Behaviors do not occur in isolation. If they occur on a regular basis, they are serving some purpose or function. Let's think about behaviors in which you engage on a regular basis. Why do you keep doing them? in the readings they illustrate that there are only three functions of a behavior: (1) positive reinforcement: you get something you like, (2) negative reinforcement: you escape or avoid something you do not like, and (3) self-stimulation (automatic reinforcement). Which one of these is effective in maintaining your behavior?

In preparation:

• I have been able to review the readings and weekly video introduction to gain an understanding of the types of antecedents and consequences that influence behavior; still confusing to me.
• I have attempted to identify the behaviors in my own life that may be maintained by social positive reinforcement, social negative reinforcement, and automatic reinforcement: still confusing tome.
• Focus on how your understanding of the functions of behavior (A-B-C analysis) guide you in developing efficacious interventions.

Select and provide a description of a single problem behavior that could be maintained by any one of the following: (a) social positive reinforcement, (b) social negative reinforcement, and (c) automatic reinforcement. Next, give an example of how your selected problem behavior could be maintained by each of these three means.

Provide a hypothetical Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) analysis for one of the three. Finally, HELP TO explain how your intervention would differ based on the function of the behavior.

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE GIVEN BY THE INSTRUCTOR:

Problem Behavior: Tantrums

(a) Social Positive Reinforcement

• The child's mother stops what she's doing immediately and provides him with attention (positive reinforcement) to stop her son from continuing the tantrum.

(b) Social Negative Reinforcement

• If the child throws a tantrum because he doesn't want to do chores and then his parents allow him to escape the task of doing chores, the problem behavior will be maintained.

(c) Automatic Reinforcement

• If the child throws a tantrum and hurts himself in the process, that behavior is then weakened because the child will feel the immediate effects (pain) from his actions.

ABC Analysis:Social Positive Reinforcement

• A:The child doesn't want to go to the store and asks to stay home
• B:The child throws a tantrum when his mother says "we're going to the store, let's get in the car"
• C:The mother stops what she's doing and grabs the child's hands and looks him in the eye- giving him her undivided attention. She listens to him and acknowledges his feelings and then explains that they are still going to the store.

This intervention would differ based on the function of behavior because it would need to be adjusted to what the child wants and what the child is trying to accomplish by their problem behavior. If the child is putting himself and others in danger, the response would need to be more severe and almost automatic so that the behavior would be "nipped in the bud" immediately. However, in other circumstances, speed may not necessarily be the priority and the quality of the response will be more important.