Abstracts
The purpose of this research paper was to illustrate applications of behavior analysis to practical, real-life examples. In the first section, the report discussed concepts such as MOs, positive and negative reinforcements as well as reinforcement schedules. These concepts apply in cases discussed in this paper, which increase comprehensive reception and retention of the information contained in it. Subsequently, the paper analyzes the application of behavior intervention plan in a yelling case. The plan helped individual reduce yelling habit premeditated steps that invoke consciousness in behavior change process. Later, goal-setting skills helped in minimization of job stress in yelling individual. Finally, there is an analysis of two cases involving adaptive skills among young children through MOs and reinforcements behavior analysis. In conclusion, the result showed that motivating operations could help children learn basic skills from adults as long as there is the application of appropriate schedule and appealing reward, that is, positive reinforcement.
Introduction
The research paper will analyze effects of motivating operations in different settings and their application in the attainment of desirable outcomes in behavior change analysis. In the first section, it will discuss several concepts in the behavioral analysis that includes MOs as well as positive and negative reinforcement. After that, it will evaluate the four laws of positive reinforcement as well as reinforcement schedule in applied behavior analysis. Finally, it will embark on an objective analysis of behavior intervention plan, yelling intervention plan, and the applications of motivating operations and reinforcement principles in adaptive skills among children.
Motivating operations (MOs)
MOs are environmental factors that influence the effectiveness of some stimulus and outcomes, behavior progress as well as the current frequency of all behavior influenced by the stimulus, outcome or the behavior progress.
Positive and negative reinforcements
In the behavioral analysis, positive reinforcement comprises increment of the strengthening stimulus to encourage frequency or progress of an outcome in future. For instance, giving a reward for exemplary performance will increase the recipient’s motivation and thus, in future they are apt to outdo the current performance. On the other hand, negative reinforcement involves removal of an item that resulting in an undesirable outcome currently for behavior correction or stimulus increment. A case in point is keeping dolls away from children during mealtime to improve their feeding.
Four laws of positive reinforcement
Constructive change requires positivity as stipulated by the four laws that govern positive reinforcement. The ensuing discussion outlines these laws. In the first law, there is the personalization of reinforcement to maximize on the stimulus. Effectively, the reinforcement will lead to improved wellbeing and induction of positive energy required to live in fullness. Hence, reinforcement schedule should be a feature in the daily routine of the individual desiring a certain outcome. The second law demands reinforcement contingency since most benefits result from continuous efforts and time investment. Customarily, behavior change is an ultimate result, thereby; one has to sacrifice in the form of opportunity costs to achieve the desired change. Thirdly, a sense of urgency minimizes the probability of falling into procrastination tendency when implementing a behavior change plan waiting for the reinforcement. Agreeably, delayed reinforcement leads to higher motivation bearing in mind that a reward will come along. Often time, the pressure in waiting while engaging the right actions at the same time increases motivation required in behavior change. Finally, the practice should be frequent to cultivate a long-term behavior culture and consistency of acquired behaviors. Notably, infrequent positive reinforcement has the effect of creating unethical practices such as unfairness and unhealthy competition.
Schedule of reinforcement
This is a tool used in behavioral analysis therapies by trainers to have control over both timing and frequency in the process of imparting a reinforced behavior to their trainee as noted by Fisher, Piazza, and Roane (2011). The approach has inherent advantages in inducing the desired behavior through variance of factors that lead to targeted outcome. It is important to note there are several types of schedules, which increases the versatility of behavior change plans. As such, the trainer adopts the most suitable schedule depending on duration and intensity of the behavior. For instance, there are continuous schedules that entail rewarding a behavior each time there is a performance while in intermittent schedule rewarding occur at a stipulated time interval. Additionally, the trainer can opt for compound reinforcement schedules that combining simple schedules while utilizing the same reinforcer and targeting similar behaviors.
Behavior intervention plans for behavior reduction
The plan draws on the outcomes of a functional behavior assessment with such component as the description of the problem, hypothesis and the strategies adopted as explained by Ditrano and National Professional Resources, Inc (2010). Specifically, the plan will evaluate the reduction strategies of a yelling behavior.
Operational definition
Workload- amount of responsibilities in a unit time
Stress- mental disturbance due to increasing workload
Collected data- average of yelling frequency in specified time of the day
Base line graph for measuring behavior
Source: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/developing-baseline-measures/main
The behavior measurements graphs represent baseline for determining the trend of a certain behavior with a specified period, say a week. Customarily, before embarking on a change process, a bad behavior takes the trend of an increasing or constant severe habit. Additionally, it could be varying depending on the intensity of factors that lead to ill behavior such as workload, stress levels or mood changes. However, after adoption and implementation of behavior change plan, the trend decreases.
Onset/Offset
This represents the start of behavior and its end. Yelling is a result of stress or disturbance that causing intimidation, resultantly the individual shouts at people for unjustifiable reasons. However, yelling may stop when the victim out of sight or confronts the person shouting.
