lOMoARcPSD|3149388

Assignment 4 Behavior Modification

Behavioural Modification Applications (University of Manitoba)

StuDocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Downloaded by Joe Cameron (nikon976@gmail.com)
 lOMoARcPSD|3149388

Behavior Modification Assignment 4

Sarah Taylor
7717159

Chapter 28

8) The difference was that the Keller and Schoenfeld book discussed traditional topics in
psychology such as learning, perception, concept formation, and motivation and emotion—but
in terms of respondent and operant conditioning principles.

9) Skinner’s book was also written for introductory psychology and was focused on behavioral
terms. But it had the addition of topics that are not usually covered in intro psych: government,
law, religion, economics, education, and culture. Basic behavior principles in the context of
these topics were said to influence the behaviour of people.

10)
1. In one experiment, Fuller reported a case in which an institutionalized bedridden adult
with a profound intellectual disability was taught to raise his arm to a vertical position.
The arm movements were reinforced with a warm sugar milk solution.
2. Greenspoon demonstrated that a simple social consequence, such as saying “mmm-
hmm” could influence college students to repeat certain types of words, specifically
plural nouns, that immediately preceded Greenspoon saying “mmm-hmm’”, even
though the students were unaware of the contingency that was being applied to them.

11) Ayllon and Michael published one of the first reports about practical applications within
operant tradition. Together they conducted several behavioral demonstrations at the
psychiatric institution in the Saskatchewan Hospital. The demonstrations showed staff how they
could use behavioral procedures to modify patient behaviors such as delusional talk, refusals to
eat, and other disruptive behaviors.

14) The behavioral model of abnormal behavior suggests that abnormal behavior is a function
of specifiable environmental causes and that it is possible to rearrange the environment in such
a way that the behavior can be changed or improved.
The medical model viewed abnormal behavior as a symptom of an underlying disturbance in a
personality mechanism with the plication that one must treat the underlying personality
disturbance through Freudian psychoanalysis rather than treating the observed symptoms by
rearranging the environment.

16) the two major behaviour modification/therapy journals published in 1960s are: Journal of
Applied Behaviour Analysis, and Behaviour Research and Therapy.

18) Albert Bandura is the most influential of the social learning theorists. His book published in
1969 strongly emphasized learning by imitation and observational learning.

Downloaded by Joe Cameron (nikon976@gmail.com)

 lOMoARcPSD|3149388

20) Lindsley, Skinner and Solomon were the first to use the term behavior therapy in 1953.
They published a report describing research where patients in a mental hospital were rewarded
with candy or cigarettes for pulling a plunger. There was little use of the term after this. Then, in
1958 Lazarus applied it and the term became popular among those within the Pavlovian-
Wolpean orientation.

Chapter 2

1) Behaviour modification has been used to help children how to walk, develop language skills,
use the toilet, and do household duties/chores.

3) 3 characteristics common to behavioral approaches in university teaching:

 The instructional goals for a course are stated in the form of study questions and
application exercises
 Students are given opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the course content by tests
and assignments
 Students are given detailed information at the beginning of a course about what is
expected of them on the tests and assignments in order to achieve letter grades

6) The current and preferred term replacing ‘mental retardation’ is “intellectual disability”.

10) Psychological problems treated with behavior therapy:

 Anxiety disorders
 Obsessive compulsive disorders
 Stress related problems
 Depression
 Obesity
 Marital problems
 Sexual dysfunction
 Habit disorders

16) 4 behaviours in the area of behavioral community psychology modified by behaviour

modification: reducing littering in campgrounds, increasing recycling of soft drink containers,
encouraging welfare recipients to attend self-help meetings, help community boards use
problem-solving techniques

18) 4 behaviours in business, industry, or government that have been modified by behavior
modification: decrease tardiness and absenteeism, improve management-employee relations,
create new businesses, improve worker safety, reduce shoplifting.

20) 4 areas of application of behavioral sport psychology: motivating practice and fitness
training, teaching new athletic skills, managing emotions that interfere with performance,
helping athletes to cope with pressure in competitions.

Downloaded by Joe Cameron (nikon976@gmail.com)

 lOMoARcPSD|3149388

22) Behaviour modifiers should use caution when working with people from different cultures
in the sense that some cultural factors are different from our own, and what we think is
abnormal, undesirable, or should otherwise be modified, may be something in the other
person’s culture that is totally normal and perhaps even encouraged. Some cultures may view
our behaviors as undesirable, unacceptable, or rude; and is therefore inappropriate to teach to
people. We should also be sensitive about overgeneralizing cultural groups.

