Behavior Modification Management Plan - Essay Example

Adlenia Robinson Butun Psychology 311 06 Behavior Modification Management Plan The technique of behavior modification is used to apply the principles of reinforcement or other learning principles to help a person adapt to the environment. This technique is helpful to decrease or increase the duration and frequency of the behaviors of people. This method is based on the principles propagated by Skinner known as applied behavior analysis. Basically, it is a way of treating the maladaptive behaviors to make them adjusted into the environment. It is generally constructed on operant conditioning principles which make use of rewards or punishment to control behavior. The behavior modification is also used to cure various psychological disorders like anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and psychotic disorders (Holmes, Dave, and Murray 3). The behavioral modification plan has been applied in the context of a client who has a habit of smoking. The client has tried to quit smoking in the past but could not do so owing to some issues. He opted for behavior modification program because he had some health issues and he wanted to get rid of them. The behavior analyst took the decision of helping the client, John, in overcoming his habit of smoking. The overt behavior which has been chosen for the modification is smoking, which is harmful with respect to health. The overt behavior of smoking involves using substances like cannabis and tobacco which are inhaled. Usually, it involves putting a piece of cigarette in mouth or a cigar which is burned and tasted. The reasons of smoking are spread across the dimensions of biological and psychological spheres. The people smoke due to genetic tendencies or stress factors. The behavior of smoking is also in practice due to the habits of people which crop up because of role models. Hence, there are a number of reasons which can cause a person to smoke. As the research suggests that smoking harms the human body in several ways, it can be dangerous for the people who are excessive smokers. It might cause heart diseases along with liver problems which are the root cause of cancers. Smoking can also create physiological disturbances and birth defects in people. It is also hereditary in nature, so it can be troublesome for people who are chain smokers. Psychologically, the trait of smoking is associated with stress because it has been observed that people smoke in times of stress. The overt behavior of John included smoking cigarettes many times a day. The frequency of smoking was quite much with around thirty to forty cigarettes a day. The client used cigarettes in the morning, afternoon, evening and also at night time regardless of what he was doing at the time. He always had plenty of cigarettes at hand which he kept to light whenever he needed them. In order to treat his smoking habit, the behavior analyst planned a baseline period of two weeks. It was seen in the baseline period that the client’s behavior got triggered by different factors. When he got disturbed by stress, he took up to fifty cigarettes in a go. In addition, it was also observed that the client also took large quantities of cigarettes when he suffered from stomach problems. The behavior analyst hypothesized that the smoking habit in the client caused him to feel good at times. Therefore, he felt good when he had a digestive problem and smoked cigarette to overcome it. Moreover, he also felt that his stress was relieving when he smoked a cigarette in periods of stress. The feeling of pleasure was found to be the ultimate consequence of the habit of smoking which the behavior analyst tried to cure. The treatment of smoking in the client would be done by undertaking an extensive plan which included all the basic learning principles. For instance, the principle of reinforcement would be applied in order to treat the smoking habit in the client. The reinforcement implies using a procedure which involves taking into consideration magnitude, rate, duration, and latency stages. Another term used to describe behavior is known as reinforcer; it is the stimulus which is creating any response in the person which is reinforcing his behavior in some way. The principles of positive and negative punishment and reinforcement would be used to help cure the smoking habit of the client. The positive reinforcement means using a positive reinforcer or something which is added in the behavior of the person. The addition is meant to instigate the occurrence of a response through a reward. In the same way, there is a phenomenon of negative reinforcement which serves to decrease the occurrence of behavior by deleting something from the behavior of the person. It also consists of giving a certain reward to the person, which acts as a reinforcing factor for him. However, the negative punishment is used to give a stimulus which causes the deletion of certain behavior through giving a punishment or anything having a negative consequence. The client would be given the positive reinforcement in the form of letting him watch his favourite movie or a television show. Likewise, the opportunity of watching a movie can be snatched from the client as a negative reinforcer. In the same way, the client can be provided with a nausea causing substance as a negative reinforcement. It can be given in the form of an injection or food stuff which induces vomiting soon after taking it. Another principle or element of operant conditioning is Premack’s principle which utilizes the prospects of more desirable behaviors through performing less desirable ones. It can be understood by the fact that the client would be motivated toward more constructive behaviors by using this principle. For example, if he wants to smoke a cigarette, he can be motivated