Measurement standards
The measurement standards encompass conventional yelling frequency on consecutive behavior levels as shown in the table. For instance, yelling on average for four times at any specified time of the day implies severity of yelling habit behavior while yelling once indicate that the habit is distractive in nature, thus, the person can drop it without engaging a lot of efforts and time in the process. The table below indicates the standards for various levels of yelling.
Data Collection Methods
The researcher collected yelling data for one week within five working days. More specifically, sampled individual filled in the collected data column the frequency of yelling at different times of the day as illustrated in the table below. After that, researcher computed averages of yelling frequency for each time of the day to determine intensities at different periods as well as obtain important trends. Finally, the research presented final information in the table below for further analysis. Besides, the observed patterns and intensity for the formulation and construction of behavior intervention plan and reinforcement schedules.
Yelling frequency table
Hypothesis function
‘When yelling happens, apologize and learn from it,’ this will help the individual to coexist and initiate behavior change from within. Notably, most behavior change involves engagement of conscious mind to induce immediate change and consistency in behavior adoption. For instance, apologizing twice to the same person for the repetition of the same mistake will induce self-regulation mechanism to control yelling habit.
Analysis of the result
The line graph below is a result of analyzing the data in the table above using Microsoft Excel. In the horizontal axis, 1,2,3 and four represent morning, midmorning, lunch hour and evening respectively. The information from the behavior line graph shows that yelling frequency increases as the day progress, with severe yelling occurring in the evening. During the early hours, chances of yelling were minimal as the individual experienced low job pressure. However, in midmorning, simple arguments led to severe yelling. After that, a mere shoulder brush led to moderately severe yelling while in the evening, a minor thing triggered very severe yelling. The progressive yelling occurred due to rising levels of stress attributed to multitasking and a large volume of the pending work. Impliedly, the sampled individual has poor stress management skills since as volume of work increases from light morning responsibly to large volumes of workloads in the evening, job stress became unmanageable as indicated by yelling frequency.
Antecedent strategies
The individual can undertake simple activities to lower the level of stress such as drinking a lot of water throughout the day. Secondly, it is important to break down the workload into manageable tasks to reduce stress accumulation. Besides, taking breaks within working hours could help to reflect and relax rather than yelling. Finally, keeping tabs of the yelling frequency and aiming to reduce the frequency each level by one every day will lower the habit drastically. Consequently, within a week ‘very severe’ yelling behavior will go down to severe and finally to distractive levels on a good day. Eventually, adherence to these strategies will offset the yelling behavior.
Consequential strategies
The ideal strategy is apologizing each time the individual yells. Consequently, it will help putting it to mind that yelling is unacceptable and embarrassing to it is person directed to. Moreover, seeking help from therapists in the case of severe behavior will both reduce both the behavior and intervention period due to the adoption of the effective behavior intervention plan. Still, the person could initiate an internal dialogue to suppress the habit by affirming to self that overcoming the habit is attainable. Finally, in the event the individual reduces the frequency of yelling by two units in any category for two consecutive days, they should get a reinforcer to create more stimuli.
Goal setting skill
In order to make the behavior intervention effective, it would help to teach the client on adaptive skill that will help in reducing the frequency of yelling. For instance, the yelling person need to learn goal-setting skills to minimize over-expectation and the consequential stress. Thus, smart, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals will drastically reduce yelling. The MOs in this case are strained relationship with colleagues and stern warning by the boss at work while the stimulus is improving relationship and coexistence at workplace. On the other, complete responsibilities and compliments by the boss and fellow colleagues will serve as positive reinforcement to decrease the frequency of yelling. Eventually, the individual will adopt goal setting as a routine activity.
Summary of the references
Ditrano, C., & National Professional Resources, Inc. (2010). FBA' and BIP: Functional' Behavioral Assessment & Behavior Intervention' Plan. Port Chester, NY: National Professional Resources, Inc.
This source was quite useful especially in the identification and definition of problem behavior. Additionally, it summarizes on the methods of gathering information on the identified behavior for BIP formulation. Generally, the source is robust with regard to plans and their implementation.
Fisher, W. W., Piazza, C. C., & Roane, H. S. (2011). Handbook of applied behavior analysis. New York: Guilford Press.
This was quite useful since it discusses on different reinforcement schedules to varying situations to speed up the behavior change process. For instance, it discusses differential reinforcement (p.64), to increase the outcome of desired behavior. Additionally, it analyzes the intermittent schedules and contingency (p.242). Generally, the work has exhaustive concepts of Behavior analysis.
References
Ditrano, C., & National Professional Resources, Inc. (2010). FBA' and BIP: Functional' Behavioral Assessment & Behavior Intervention' Plan. Port Chester, NY: National Professional Resources, Inc.
Fisher, W. W., Piazza, C. C., & Roane, H. S. (2011). Handbook of applied behavior analysis. New York: Guilford Press.
