Behavior Modification Issues - Essay Example

Psychology 02 December Behavior Modification I tried to explore one of the undesirable behaviors in me, that is, the habit of itching my head while interacting with my classmates or when the teacher asks questions or while I am presenting a seminar to my class. My close friends have invited my attention to this problem quite a few times, and I finally decided to observe it, in order to be able to avoid it through behavior modification techniques. I found out that this habit of mine usually comes to fore e during class period engagements. With the help of the classical (the association between stimuli-response drives) and operant behavior (in association with the reward-punishment techniques) modification theories, I myself observed the instances of reoccurrences and the causes that led to the behavior. Through this I have taken concentrated efforts to get rid of the habit or minimize the number of reoccurrences. The ultimate aim through this experiment is for me to cross examine the behavior in order to terminate or at least regulate the intensity to a decreasing level, the habit that head itching during class time. Interpretation: By using the classical behavior conditioning terminology, (see the behavior modification data sheet-1 appended at the end) which points out the association between response and stimuli, I could understand the stimuli (i.e., in the form of stress in connection with class interactions) and the pursuing responses (i.e., the head itching habit) in association with the habit. The first four succeeding days of initial observation began on 2/10/14 between 3:15 to 4:30, the frequencies of responses were nine, the next day (3/10/14) observed frequencies were six between 9:30 to 10:45, between 12:30 to 1:45 showed response in a decreasing level as three, and the same day between 2:00 to 3:45 the response frequency increased to five (the stimuli and responses reoccurred 3 times). In the third day (4/10/14) observed, the frequencies were eight between 3:15 to 4:30 and the fourth day the frequencies were 10 in three occurrences and the total occurrences were forty three. I could observe that most of reoccurrences were noticed in afternoon sessions (interactions, discussions, and presentations are mainly conducted during the afternoon sessions) with the help of Classical conditioning terminology. This is understood with the help of the close relation between stimuli and learning (response), through which the stimuli invites and encourages a person to get involved in the action frequently and gradually forces the person to accept that habit as part of his or her behavior. Here classical conditioning theory can be observed, which “involves the learning of association between stimuli, in situation where response are reinforced or habitual” (Baucum 107). He further explained the process with the help of obvious instances to the role of response-stimuli relationship in learning process, in case of a dog’s habit, by ringing the bell in a regular interval and feeding the dog, and continuing the process over a short period of time (i.e., a week or more). Then he would ring the bell and observe the presence of saliva in the dog in the presence of the bell’s sound even during the absence of food. Don clarified the situational occurrence technically with the help of the Classical theory of Pavlov, that the bell here is working before the dog as proclamation or conditional stimuli (CS) but food is unconditional (UCS) therefore the response towards the bell is also unconditional (UCR) in the form of saliva. He adds that the frequent presence of conditional stimuli (CS) nurtures a conditional response (CR) in dog’s habits similar to an individual habit in certain social and environmental situations can be taken for special reference to my habit of head itching. For example: ring a bell, then immediately give the dog a bit of food and the dog salivates. Ring the bell again, feed the dog again, and so on. Eventually, the dog salivates in response to the bell alone. In technical terms, food is an unconditional stimulus (UCS) that produces an unconditioned response (UCR) of salivation. The bell is a conditioned stimulus (CS), which eventually produces a conditioned response (CR) of salivation after repeated trials in which the bell and food are paired” (Baucum 107). Interpretation: The next four succeeding days using operant conditioning theory (see Data Sheet -2 appended the end), point out the correlation between rewards and punishments, and its effectiveness to changing the inappropriate behavior. As per Operant conditioning, an observed habit of my behavior could be reduced to a certain extent. The latter succeeding four days I observed the unfavorable behavior and gave more attention to its possibilities to reoccur. Here I used a reward and punishment oriented method (Operant) to check or reduce the number of reoccurrences. One of my trusted friends voluntarily enlisted himself to help me. He suggested a means to handling crisis during interacting sessions, when he read itching tendency in my behavior he would blink his eyes towards me (punishment) or I might cope up myself with the stressed situations he would show his fist towards me (reward). The newly accepted devise could be managing the reoccurrences in to a reduction scale. In the latter part of the four days the above