Using Reinforcement to Change Behavior What is Positive

Using Reinforcement to Change Behavior

What is Positive Reinforcement • Any pleasant object or activity that is given to a person following a behavior that increases that behavior. • Increasing a behavior means that the behavior is likely to: • Happen more often • Happen for a longer period of time • Improve in quality

What is Negative Reinforcement • this is when something negative is removed from a person’s experience as a way to increase the likelihood of a behavior happening again. For example, if a child studies hard for a test and the parent rewards the child by not making him do chores, it is likely that this good studying behavior will recur.

What is a consequence • 1 : a conclusion derived through logic : inference 2 : something produced by a cause or necessarily following from a set of conditions

What is punishment • Punishment is the practice of imposing something unpleasant or aversive on a person or animal or property, usually in response to disobedience, defiance, or behavior deemed morally wrong by individual, governmental, or religious principles

Problem Behavior I want my older boy to stop hitting his younger brother. I have tried everything and he still continues to hit his brother

So what do I do !!!!!! • Step 1 – observe the behavior you wish to change • Step 2 use the A-B-C model • Step 3 define the behavior

Defining the behavior • He is always fighting with his brother (vague) • When they play together they begin to fight over a toy…. if Larry does not get the toy, he will grab it from his brother. His brother will not let go so Larry hits his brother with his fist and sometimes kick him until he lets go (observable)

So am I bribing my kids if I give them things to improve their behavior

Examples of Positive Reinforcers • Tangible reinforcers • Token reinforcers • Social reinforcers • Food reinforcers

How do I get started • Decide on the behavior you wish to change • Decide if you want to change, improve or increase the behavior • Decide on a reinforcer

• Decide how often your child can earn the reinforcer • Decide how you will fade the reinforcer

Selecting the Behavior • What does the current behavior look like • Do not be vague, be specific

Selecting the reinforcer • Reinforcers are individual

Selecting your reinforcement schedule • One to one • Intermittent

Select your fading system • As you give less and less positive reinforcement, pair the reinforcement with social reinforcers. Eventually you will only rely in social reinforcers

What if it is not working? ? • We have to try a different reinforcement. That will be a stronger motivator then the behavior. • Remember – what is the reason for the behavior

So what about punishment

So why do we use punishment Because it often has an immediate effect in stopping an unwanted behavior…the use of punishment is often strongly reinforced to the person administering it and may there result in increasing it’s use

Consequences • Firm voice • Time out

Punishment • Spanking • Taking away activities / privileges • Being mean and verbally abusive

Side effects of punishment • • No change Avoidance Model of aggression Conditioned emotional responses