Behaviour Self-Management Project to Increase Studying Behaviour
Behaviour Modification is a technique or approach used by behavioural psychologists to modify a particular behaviour and is largely used in a clinical or educational setting, particularly with those with learning disabilities (Atherton, 2011). Moreover, it also considered to be a treatment approach, as it substitutes undesirable behaviours with desired ones through the process of positive or negative reinforcement (Gary, 1988). Furthermore, behaviour modification has been used to treat numerous mental problems such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobias, enuresis, generalised anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and many more. Subsequently, this technique has also been used to correct maladaptive behaviours by changing undesirable behaviours such as smoking, overeating, nail biting and others, as it aims to encourage the substitution of good behaviours such as studying, weight loss and etc (O’Donohue and Ferguson, 2006).
The principles of behaviour modification were first developed by B.F Skinner, who had formulated the concept of operant conditioning. Skinner, had developed the concept of positive reinforcement or punishment, whereby behaviours are changed or encouraged through a reward system. Furthermore, the operant conditioning theory also states that for learning to occur, it is important that the subject is an active participant (Sheldon, 1982). In addition, behaviour modification was also formulated by Ivan Pavlov and is famously known as classical conditioning, as it is merely based on a stimuli-response formula. Besides that, Albert Bandura also contributed to behaviour modification principles, through his theory of social modelling (Baldwin & Baldwin, 1981). The theory states that learning occurs as a result of copying or imitating other people, and
References: Atherton J. S. (2011). Learning and Teaching: Behaviour modification. Retrieved on 18 September 2011 from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/behaviour_mod.htm Baldwin, J., & Baldwin, J (1981) Behaviour Principles in Everyday Life. Guez, W., & Allen, J. (2000). Regional training seminar on guidance and counselling, module 4: Behaviour modification Martin, G .(1988). Behavior Modification: What It Is and How to Do It. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. O 'Donohue, W., & Ferguson, K.E. (2006). Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology and Behavior Analysis Sheldon, Brian .(1982). Behaviour Modification Theory, Practice and Philosophy. New York, NY: Tavistock Publications. Wasik, B.H., Senn, K., Welch, R.H., & Cooper, B.R. (1969). Behaviour modification with culturally deprived school children