Behavior Modifications: Principles And Procedures

Behavior is defined as the way that a person acts. Behavior can be reinforced or reduced. Reinforcement is used to ensure that favorable behaviors are encouraged and unfavorable behaviors are reduced, when done correctly. There are many procedures that can be used to ensure that unfavorable behaviors do not continue. One procedure that is used and is successful would be extinction. Extinction is defined as a process of reinforcing a behavior for a period of time before stopping the reinforcement all together in hopes of reducing the behavior occurrences. In the book entitled, “Behavior Modifications: Principles and Procedures”, the author, Raymond Miltenberger, explains behavior thoroughly and provides the many procedures that can and will …show more content…
I am going to provide three examples to thoroughly depict the extinction procedures in life scenarios. One example of extinction that occurs in everyday life would be when a child is left alone for more than a few minutes in the home setting while the parent put the clothes in the dryer or uses the restroom. The child tends to scream and shout when this occurs. The parent typically runs over and asks the child what is wrong but the parent would assume that something is wrong because the child is screaming and shouting. The child then begins to engage in the behavior more because he/she is receiving attention from their parent, which means that the behavior is being positively reinforced. If the parent decides to stop giving the child attention when he/she screams when being left alone for a few minutes, then the parent would be applying the extinction procedure. The next example would be one that I know so well. When I was younger, if I did not want to go to school, I would use the excuse of having a stomach ache because I wanted to be at home with mother. She would pick me up from school every time I called. I would fake the same time and at least two to three times a week. She would get off work and come get me from school. One day, I faked the stomach ache as usual and I expected my mother to pick me up from school as usual. This particular day, she did not come and get me. I was upset so I tried again the day after, and the same result. My mother used the extinction procedure because she realized I was faking sick to get attention from her and she stopped giving me the wanted attention. The third example I am going to use to depict the extinction procedure would be when a toddler is in his/her high chair. Once the child is placed in the high chair, the parent hands the child his/her favorite toy or maybe his/her pacifier or bottle. As soon as the parent turns his/her back,