Behavior modification is a tool used by parents and mental health professionals to reshape negative thoughts or actions into positive ones. It is sometimes also referred to as cognitive behavioral therapy. The practice is used in treating both children and adults with a large variety of negative behaviors, from children engaging in simple disobedience to adults suffering from severe phobias.
History
According to the Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders, behavior modification was first introduced in 1938 by American behaviorist B.F. Skinner. Skinner devised the idea of operant conditioning, which is the concept that the behavior of a person or animal can be shaped by reinforcement or lack of reinforcement. These concepts form the basis for the behavior modification techniques that are used by parents and mental health professionals today.
Function
A variety of behavioral or mental disorders in both children and adults have been shown to respond well to behavior modification. These include obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and an array of phobias. All behavior modification follows the principles of cause and effect. Negative behaviors receive negative consequences, and positive behaviors receive positive results. The desired result is that a person will eventually exhibit continuous positive behavior without the need for reinforcement.
Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement, a common practice used by parents, involves rewarding positive behavior, thus reinforcing that the behavior should be repeated. Negative reinforcement is achieved by removing the negative stimulus once a positive behavior has been displayed. According to the University of Texas at Austin, an example of negative reinforcement is scratching an insect bite, which eliminates the negative stimulus, or the itch.
Extinction
Another technique that is also used by millions of parents is extinction. Extinction removes the incentive to engage in negative behavior by withholding the desired response. An example of extinction is the time-out, where a child is made to sit alone for a short period of time. This eliminates the child's desired response of parental attention.
Punishment
Another behavior modification technique is punishment. Positive punishment involves introducing a stimulus after a negative behavior. A controversial example of positive punishment is spanking a child for undesirable behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a positive stimulus after negative behavior. This can be seen when a child's toy or television is confiscated after bad behavior.
