Behavior modification and strategies I

Behavior can be acceptable and unacceptable depending on the cultural and social norms. The behavior which is applicable in one culture may not be valid to other culture or society. Behavior is governed by social norms as well. In my previous post, i have mentioned the basics of Behavior http://blog.sakshum.org/2012/01/31/behavior-modification-basic/. Here we go more on operant conditioning and behavior modification.

According to Skinner who worked a lot on operant conditioning, “a behavior can be modified with the reinforcement”. The behavior can be increased or decreased to the desirable behavior depending on the rewards or the end result of the behavior.  The reinforcement can ne positive or negative. An object, activity or stimulus which increase or strengthen the behavior is positive reinforcement and which decreases the behavior is negative reinforcement.

Positive reinforcers/ rewards can be as small as smile to a big one depending on the kind of activity. Every human being is driven  by reinforcers and we tend to behave better with the right reinforcer.

For example: A parent gives a star to the child on his note-book if he performs his homework well. The “star” works here as a postive reinforcer. Initially to encourage the right behavior rewards or reinforcers can be given frequently and later intermittently and inconsistently. Shedding the rewards  are important otherwise child may become dependent on the rewards.

For eg…Rina is given star sticker to paste everytime/consistently, she colors properly. Once she starts coloring the picture properly then the stars are given inocnsitently or an intermittently.