Self-modification exercise:
Self-Management of Personal Problems:
1. I would like to eat healthier. I eat in excess.
2. I would like to exercise more. My exercise behavior operates in deficiency.
3. I would like to read more fiction novels. I don’t read enough for my liking (deficit).
4. My partner would like to make more money. He doesn’t make enough (deficit).
5. I would like to stress about due dates less. This behaviour is in excess.
6. I would like to eat less carbs. I eat carbs in excess.
7. I would like to go outside more during the day. This behaviour is in deficit.
8. I would like to dance again, as I am currently not dancing. This behaviour is in deficit.
9. My partner would like to go to the cabin more often (and so do I!). This behaviour is in
deficit.
10. My partner would like to spend less money on food at restaurants. This behaviour is in
excess.
Medical and Health Care:
1. I would like to see my primary care physician immediately when I experience a problem.
I often wait too long to make an appointment and by the time I get one the problem is
gone, or worse. This is operating at deficit.
2. I often reschedule dental appointments because my teeth are relatively fine and don’t
bother me. But I end up pushing the appointments back quite long. My treatment
compliance is operating in deficit.
3. My friend would like to quit smoking. He is smoking in excess.
4. My friend would like to eat less salty foods. He is eating salt in excess.
5. I would like to exercise frequently. I am exercising in deficit.
6. I would like to see my family therapist more often with my dad. We are not going often
enough, so we are operating in deficit.
7. I would like to get more sleep. My sleeping behavior is in deficit.
8. I would like to drink more water. I am drinking water in deficit because I feel dehydrated
often.
9. My partner would like to see a skin specialist more often because he gets rashes on his
arms. He hasn’t seen one in the last 2 years, so he is operating in deficit.
10. My partner would like to drink less alcohol and limit it to one night per week instead of
2; he is drinking in excess.
Community Behavior Analysis
1. I would like to drive my car less. I am operating in excess.
2. I would like to take the bus more. I am operating in deficit.

Downloaded by Joe Cameron (nikon976@gmail.com)

 lOMoARcPSD|3149388

3. I would like to get involved in a volunteer operation in my community as I am currently

not in one. This is operating in deficit.
4. I would like to use less waste in my home for the benefit of our community/earth. I have
garbage in excess.
5. I would like to purchase more renewable/reusable items. I am operating in deficit.
6. I would like to buy less fast-fashion. I am operating in excess.
7. I would like to write more letters to my penpal in the USA (yes, I have a penpal). I am
operating in deficit.
8. My partner would like to meet more people in the community and go on walks with
them. He is operating in deficit.
9. My partner would like to teach young people how to do basic plumbing and home
maintenance and be a leader. He is operating in deficit of this behaviour as he currently
isn’t doing this.
10. I would like to form study groups on campus once we are allowed to. Studying in groups
as a behavior is operating in deficit.
Behavioral Sport Psychology
1. My friend would like to practice soccer with teammates more often. This is in deficit.
2. My friend would like to reduce stage fright. This is operating in excess.
3. My friend would like to be more confident in their athletic ability. This is operating in
deficit.
4. I would like to learn how to hit a baseball when thrown to me as I currently miss every
time. This is operating in deficit.
5. I would like to be less of a poor loser. I am too competitive. This behavior is in excess.
6. I would like to increase my flexibility. This is in deficit.
7. My friend would like to be a more positive hockey coach. He is operating in deficit.
8. My friend would like to be more self-aware during hockey and instead of making
excuses for bad plays, he would like to admit his shortcomings to team members. His
excuses are in excess, and his self-awareness is in deficit.
9. My friend would like to pass the ball more in soccer. This is operating in deficit.
10. My friend would like to stretch more so that his muscles are limber during sports. His
behavior of stretching is in deficit.

Chapter 29

3) We can view constitutions, bills of rights, and related political documents as formal
specifications of contingencies designed to control the behavior of those who control the
behavior of others.

10) Ethical guidelines that represent an important source of behavioral control: when
immediate reinforcers influence and individual to behave in a way that leads to aversive stimuli
for others.

11) How ethical guidelines involve rule-governed control over behaviour: people learn to emit
behaviors that are ethical and it teaches them to refrain from unethical behaviours.

Downloaded by Joe Cameron (nikon976@gmail.com)

 lOMoARcPSD|3149388

12)
Helping professions are involved in the control of behavior even if practitioners don’t realize it
because they think the external influence over the client’s behavior is withdrawn as soon as the
practitioner is sure that the client is able to manage their own behaviour. But we practitioner
has actually shifted the control to the natural environment. Instead of “withdrawing control”
the control still continues even though its form has changed. Even when the desired behaviour
is maintained after the practitioner withdraws, their influence is still there and persists.

16) BACB has become the international certification body for applied behavioural analysts and
those who wish to practice must receive this certification. Behavior modifiers must receive
appropriate academic training and do supervised practical training to ensure competence in
behavioural assessment, design and implementation of treatment, evaluating results and
ensuring understanding of ethics. You can get training from someone who is a member of ABAI
and ABCT who is certified by BACB. BACB has 4 levels which each define what the analyst is
allowed to do with what type of supervision. An analyst may also be certified by the American
Board of Professional Psychology and be certified by BACB.

17) 2 counter control measures regarding the definition of problems and selection of goals:
 Require the behavior modifier to clearly specify his or her values relating to the client’s
target behaviors. They should be consistent with the client’s own.
 The client is an active participant in selecting goals and identifying target behaviours.
Where not possible, an impartial third party may be authorized to act on their behalf.

20) Informed consent: state the pros and cons, give the client a choice, and explain alternative
methods of treatment. The client can sign a treatment contract outlining the above, that shows
the objectives and methods of treatment, the framework or service to be provided, and the
contingencies for the compensation/wages/etc. that might be forthcoming to the therapist.

21) Cornerstone for ensuring ethical and effective treatment programs: sharing data with
concerned parties and periodic evaluation of the data by all concerned.

Downloaded by Joe Cameron (nikon976@gmail.com)