcer

• Abolishing Operations (AO): Decrease in value of a consequence as

a reinforcer

MOs vary all the time in strength

• Must change MO all the time to maintain interest 3

As well as asking what maintains a behavior, it is equally important to

ask, “Why is this consequence acting as an effective reinforcer for this

person now?” (McGill, 1999)

This is what we try to figure out using cognitive therapy, and talk therapy

+ What do

we do

here and

now?

What behavioral

deficits currently

exist?

What currently elicits and

maintains undesirable

behaviors?

In the moment it

does not matter

how the individuals

got where they are

or acquired certain

problems.

Historical and psychological

information are still used, but

only to help determine current

variables affecting behavior 1

+

+Co-occurring Disorders

Behavior could be the result of a co-occurring disorder1

Be aware, the behavior may or may not be a result of drug use

The solution is not to block or remove access to substance abuse

treatment

Giving the addictive disorder and the co-occurring disorder, including any

problem behaviors, the same level of attention and care is imperative

A co-occurring disorder can help to explain some behaviors, but the client

should never be allowed to use it as an excuse.

Do not dismiss a co-occurring disorder, but also do not allow it to

become a crutch

Current Strategy Process

Result: Behavior Reinforced

Increased attention to problem behavior(s)

Removal of aversive setting (Gets to leave)

Missed therapeutic opportunity/learning moment

Stimulus: Aversive Setting / Advantageous Situation

(i.e. Group)

Response: Disruptive Behavior (Glorify drugs, disrupt group)

Consequence: Removed from Therapy / Asked to Leave

the Facility1

+

“A person who has been

punished is not less inclined

to behave in a given way; at

best, he learns how to avoid

punishment.” – B.F. Skinner1

Proposed Strategy Process

Stimulus: Aversive Setting / Advantageous Situation

(i.e. Group)

Response: Disruptive Behavior (Glorify drugs, disrupt

group)

Consequence: Behavior Module: Process 1

Behavior Module: Process 2

Result: Negative behavior not reinforced, Other

options presented

+Behavior Module

Leave Group1

Complete Behavior Module

Speak with Counselor

Complete Behavior Module

Return to Group2

Speak with Counselor

+Staff Tools and Resources

Behavior Contract: Can include behavior in group and sessions. Does not allow for manipulation or confusion as an excuse. Clearly outlined expectations for client

Aftercare Contract: Client can “step-down” in services, but still have a behavior contract to refer to and maintain solid and clearly defined expectations

Process Flowchart: Reference sheet for staff to clearly define steps to be taken without deviation1

Behavior Module: Worksheet to help client identify maladaptive behavior and encourage insightful thought and discussion

+Staff Training: It works!

Typically used restraint and medication

After receiving training on proper use of these techniques both went up in

occurrence

Staff received Positive Behavior Tools training utilizing ABA1

Post training results:

Positive statements were more likely to occur

Less interaction and attention to “junk” behaviors

Overall there was a decrease in behavior for all patient areas2

Utilizes behavior theory to improve performance on an organizational level

Tools to monitor behavior producing work outputs that contribute to business

results.

Analyze and improve human performance

www.sixboxes.com

+Scenarios Workshop

+Overview and Conclusion

Look for antecedent or stimulus to understand what may have “triggered” the behavior

Be aware of what behavior you are reinforcing when responding

Are you allowing client to gain control and reinforcing negative behavior?

Be consistent, do not argue, stick to procedure1

Be patient, it took a long time to learn negative behaviors

Pay attention to what the client is really trying to achieve with behavior

Are they crying out for help?

Are they trying to take control?

Are they uncomfortable and trying to avoid situation?

Is there a co-occurring issue?

+Definitions

Stimulus:

Conditioned Stimulus: A stimulus that acquires the ability to invoke the same response as another stimulus that naturally invokes the response (Pavlov)

Discriminative Stimulus: A stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced (Malott, 2007)

Shaping: The reinforcement of successive approximations of a target behavior

Reinforcement

Positive: Adding a reinforcing stimulus or consequence

Negative: Removing an aversive stimulus

Punishment

Positive: Adding an aversive stimulus

Negative: Removing a desired stimulus

+Definitions

Generalize: Teaching ability to engage in social

communication, self-initiation, self-management, and to be

responsive to multiple cues across multiple settings.

Respondent Conditioning: Also known as “classical

conditioning”, behavior that is a response to an antecedent.

Operant Conditioning: Behavior that is an operation of the

environment. Behavior that is determined by antecedents and

consequences.

Extinction: Systematically removing the reinforcer(s) to a

behavior in order to minimize and eventually extinguish

targeted behavior. Often results in an extinction burst.

Extinction Burst: Temporary increase of behavior targeted

for extinction, as a response to the removed reinforcer(s).

+References

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). (n.d.). Retrieved March 9,

2015, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/

treatment/applied-behavior-analysis-aba

Baer, D.M., Wolf, M.M., & Risley, T.R. (1968). Some current

dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of

Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91–97.

Langthorne, P., & McGill, P. (2009). A Tutorial on the Concept of

the Motivating Operation and its Importance to

Application. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2(2), 22–31.

Marr, M (2009). The natural selection: Behavior analysis as a

natural science. European Journal of Behavior Analysis,

10(2), 103–118.

+References

Sundberg, M. L. (2013). Thirty Points About Motivation From Skinner’s Book Verbal Behavior. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 29(1), 13–40.

Skinner B. F. (1936). The verbal summator and a method for the study of latent speech. Journal of Psychology, 2, 71–107.

Skinner B. F. (1938). The behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Skinner B. F. (1954). The operational analysis of psychological terms. Psychological Review, 52, 270–277.

Skinner B. F.(1953). Science and human behavior. New York, NY: Free Press.

Skinner B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Skinner B. F. (1974). About behaviorism. New York, NY: Knopf.

+References

Thompson, T. (1984). The examining magistrate for nature: A

retrospective review of Claude Bernard’s An

Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine.

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2(41),

212–13.