Behavior

Modification
 Behavior modification
 Behavior modification is the use of
empirically demonstrated behavior
change techniques to improve
behavior, such as altering an
individual's behaviors and reactions to
stimuli through positive and negative
reinforcement of adaptive behavior
and/or the reduction of
maladaptive behavior through positive
and negative punishment.
 Behavior modification is a treatment
approach, based on the principles of
operant conditioning, that replaces
undesirable behaviors with more
desirable ones through positive or
negative reinforcement.
 Purpose
 Behavior modification is used to treat a variety of
problems in both adults and children.
 Behavior modification has been successfully used to
treat such as:
 Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD),
 Phobias,
 Enuresis (bed-wetting)
 Generalized anxiety disorder
 Separation anxiety disorder
 Description
 The first use of the term behavior modification
appears to have been by Edward Thorndike in
1911.His article Provisional laws of acquired
behavior or learning makes frequent use of the
term "modifying behavior".
 Behavior modification is based on the principles
of operant conditioning, which were developed
by American behaviorist B. F. Skinner (1904-
1990). Skinner considered his concept
applicable to a wide range of both human and
animal behaviors and introduced operant
conditioning to the general public in his 1938
book, The Behavior of Organisms.
 Through early research in the 1940s and the
1950s the term was used by Joseph Wolpe's
research group. The experimental tradition in
clinical psychology used it to refer to
psychotherapeutic techniques derived from
empirical research. It has since come to refer
mainly to techniques for increasing adaptive
behavior through reinforcement and decreasing
maladaptive behavior through punishment (with
emphasis on the former).
 Two related terms are behavior therapy and
applied behavior analysis.
 Emphasizing the empirical roots of behavior
modification, some authors consider it to be
broader in scope and to subsume the other two
categories of behavior change methods.
 Since techniques derived from behavioral
psychology tend to be the most effective in
altering behavior, While behavior modification
encompasses applied behavior analysis and
typically uses interventions based on the same
behavioral principles, many behavior modifiers
who are not applied behavior analysts tend to
use packages of interventions and do not
conduct functional assessments before
intervening.
 In recent years, the concept of punishment has
had many critics, though these critiques tend not
to apply to negative punishment (time-outs) and
usually apply to the addition of some aversive
event
 The use of positive punishment by board-
certified behavior analysts is restricted to
extreme circumstances when all other forms of
treatment have failed and when the behavior to
be modified is a danger to the person or to
others.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
BEHAVIOR MODEFICATION
Pear and Martin indicate that there are seven characteristics to
behavior modification, They are:
 There is a strong emphasis on defining problems in terms of
behavior that can be measured in some way.
 The treatment techniques are ways of altering an
individual's current environment to help that individual
function more fully.
 The methods and rationales can be described precisely.
 The techniques are often applied in everyday life.
 The techniques are based largely on principles of learning -
specifically operant conditioning and
respondent conditioning
 There is a strong emphasis on scientific demonstration that
a particular technique was responsible for a particular
behavior change.
 There is a strong emphasis on accountability for everyone
involved in a behavior modification program.
 Techniques
 Therapy and consultation cannot be effective unless the
behaviors to be changed are understood within a specific
context.
 The process of understanding behavior in context is
called functional behavioral assessment. Therefore, a
functional behavioral assessment is needed before
performing behavior modification.
 One of the most simple yet effective methods of
functional behavioral assessment is called the "ABC"
approach, where observations are made on
Antecedents, Behaviors, and Consequences.
One behavior modification technique that
is widely used is positive reinforcement,
which encourages certain behaviors
through a system of rewards.
 In behavior therapy, it is common for the
therapist to draw up a contract with the
client establishing the terms of the reward
system.
 Another behavior modification technique is
negative reinforcement.
 Negative reinforcement is a method of
training that uses a negative reinforcer.
 A negative reinforcer is an event or
behavior whose reinforcing properties are
associated with its removal. For example,
terminating an existing electric shock after
a rat presses a bar is a negative
reinforcer.
 In addition to rewarding desirable behavior,
behavior modification can also discourage
unwanted behavior, through punishment.
 Punishment is the application of an aversive or
unpleasant stimulus in reaction to a particular
behavior. For children, this could be the removal
of television privileges when they disobey their
parents or teacher.
 The removal of reinforcement altogether is
called extinction.
 Extinction eliminates the incentive for unwanted
behavior by withholding the expected response.
RELAXATION
TRAINING
 Relaxation training
 Relaxation training is a therapeutic
method which can enable you to
have control over the responses of
your body and a calmer mind. If you
have a stressful and hectic lifestyle
your nervous system may be in a
constant state arousal.
 Relaxation training is a therapeutic
method that can be delivered to a
group of people or on a one to one
basis.
 Relaxation is thought to benefit conditions such
as anxiety, panic, hyperventilation, insomnia,
depression, and stress-related physical
problems such as tense sore muscles and
migraines
 This is one of the mainstays of pain
management as well as anxiety management.
Relaxation is intended to reduce physiological
arousal and operates as a means of cognitive
coping.
 There are many methods for relaxation,
but they all start with diaphragmatic
breathing.
 Breathing rate changes in response to
effort and anxiety – in a stressed state the
breathing rate increases but becomes
shallow.
 Categories of relaxation training
Relaxation techniques tend to fall into two
main categories
 Physical
 Psychological
 Physical Relaxation