behavior change could be measured as follows. From 6/10/14 to the succeeding four days the reoccurrences was only three instead of nine between 3:15 to 4:30, the next day it was only three between 9:30 to 19:45 and2;00 to 3:15 at the same time no reoccurrence identified between 12:30 to 1:45,the third day two occurrences observed between 3:15 to 4:39 and the fourth day observed three time period among one was absent and the two occurrences identified between 9:30 to 10: 45 and 2:00 to 3:15. The table shows that within the latter four days, the drives exposed only ten times, I could analyze the decreasing tendency on the basis of reward-punishment alternations and here the total occurrences reduced than the earlier number, (that was 43 occurrences at the first four days of observation) to ten only the 23.25 out of 43. Here I used the operant theory to decrease the habit through the techniques of reinforcement. Don opined that one can regulate misappropriate behavior pattern through the reinforcement method that is based on reward- punishment oriented consequences, when he said operant behavior can be established and systematically altered through meticulous attention to reinforcement and punishment contingencies-meaning the relationships between behavior and its consequences” (Baucum 109). In the last four days, I was cautious of my unwanted habit and had a strong inclination in me to terminate the same at any cost, with a purposeful effort in association with my close friend I reeducated the frequencies of the occurrences. There was a strong stimulus identified (as depicted in the Data sheet-1) and the chased response as drives which were the main barriers I had to overcome to regulate my cursed habit. Through the last four days treatment with the operant behavior modification techniques I could take care on the reoccurrence of the behavior. With the help of a table I observed the intervals of the drives in me and through this I understood that there are forty three (43) times it occurred during the first phase and the latter phase two couple of days produces frequent response drives, but those are in reduction scale because I was alert to prevent the reoccurrences. In that attempt my loyal friend also enabled me to formulate an appropriate means to control or at least reduce the number of occurrences referred from the first four days. I understood that the operant behavior modification theory can be of help to decrease the habit by using the reward- punishment oriented drives control, which is based on the contingencies of the consequences. Besides, now I am confident to the possibility of reoccurrences of the incidents or similar ones in the future. Really the bitter and anticipated experiences taught me a lesson about how to maintain an unexpected habit or behavior itself at the future, in this sense the classical and operant theories and its techniques helped me a lot to tackle the problem in a considerable manner. Summing up, in collaboration with the behavior modification effort, both approaches in a way have largely enabled me to analyze the behavior, and to explore its intensity and the gravity of the problem (head itching habit). The classical theory was the tool for me to survey and the second phase the operant theory instrumented to reduce the frequencies of further occurrences in an anticipated level. Therefore, both theories and techniques are relevant and useful in their context even if the operant approach was more effective for me to reduce the habit whereas the former gave me the insights in to the severity. Appendix Behavior Modification Work Sheet-Classical Conditioning Date Time Interval (e.g. 12:30-1:00 pm) Instances observed OR Duration of behavior during self-observation period Situational factors (e.g., work, stress, class) 02/10/14 3:15 - 04:30 9 I feel stress in the class 03/10/14 9:30 - 10:45 6 03/10/14 12:30 - 01:45 3 03/10/14 02:00 - 03:15 5 04/10/14 03:15 - 04:30 8 I feel stress in the class 05/10/14 12:30 -01:45 4 05/10/14 12:30 - 01:45 2 05/10/14 02:00 - 03:15 4 The data sheet shows the time intervals and the occurrence of the particular habit. As per it, during the initial four days, the total frequencies were 43, the most possible interval constituted after noon classes in general, particularly between 3:15 to 4:30, which means the drives and class environment are integrated to the presence stimuli and response (in the form of stress and head itching). Appendix-2 Behavior modification worksheet: operant conditioning Date Time interval (e.g., 12:30-1:00) Successful modification session? (check or no check) 06/10/14 03:15 - 04:30 3 06/10/14 09:30 - 10:45 2 07/10/14 12:30 - 01:45 07/10/14 02:00 - 03:15 1 08/10/14 03:14 -04:30 2 09/10/14 09:30 - 10:45 1 09/10/14 12:30 - 01:45 09/10/14 02:00 - 03:15 1 The Data sheet-2 represents the effort and the means used here to decrease the drives with the method of reward-punishment. The reward here is a complement to the attention and attempt to watch and alert against the reoccurrence in the form of response as well as stimuli both are consequents related even if a contingency, but a reward may push the person in to the reality. Here the total occurrence decreased in to a minimized level (only 10 that is 23.25 % less than the first phase occurrence. Works Cited Baucum, Don. Psychology. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc, 1996. Read More