by the activities which interest him. If he enjoys having a sandwich at lunch, he can be given this opportunity, provided he does not smoke before eating his favourite meal. Moreover, DRI, or differential reinforcement, would be applied in order to reduce the existence of the behaviors which seem inappropriate. In the case of the client, he can be pushed toward engaging in a sports activity which prevents his smoking habit. He can forget about smoking if he finds himself enjoying a particular sport (Powel 10). Not only would the behavior analyst try to use differential reinforcement as a procedure for helping the client overcome his smoking habit, but he can also be benefited through modification of antecedents. It involves paying attention to the triggers which cause the client to induce toward smoking. However, shaping is another procedure which would be used to help him overcome his smoking habit. The process of shaping involves using a gradual set of procedures to enhance the probability of undesirable behavior in a person. It is a process in which several strategies are applied to modify a person’s behavior to help him achieve his goal. The client would be prompted to give positive reinforcements like the chance to watch his favourite movies if he withholds smoking for a certain period of time. However, if the person does not seem to be reaching toward the end goal, he can be given negative punishment to trigger the desirable response in him (Powel 5). The six mini-goals which would help the client reach toward the end goal of withholding the practice of smoking completely can be planned accordingly. Firstly, the client would be assisted in maintaining his stress level normal so that he does not feel the need to smoke to control his stress. Secondly, he can proceed towards the discontinuing of the smoking habit by maintaining his stomach disturbances in control. Thirdly, the client can adopt a habit of taking fewer cigarettes in a day, say, ten or fifteen in the first few days of the behavior modification plan. Fourthly, the client can also be motivated to take only six or seven cigarettes in the next week of the treatment. Similarly, the client can be taken towards the end of the treatment plan by gradually leading in the direction of a stage in which he does not smoke a cigarette through continuous reinforcements. The desirable behavior in a person can be established by following the certain schedules of reinforcement. The continuous schedule of reinforcement is used to help a person in reaching the end goal by giving him rewards or punishments regularly. The client would be given the chance to watch a movie or have a favourite meal every time he withholds smoking. Likewise, the partial reinforcement would also be given to the client by not reinforcing his behavior every single time it occurs. It will ultimately lead towards the reaching of the end goal which is the extinction of the overt behavior of smoking. It is necessary to state that the client might repeat the behaviors which are maladaptive and would not stick to the newly learned behaviors. In this situation, the client would undergo a recurrence of behaviours which could be triggered by anything. He might be prompted by any stress that occurs in his life or can get disturbed by health issues. Therefore, there is always a possibility that the maladaptive behavior would be repeated in the individual. The behavior analysts observed in the client that he started smoking after some time. It was seen in the way the client did not maintain the level at which he withheld smoking at certain periods of time. However, the reasons might be that the behaviours suggested could not be suitable for the client. Therefore, the behavior analyst will urge the client to reconsider the modification plan for his behavior. It can occur in the form of creating new patterns of behavior for the client that would act as a replacement for the previous behaviors. The overt behavior of smoking would also have been triggered because the client returned to the same place from where he came. Due to the influences from the environment, the client’s previous maladaptive behavior was triggered (Robbin Gibb et al. 4). To sum up, the client was given a behavior modification plan to assist him in eliminating his smoking habit. It became possible by teaching him certain behaviors to control his smoking habits. The principles of operant conditioning were emphasized and the client was made learn the desired responses. However, the plan failed when the client went back to the environment. He started showing the similar habit of smoking which he showed previously (Caroline 2). Therefore, the behavior analyst made use of follow-up and change of strategies to help the behavior get polished. It can be said that the behavior modification plan might need revision or change of strategies to incur the desired response in the client. Works Cited Easton, Caroline, et al. "Mindfulness and Modification Therapy for Behavioral Dysregulation: Results from a Pilot Study Targeting Alcohol Use and Aggression in Women." Journal of Clinical Psychology 68.1 (2012): 50-66. PsycINFO. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Holmes, Dave, and Stuart J. Murray. "Civilizing the ‘Barbarian’: A Critical Analysis of Behavior Modification Programs in Forensic Psychiatry Settings." Journal of Nursing Management 19.3 (2011): 293-301. PsycINFO. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Powell, Russell A., et al. Introduction to Learning and Behavior. Stamford: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Gibb, Robbin, et al. "Parental Enrichment and Offspring Development: Modifications to Brain, Behavior and The Epigenome." Behavioral Brain Research 228.2 (2012): 294-298. PsycINFO. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Read More