Introduction
Behavior modification is a psychotherapeutic
intervention primarily used to eliminate or reduce
maladaptive behavior in children or adults. While some
therapies focus on changing thought processes that can
affect behavior, for example, cognitive behavioral
therapy, behavior modification focuses on changing
specific behaviors with little consideration of a person’s
thoughts or feelings. The progress and outcome of the
intervention can be measured and evaluated.
Functional analysis of the antecedents and
consequences of the problem behavior(s) must be
identified. This leads to the creation of specific target
behaviors that will become the focus of change. Then,
certain variables can be manipulated via reinforcers
and punishments to change problem behavior(s). The
goal is to eliminate or reduce maladaptive behavior.[1]
[2][3]
Behavior modification is a type of behavior therapy. B.
F. Skinner demonstrated that behavior could be shaped
through reinforcement and/or punishment. Skinner
noted that a reinforcer is a consequence that increases
the likelihood of behavior to recur, while punishment is
a consequence that decreases the chance. Positive and
negative are used in mathematical terms. Positive
indicates that something is added, and negative
indicates something is subtracted or taken away. Thus,
positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is
encouraged by rewards. If a child enjoys candy and
cleaning the room is the desired behavior, the candy is
a positive reinforcer (reward) because it is something
that is given or added when the behavior occurs. This
makes the behavior more likely to recur. Negative
reinforcement is removing a stimulus as the
consequence of behavior but results in a positive
outcome for the individual. For example, a fine is
dropped, and a person no longer has to go to jail. The
removal of the negative stimulus (the fine) results in a
positive outcome for the individual, no jail time.
Conversely, positive punishment is the addition of an
adverse consequence. For example, a child gets
spanked when he crosses the street without holding his
mother’s hand. He then no longer crosses the street
alone. Spanking is positive punishment because it is a
consequence added to the situation that decreases the
likelihood of the child crossing the street alone.
Negative punishment is taking away favorable
consequences to reduce unwanted behavior. For
example, if Emily doesn’t finish her homework on time,
her cell phone gets taken away. She makes it a priority
to finish her homework immediately after school before
she does anything else. Removal of the cell phone
would be a “negative” because it takes something
away, decreasing the chance that she won’t finish her
homework the next time.
Reinforcement and punishment both work
independently, as well as together, as part of a
behavior plan. Positive reinforcement works
exceedingly better and faster than punishment. In child
psychiatry, parents often come to the office angry and
frustrated with their child because “nothing works.”
They have tried multiple types of punishments when
bad behavior has occurred using the removal of toys or
privileges away or placing a child in time out. Often
positive types are not being reinforced. One immediate
benefit of behavior modification plans is the shift away
from solely punishing unwanted behavior to also
rewarding good behavior.