 Physical relaxation techniques include

developing body awareness of tension in your
muscles, body awareness of looseness in
your joints, focusing the mind on allowing
muscles to relax.
 Psychological Relaxation

 Psychological approaches to relaxation

include self-awareness, imagery and
directed visualization, self-hypnosis and
autogenic techniques.
 Relaxed breathing
 Relaxed breathing is a crucial
part of all relaxation training and
is usually used in conjunction
with physical and psychological
relaxation methods.
 Relaxed breathing is slow and
even and deep. It is done
through the nose. Relaxed
breathing promotes effective
circulation of air around your
body.
 During relaxation the nervous system
slows down and there can be a reduction
in excitatory hormones, breathing rate,
blood pressure, muscle action and heart
rate.
 Methods of Relaxation training
 Long relaxation method
 Short relaxation method

Long relaxation:
 methods are useful however, especially in the
early stages of learning to relax, and for sleep or
when fatigue management is important.
 In the early stages of learning to relax it can be
difficult for the person to become relaxed, and only
do so when a long relaxation progressively
induces the relaxation response.
 Long relaxations can be carried out to help the
person recognize what relaxation feels like.
Shorter relaxation:
 Shorter relaxation techniques are also many
and varied. These are typified by maintaining
awareness of the environment so that activity
can be maintained.
 A range of techniques can be employed
including posture, selective relaxation (Jacobsen
relaxation), rapid hypnotic induction (using a cue
word or signal), cued relaxation and body scan
awareness
 MODES OF RELAXATION

Relaxation training ‘works’ through two main

modes
(1) reducing physiological arousal.
(2) providing a cognitive interruption to
distressed thinking.
Procedure of Relaxation Training
The physical setting:
 Progressive relaxation should take place
in a quiet, attractive room. You should be
completely supported. There should be no
need for exertion to maintain body
support. You should wear comfortable,
loose fitting clothing during the sessions.
 The process
:
 Lie on the floor or a bed and follow the
directions of the relaxation technique in the
following Relaxation Training Technique
as you tense and relax various muscle
groups. After the initial tensing of the
muscles, release the tension instantly and
completely. This is very important in order
to get the ``pendulum effect.'

 The muscles relax beyond the point of their

normal relaxed state. You should then feel
the important difference between tension
and relaxation. You should concentrate on
the feeling of relaxation, learn what it is to
relax and how to increase it. Continually
repeat to yourself, ``Know what it feels like
to be relaxed, deepen the relaxation, know
what it is to be relaxed.'
Do's and don'ts' of relaxation

 Do: Make sure you have comfortable, loose clothing and

proper back support
 Don't: Put your self in an awkward position or in a
position that will make it easy to fall asleep
 Do: Allow your mind to quiet down. If tense thoughts
enter while you are relaxing, let them pass out of your
head.
 Don't: Think your way into tension. If you can't clear your
mind, take a long, deep breath and let it out slowly.
 Do: Stay alert and conscious while you are relaxing. Pay
close attention and note any changes in your body (feelings
that stand out for you).
 Don't: Allow yourself to become groggy and sleepy. If you
start falling asleep, open your eyes and sit up. When you are
ready, return to relaxation posture.
 Do: Go at your own pace and let go of your muscles as your
body decides to give up tension.
 Don't: Expect yourself to relax all at one. Like any other
physical exercise, you must practice letting go step by step.
 Do: Give your body messages of appreciation for relaxing as
you notice these feelings going through your body.
 Don't: Get down on your self for not relaxing. Your body
should be trusted to go at its own pace.
 Do: Stay award of your breathing. Observe how much air
you're taking in full breaths at regular rhythms.
 Don't: Smoke before, during or after relaxation as it tightens
lung tissue and blood vessels. Let your body breathe.
 When to use Relaxation training
To make a clinical decision to use relaxation, consider the
following:
 Does this person demonstrate increased arousal during pain flare-
ups?
 Is anxiety a feature of their presentation?
 Do they avoid activities, and when they encounter feared activities,
do they carry them out with increased arousal?
 During painful episodes do they experience heightened distress and
difficulty concentrating or problem-solving?
 Do they have difficulty getting off to sleep, or returning to sleep
when they awaken during the night?
 Do they appear to have low energy during the day, and want to take
naps?
 Three most effective relaxation training

The following is review of three of the most

effective relaxation training techniques.

 Jacobson's Progressive Muscle Relaxation

 Autogenic Training
 Applied Relaxation
 Ten Relaxation Techniques

1. Hug someone. Giving a hug means getting one.

2. Interrupt routines. Just doing anything that breaks you
out of your habitual patterns can relieve stress.
3. Have a hot shower. It relaxes your muscles, and any
break from more stressful activities can help too.
4. Try watching your mind. Spot the stressors lurking just
below the surface and you can resolve them and feel
more relaxed.
5. Try laughing. Go find a guy that knows all the best
jokes, or find something funny in front of you.
6. Use relaxing music. Keep your favorite
relaxation CD at the office, in the car, or
wherever you'll need it most.
7. Leave the room for a while. This can really
help if the things in the room or related to it
are triggering your stressful thoughts.
8. Breath deeply. Try five deep breaths
through your nose. Close your eyes and
pay attention only to your breathing while
doing this.
9. Drink some chamomile tea. Chamomile
tea seems to have a calming effect on the
nerves. Any hot tea without caffeine may be
relaxing.
10. Walk a while. If you have at least ten
minutes to spare, walking is one of the best
relaxation techniques.