Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic in a Psychology class.
(Male) This happens all the time with kids in schools. Say there was a little boy or girl who's just starting school. Well, they're not really used to the rules about proper behaviors for classroom. So at the beginning they might, I don't know, interrupt the teacher, walk around the classroom when they're supposed to be sitting down. You know, just mis-behaving in general.Ok, but, what happens? Well, the teacher gets angry with them when they act this way. They might get punished. They have to sit at their desks when everyone else is allowed to go outside and play. And they certainly don't like that. Soon, they'll learn that this kind of behavior gets them in trouble. They'll also learn that when they raise their hand to talk to the teacher and sit quietly and pay attention during class, they are rewarded.The teacher tells them she's proud of them and maybe puts a little happy-face sticker ontheir homework. Now that their behavior gets a good reaction from the teacher, the kids learn to always act this way in class. And not behave the way they used to."
Using the example from the lecture, explain what behavior modification is and how it works.
Individuals often modify their behavior based on the possible consequence they've learned of their behavior. This phenomenon is called behavioral modification. For example, kids who just start school will generally misbehave, like interrupting the teachers or walking around in the classroom when they should sit down. When they do this, the teacher gets angry and punishes them by not allowing them to go out and play when everyone else is playing. And they learn the unpleasant consequence of their misbehavior so they will stop doing this. However, when the kids behave properly, like raising their hands to answer questions and sitting quietly while paving attention in class, the teacher encourages them by putting a smiling face on their book. This is a positive feedback and the kid will be more likely to repeat the approved behavior. (136 words)
