BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION :: essays research papers

Behavior variety is based on the principles of operant conditioning, which were true by American carriageist B.F. skinner. In his research, he put a rat in a cage later known as the Skinner Box, in which the rat could receive a food guessing by pressing on a bar. The food reward acted as a reinforcement by strengthening the rats bar-pressing bearing. Skinner studied how the rats behavior changed in response to differing patterns of reinforcement. By studying the way the rats operated on their environment, Skinner formulated the concept of operant conditioning, by which behavior could be do by reinforcement or lack of it. Skinner considered his discovery relevant to a wide range of two human and animal behaviors(Behavior, 2001). Today, behavior modification is used to treat a variety of problems in both adults and children. Behavior modification has been successfully used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, watchfulness deficit/hyperactivity disorder, phobias, bedwetti ng, anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. Behavior modification is not used to treat disorders and problems, it is also used to increase a craved behavior. An example of a behavior many try to increase is their acrobatic abilities including speed, strength, and endurance (Fedor, 1990). Athletes use a variety of behavior modification techniques to pass on their overall goal. The most widely used is positive reinforcement, which encourages certain behaviors through a system of rewards. Following rewarding desirable behavior, behavior modification can also discourage unwanted behavior, through either veto reinforcement, or punishment. This could be removal of a privilege or an undesired event. Behavior modification in athletics requires the development of goals. It needs unity overall goal as well as small smell goals. Goal setting is one of the strongest motivational tools. Studies have shown that goals should be depressed down into short-term or intermediate goals t o help attain the last goals goals must be accepted by the individual challenging goals argon better than easy ones tracking progress is useful to remain connected to goals and a plan of action facilitates goal attainment (Annesi, 2004). With the addition of a written contract binding the athlete to their goals it acts as another iceman to accomplish their desired behavior. Behavior modification, or behavioral therapy, trains individuals to replace undesirable behaviors with healthier behavioral patterns.