Behavior modification is the systematic application of learning principles and techniques to assess and improve individuals' behaviors. It emphasizes defining and measuring behaviors, focusing on environmental factors, using precise methods and rationales based on learning research. Some key techniques include positive and negative reinforcement, punishment, and shaping new behaviors through successive approximations. The goal is to help people function better in society by changing their overt and covert behaviors.

1. Behavior Modification
Dr. Sushma Rathee
Assistant Clinical Psychologist , PGIMER,
Chandigarh
Email: sushmaratheecp@gmail.com
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2. What is Behavior
Modification?
Systematic application of learning principles
and techniques to assess and improve
individuals covert and overt behaviors in
order to help them function more fully in
society.

3. Characteristics of Behavior
Modification
 Emphasized defining and measuring
behavior
 Treatment focuses greatly on the
environment.
 Methods and rationales can be
described precisely.

4. Characteristics of Behavior
Modification
 Techniques are often applied by
individuals in everyday life.
- Applied not theoretical
 Most techniques are based on
research on learning
 Emphasizes scientific method
 Accountability is placed on everyone
involved.

5. Misconceptions about Behavior
modification
1. Rewards and reinforcement are
nothing more than bribes.
2. It is drugs, psychosurgery, ECT
3. It only changes symptoms not
underlying problems.

6. Misconceptions about Behavior
modification
4. Can be applied to simple, but not
complex problems
5. Behavior analysts are cold non-
empathetic people.
6. Behavior modifiers deal only with
observable behavior.
7. Behavior modification is outdated.

7. Steps in Behavior
Modification
 Scientific use of behavior (learning)
principles
◦ Goal setting
◦ Behavioral Definitions
◦ Functional Analysis
◦ Objective measurement
◦ Data collection
◦ Evaluation ~

8. Behavior Modification
 Step 1: Identify Target behavior
 Step 2: Functionally Analyze the Situation
 Step 3: Arrange Antecedents and Provide
Consequences
 Step 4: Evaluate Results
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational
Behavior. University of Tehran.

9. Behavior Modification Techniques
Develop a new behavior
Successive
Approximation
Principle
To teach a child to act in a
manner in which he has
seldom or never before
behaved, reward
successive steps to the
final behavior (also called
shaping).

10. Cont…
Develop a new behavior
Continuous
Reinforcement
Principle
To develop a new
behavior that the child
has not previously
exhibited, arrange for an
immediate reward after
each correct performance.

11. Cont…
Develop a new behavior
Negative
Reinforcement
Principle
To increase a child's
performance in a particular
way, arrange for him to avoid
or escape a mild aversive
situation by improving his
behavior or by allowing him to
avoid the aversive situation by
behaving appropriately.

12. Cont…
Develop a new behavior
Cueing
Principle
To teach a child to
remember to act at a
specific time, arrange for
him to receive a cue for the
correct performance just
before the action is
expected rather than after
he has performed it
incorrectly.

13. Cont…
Strengthen a new behavior
Decreasing
Reinforcement
Principle
To encourage a child to
continue performing an
established behavior with
few or no rewards,
gradually require a longer
time period or more correct
responses before a correct
behavior is rewarded.

14. Cont…
Strengthen a new behavior
Variable
Reinforcement
Principle
To improve or increase a
child's performance of a
certain activity, provide the
child with an intermittent
reward.

15. Cont…
Maintain an established behavior
Substitution
Principle
To change reinforcers when
a previously effective
reward is no longer
controlling behavior,
present it just before (or as
soon as possible to) the
time you present the new,
hopefully more effective
reward.

16. Cont…
Stop an inappropriate behavior
Satiation
Principle
To stop a child from acting
in a particular way, you may
allow him to continue (or
insist that he continue)
performing the undesired
act until he tires of it.

17. Cont…
Stop an inappropriate behavior
Extinction
Principle
To stop a child from acting in a
particular way, you may arrange
conditions so that he receives no
rewards following the undesired
act.

18. Cont…
Stop an inappropriate behavior
Incompatible
Alternative
Principle
To stop a child from acting in a
particular way, you may reward
an alternative action that is
inconsistent with or cannot be
performed at the same time as
the undesired act.

19. Cont…
Stop an inappropriate behavior
Response Cost
Principle
To stop a child from acting in a
certain way, remove a pleasant
stimulus immediately after the
action occurs. Since response cost
results in increased hostility and
aggression, it should only be used
infrequently and in conjunction
with reinforcement.

20. Cont…
Modify emotional behavior
Avoidance
Principle
To teach a child to avoid a certain
type of situation, simultaneously
present to the child the situation to
be avoided (or some representation
of it) and some aversive condition
(or its representation).

21. Cont…
Modify emotional behavior
Fear Reduction
Principle
To help a child overcome his fear of
a particular situation, gradually
increase his exposure to the feared
situation while he is otherwise
comfortable, relaxed, secure or
rewarded.

22. Principles of Behavior Modification

23. Shaping Behavior: A Managerial Tool
Positive Reinforcement.
Negative Reinforcement.
Punishment.
Extinction.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational
Behavior. University of Tehran.

24. Schedules of Reinforcement
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational
Behavior. University of Tehran.
Behaviors
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Continuous
Fixed ratio
Variable ratio
Fixed interval
Time (Days)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Variable interval

25. Positive Reinforcement
 Positive Reinforcer: stimulus or event
that when presented immediately
following a behavior causes the
behavior to increase in frequency.
◦ Immediate
◦ Contingent
◦ Increases behavior: Always!

