Behavior Management
Behavior management is a systematic approach aimed at helping individuals modify their behaviors from undesirable to more appropriate ones. It is widely applied across various fields, benefiting professionals such as teachers, healthcare workers, social workers, and caregivers who interact with large groups in settings like schools and institutions. Central to behavior management is the concept of behavior modification, which emphasizes the influence of reinforcement and punishment on observable behaviors.
Notably, the theories of behaviorism, developed by psychologists like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, provide foundational principles for understanding behavior change. Operant conditioning, a key element within behavior management, posits that behaviors are shaped by their consequences, categorized as reinforcements that encourage desired behaviors or punishments that discourage unwanted ones.
Modern behavior management techniques focus on creating supportive environments that model appropriate behavior and emphasize positive reinforcement. Techniques may include setting clear expectations, providing structure, and redirecting negative behaviors towards positive choices. This evolving philosophy prioritizes constructive reinforcement over punitive measures, reflecting a shift towards more supportive and effective strategies for behavior modification.
Behavior Management
Behavior management is the process of systematically helping people alter their behaviors from problematic to more appropriate. Behavior management is used to reduce unwanted behaviors and increase desirable behaviors in any population. Behavioral management techniques are especially useful for professionals such as teachers, child caregivers, healthcare workers, social workers, correctional officers, and others who regularly work with large populations of individuals in institutions, schools, hospitals, and other places.
Behavior management is closely related to behavior modification, or the idea that observable behaviors can be altered through the use of positive and negative reinforcement and punishment. Many experts use the two terms interchangeably.
Background
American psychologists John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner were two of the principal forces in the development of behaviorism, a field in psychology that is primarily concerned with studying the observable, measurable aspects of human behavior. Early behaviorists were mainly interested in outward behaviors of people, or those actions they could directly observe. They did not believe it would be useful to study the inner life of thoughts, motivations, or emotions because they felt the inner life could not explain behavior. Instead, they believed that all behavior was a reflection of habits that had been learned over a lifetime. Behaviorists studied how these habits formed and how they could be changed.
Although many of the beliefs of early behaviorists have since been debunked, behaviorism continues to provide valuable concepts that are still in use today. One of these is operant conditioning, or the idea that behaviors are learned as the result of rewards and punishments. Through operant conditioning, a human being makes an association between a behavior and a consequence and then chooses to repeat or not repeat that behavior in the future.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning relies on the idea that behaviors manifest based on an individual’s experience with that behavior in the past. Proponents of operant conditioning state that the consequences the individual experiences determine whether the behavior is likely to occur in the future.
Psychologists and learning theorists refer to these consequences as reinforcements and punishments. Experts clarify that reinforcements and punishments cannot be readily defined in and of themselves but must be defined based on how they affect the individual’s behavior. Therefore, tailored behavior plans are critical in the successful management of behavior, particularly in certain populations, like individuals with physical disabilities or mental illness. Experts say reinforcements encourage the individual to repeat a behavior, while punishments discourage the individual from repeating the behavior.
Reinforcements and Punishments
Reinforcements are consequences that serve to maintain or increase a desired behavior. They are defined by their effect on behavior, which can be either positive or negative. Confusion sometimes arises from the use of the words "positive" and "negative." These terms are not used in the usual sense. Instead, they refer to giving something (positive) or taking something away (negative).
Positive reinforcements refer to the presentation of a favorable event or outcome, such as praise or a direct reward, following a behavior. For example, if children engage in behavior that a teacher wants in a classroom, such as raising their hands before speaking, the teacher might give the children praise. The praise is meant to positively reinforce the behavior. The children are more likely to raise their hands in the future because the praise made them feel good.
Negative reinforcements involve removing or withdrawing something to increase the chance that a different behavior will be chosen in the future. For example, if a child answers a question aloud in class without raising their hand first, the teacher might ignore the child’s contribution to the conversation. This is meant to show the child that one should raise their hand before speaking. Negative reinforcements are not the same as punishment.
Punishment is different from reinforcement in that it is used to reduce or eliminate unwanted behaviors. Like reinforcement, punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves an unfavorable event or outcome as the result of a behavior. For example, if children hit their siblings, they may be yelled at or sent to their rooms. These are both considered positive punishments because the behavior produced them.
Negative punishment, which is sometimes called punishment by removal, involves taking away a favorable outcome to discourage a behavior. For example, if the children lose their computer time because they hit their siblings, this is considered a negative punishment because they have lost something they want.
Techniques
Behavior management techniques use the principles of operant conditioning to create positive, supportive environments. These techniques also focus on modeling appropriate behaviors so that individuals learn how to behave appropriately by watching others.
For example, many foster care agencies require adults working with children to follow these guidelines to best manage behavior:
- Explain what is expected of the children in words they understand.
- Create a daily structure so the children know what to do and when to do it. It is important to keep this routine consistent.
- Provide a model for resolving conflicts and solving problems with others by acting appropriately in conflict situations.
- Offer encouragement, praise, and supportive words when children behave appropriately.
- Redirect unwanted behaviors to more positive choices.
- Match the intensity/seriousness of the behavior and the consequences.
- Understand and consider the impact of trauma on behavior.
- Practice active listening and consider verbal and nonverbal cues to better understand the child's needs.
These techniques reflect changes in the philosophy of behavioral management over time. Although punishment was once used and encouraged to change behavior, this practice has ceased. Modern experts encourage the use of suitable reinforcements, both positive and negative, to encourage individuals to behave appropriately.
Techniques called the 7 Rs or the 4 Rs are sometimes used to guide behavior management. The 7 Rs include: reminders, records, rewards, routines, relationships, reflecting, and restructuring. The 4 Rs are: respectful, responsible, ready to learn, and resilient. Incorporating social-emotional learning concepts into behavior management practices can help address the core of the problem and foster the development of skills like self-regulation, empathy, and conflict resolution.
Other behavior management techniques include time-out strategies and collaborative problem-solving. In the modeling technique, the adult displays the behaviors they wish to see in the student or child. Research increasingly indicates that a strong bond between the teacher or caregiver and the student or child plays a significant role in the effectiveness of behavior modification. This relationship allows students to feel they have a voice, have choices, and are connected to a community.
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