Behavior modification facts

Therapeutical method at aglance

The type of psychotherapy inquestion has the goal of altering the existing behavior in relation toparticular stimuli. The name itself is quite revelatory in the sense that thetherapy does exactly that which it denotes, i.e. changes the behavioralpatterns of the person in question. When it comes to the concept of behavior,important to know is that it is regarded as a specific reaction or a responsethat occurs and is initiated by a specific stimulus, as well as provoked by acertain situation that a person finds him/herself in.

This therapeutical method belongsto the category of psychotherapies, dealing with the analysis of behavioralpatterns, identification of certain responses (those that are troublesome innature) and ultimately, with providing those most effective solutions by way ofeither reward or punishment in order to alter them and set them the way theyshould be. Having an even greater theoretical scope in mind, this variety oftherapy is also a part of behaviorism – a philosophical construct rooted inpsychology. The construct as such has been extensively employed in promoting adifferent kind of behavior of children, in relation to their parents and lateron the environment they are in, so the overall parent-child relationship wouldbecome better and more satisfying. One of the most evident advantages of thistherapeutical approach is that, in order to conduct it in the proper manner, asingle and exclusive behavioral construct is not essential since the entireprocess is rooted in uncomplicated principles that aid a person establish amuch sturdier control of behavior of a child, for example.

Modification guidelines andprinciples

At the very foundation of thebehavioral modification lies the tendency we, as humans, are prone to show –seeking constant rewards. This, in combination with punishment, has the goal ofmodifying a person’s behavior to the wanted point by establishing the connectionbetween the responses and the stimuli. Important to point out is that this kindof action is rooted in involuntary reactions of the person whose behavior weseek to alter to a specific point. There exist two distinctive practices, theone that employs rewarding as its main force, and the other that employspunishment in order for these very same goals to be achieved. The latter hasbeen under heavy criticism for quite some time, i.e. ever since the society welive in has put more emphasis on the “humane” aspect of life. Despiteallegations, this mode is still effective in achieving the ultimate goals, setby the practitioner prior to the onset of the modification process. But, thisaspect of the therapeutical construct will be ineffective in case thepunishment parameter is ill-used. And it is known to be the primary culprit forthe induction of various emotional disorders, thus it should be employedstrictly in accordance with the rules.