26. Negative Reinforcement
 Immediate removal (escape) or
prevention (avoidance) of an aversive
stimulus contingent upon a behavior
that increases the probability of that
behavior in the future.
 Remember: Reinforcement of any kind
increases behavior!

27. Punishment
Process of reducing behavior by
immediately presenting an aversive
condition (or removing a reinforcer)
contingent upon a response that
results in a decrease in the frequency
of that response
Punishment always decreases
behavior!

28. Type I Punishment: Adding Aversive
Stimulation
1. Reprimand
2. Spanking
Remember: If it does not decrease
behavior it is not punishment.

29. Type II Punishment (Penalty):
removing reinforcement
1. Response Cost
2. Time-Out
Remember: It must decrease behavior or
it is not punishment!

30. Guidelines For implementing
Punishment
 Target Behavior must be operationally
defined
 Choose an alternate response to reinforce
 Minimize the causes of the undesirable
response
 Use an effective punisher: not paired with
R+ and is available
 Apply: Consistently and Immediately
 Keep records and have someone else
help you monitor!
 State the Rules to the individual

31. When should punishment be
used?
 The person’s behavior should be a
danger to himself or others.
 Use only after trying reinforcing
procedures
 Social Validity/Informed Consent
 Reliability of Measurement:
Helper/supervisor
 Do not use punishment as a means
to show superiority

32. Schedules of Reinforcement
 Intermittent: Reinforcement occurs once in a
while.
 Continuous: Reinforcement after each
response.
 Resistance to Extinction: The number
responses or amount of time before a
response extinguishes.
 Intermittent > Continuous

33. Punishers
1. Verbal reprimand
2. Planned ignoring
3. Extinction
4. Response interruption
5. Time out
6. Removing a privilege
7. Suspension from work
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34. Punishment
1. To stop a problem behavior immediately to
prevent harm
2. To teach alternative positive behavior
3. Immediate effect
4. The effect does not last.
5. should be used when the side effects of
punishment are clearly outweighed by the
potential benefits.
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35. Factors affect the effectiveness
of punishers
1. Adaptation
A punisher may lose its effectiveness if
it was delivered frequently in a short
period of time.
2. Conditioned punisher
Saying “No!” will lose its effectiveness if
it is not paired with another punisher.
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36. Factors affect the effectiveness of
reinforcers/punishers
1. Contingency
A reinforcer/punisher should be
delivered contingent to the target
behavior
2. Immediacy
A reinforcer/punisher should be
provided immediately following the
target behavior.
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37. Replacement Behavior
1. Target behavior serves a purpose
(fulfilling practical or psychological
needs)
2. Replacement behavior provides an
alternative means for achieving the same
purpose as the target behavior
3. The focus should be on teaching the
person to access the same reinforcers37

38. Replacement Behavior
1. Don’t just take the behavior away.
2. What maintains problem behavior can
maintain appropriate behavior if you
know what the function of the behavior
is
3. Teach skills that will replace the problem
behavior
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39. Replacement Behavior
 For behavior maintained by escape
1. Evaluate task/activity and determine
aversive qualities
2. Modify task or alter environment
3. Teach functional communication skills
4. Escape card
5. Desensitization when situation cannot
be avoided
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40. Behavioral approach to Teaching:
Mastery Learning
 Students must
demonstrate
competence
before moving to
next unit
 Mastery means
80–90% correct
 Focuses on basic
skills
Copyright © 2004 by Allyn and Bacon

41. Behavioral Management
 Group
consequences
 Token
reinforcement
 Contingency
contracts
Copyright © 2004 by Allyn and Bacon

42. Recent Approaches: Self-Regulated
Learning
 The responsibility and ability to learn rest with the
student (student takes active role in own B-mod).
 Self-management (for lifelong learning)
◦ Set goals and make the goals public
◦ Standards and effect on performance
◦ Record & evaluate performance
◦ Promote self-reinforcement
Copyright © 2004 by Allyn and Bacon

43. Recent Approaches: Cognitive Behavior
Modification & Self-Instruction
 Similar to self-regulated learning
 Adds thinking and self-talk
◦ Vygotsky (private speech)
◦ Meichenbaum (cognitive self instruction)
 More cognitive than behavioral approach
Copyright © 2004 by Allyn and Bacon

44. Cognitive Behavior Modification & Self-
Instruction
 Teaching self-talk:
◦ Demonstrate & supervise
◦ Talk out loud while practicing,
student imitates.
◦ Whisper while practicing, student
imitates
◦ Work toward private speech while
practicing
Copyright © 2004 by Allyn and Bacon

45. Five Distinct Systematic
Stages
1. Awareness
• Learning to become aware of a specific behavior in the effort to
change it
 Stress-producing habits
2. Desire to Change
• No change will occur without it
• “hit bottom”
3. Cognitive Restructuring
• Catch yourself in the act and think of new alternative
• Self-dialogue recognizing current and pending behavior
4. Behavioral Substitution
• Substituting a new (positive) behavior for a less desirable one
• Not just substitution, but addition to behavior
5. Evaluation
• “Step back”
• See what worked/didn’t work and fine-tune the process

46. So Remember: Any Dog Can
Become an Elephant!
 Awareness
 Desire to Change
 Cognitive
Restructuring
 Behavioral
Substitution
 Evaluation

47. Thanks
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational
Behavior. University of Tehran.