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Behaviour Modification Can Be the Start of a New Child
from: Self Help and WellnessBehaviour modification is an experiment with problem behavior. It is based on certain principles of behavior. Most of the bases for the principles come for studies and research on the subject of motivation and learning. When the behaviour modification is used in a clinical setting, it is often referred to as conditioning therapy or behavior therapy. Sometimes, behaviour modification is thought of in the same light as operant conditioning, which is only a small part of it and usually referred to as experimental theory of behavior.
Operant conditioning is also called instrumental conditioning and are certain conditions happening because of a certain behavior or contingency. The example would be an employee working 40 hours each week and being paid for that work each week. The pay is the result of the work and the learning process is that the employee realizes that he gets paid because he worked just as a student gets a good grade for a well-written paper. This is also a type of behaviour modification.
Some people believe that behaviour modification is used anytime a specific practice alters or modifies human behavior. This, however, is not always true. In some cases, human behavior is changed by means of mind control or brain washing and behaviour modification is not brain washing by any means. Psychosurgery or electroshock is also never used for behaviour modification as it is often used for other means of altering human behavior. The true definition of behaviour modification is a structured learning process where certain behavior is learned based on the reactions and results of that behavior. With positive reinforcement, the person is more motivated toward positive behavior.
Psychology believes that behaviour modification is an experimental process because our behavior is based on a certain set of laws or principles. If the person's behavior is changed or modified, it must be based on these laws or principles. For treatment to be effective, it must stay within the principles as the principles are applied to us as humans.
Behaviour modification is constantly changing and improving as more studies are completed. The more the researchers learn, the more they experiment with the hopes of making learning easier. Years ago, a lot of behaviour modification was done by means of medication. It was quite common for young children to be put on medication if they were diagnosed as hyperactive.
The bad part of this was that the behavior seemed to improve because of the medication, not because the child was taught any differently. As soon as the medication stopped, the bad behavior returned. Today, with the help of behaviour modification, the child's behavior is altered and changed through methods other than medication such as positive reinforcement and praise. Doctors feel this method works more effectively.
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