Behaviour modification is the process of reconstructing human behaviours with the help of techniques like positive and negative reinforcements. It’s used to switch uncooperative, undesirable and problematic behaviours with favourable ones. The aftermath of this technique is that good behaviour is accompanied by positive consequences, whereas bad behaviour advances towards negative consequences. This technique is used to treat adults as well as children with problems like Autism, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AHDH), Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety and separation issues. Changes can easily be implemented in a child’s behaviour but it’s demanding when you have to compel them to keep up with it. These techniques are effective because consequences are attached to their actions. These consequences motivate or force them to behave rationally. There are four main components used to modify behaviours as recognized by the experts, let’s look into each of these components in detail:
Positive Punishment
Punishments are given to end negative behaviours. So when you add a negative consequence to a negative behaviour it becomes a positive punishment. It involves making your child suffer the consequence of negative behaviour. Examples of positive punishments would be:
- When your child fails to clean his room as part of his daily chores, you add an extra chore like doing the laundry. Now he has to clean his room and do the laundry as well.
- When you have restricted your child from eating more than one cookie in a day, he eats four to five of them and falls sick. In the future, your child will think twice before eating more than one cookie.
- Your child steals from the toy store. You make him do the right thing by writing an apology letter to the store and asking them to return the stolen toy.
- Your child uses cuss words when you’re trying to discipline him. As a punishment make them write the sentence “they will never use cuss words again” a hundred times.
Negative Punishment
When you strip your child of their privileges as a result of negative behaviour, it becomes a negative punishment. When you stop giving them attention and give them the silent treatment for a few days, they will rethink their behaviours. Examples of negative punishments would be:
- When your child fights with their sibling for the television, take away TV privileges for a week from both of them.
- Your child failed to complete their homework, strip them of their favourite toys for the rest of the week.
- Your teenage kid misses their curfew by 5 minutes, take their phone away for the rest of the week.
- Your child throws a temper tantrum, as a punishment ground them from playing with their friends for the next 2 weeks.
- When your child refuses to complete their daily chores, strip them of Wi-Fi privileges for the next week.
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement refers to rewarding your child for good behaviour. They will exhibit their best behaviours in the future because their brain associates positive actions with a reward. Here the reward is the reinforcing stimulus. The reward could be in the form of praise or gifts. Examples of positive reinforcements would be:
- You praise them for a job well done, when they take up the initiative for putting away the dishes after dinner.
- When your child completes their homework without arguments, you add in an extra ½ hour to their screen time.
- Allowing your child to have a cookie because they cleaned their room before you even asked them to.
- Your teenager works hard and scores well for the semester, you take them out for dinner and a movie or provide them with funds to spend to do as they please.
Negative Reinforcement
Choosing to change your child’s bad behaviour to good behaviour by removing something that is causing them problems or displeasure. The child will portray acceptable behaviour to be rid of negative reinforcements. Examples of negative reinforcements are nagging and yelling. Negative reinforcements are less effective as compared to positive reinforcements. Examples of negative reinforcements would be:
- Your child will complete his chores to stop you from nagging them about it.
- Your child has been misbehaving at the bus stop, so you wait for him for the bus every day. He starts behaving appropriately to keep you from going with him every day.
- After playing with their toys, your child puts them in its rightful place because they don’t want to forget where they placed it or lose it.
- Your teenager studies hard to perform well at school to keep you from scolding and nagging them about their bad grades.
All children are not the same. What works for one may not be the appropriate plan of action for the other. For instance, you decide against buying your child an ice-cream cone as a punishment for their bad behaviour. For a child who does not enjoy sweet dishes, this punishment will never modify their behaviour. Choose to formulate those punishments that work for your child the best.