Behavioristic Approaches

Katherine Egan,

Sarah Evans,

Celine Jacquenod Garcia,

Gayle Restivo

8 Methods for Getting Rid of Bad Behavior

Don’t Shoot the Dog!

Chapter 5, Building Classroom Discipline

Chapter 3, Building Classroom Discipline

Norma MacRae: Behavioral Approach

Increasing & Decreasing Specific Behaviors

Similar to training a pet

8 Approaches to respond to problem behavior

Ronald Morrish: Real Discipline

Purely Behavioral Approach doesn’t work

Real Discipline teaches students how to behave appropriately and needed social skills within structure of rules and limits.

1. Shoot the Dog (i)

Get rid of the doer – temporarily or permanently.

Send to the hall

Send to the principal

In School Suspension

1. Shoot the Dog (ii) Doesn’t teach anything

Can prevent trouble

Drastic

Good option for potentially dangerous situations

2. Punishment (i)

Not very effective

Behavior must be caught early

Punishment must be novel

May teach a lesson

May more likely teach evasion

Morrish: Can teach No Means No

2. Punishment (ii) Morrish: Never give students a choice when

it comes to limits

Enforcement must be consistent, even for minor infractions.

Consequences:

Compensation

Letter Writing

Improvement Plan

Teaching Younger Children

Time Out

5 to 10 Minutes

No Stimulus

No Academic Work

Supervised

Positive Reinforcement Definition: Consequence that

brings about the increase of a behavior through the presentation of a stimulus.

A particular stimulus is presented after a behavior and the behavior increases as a result.

E.g. :

writing between lines

stickers

Example:

Behavior : Bringing an orange

Stimulus/”Rewards”:

a kiss

Oops!

3. Negative Reinforcement Definition: Consequence that brings

about the increase of a behavior through the removal of a stimulus.

NR will increase a behavior through the removal of a stimulus (usually an unpleasant one.)

Individuals want to avoid negative reaction, situation, discomfort…

E.g.:

Feelings of worry

Assignment-completion behavior

Compare/Contrast Positive Reinforcement: Response increases when

a new stimulus (one the learner finds desirable) is presented.

Negative Reinforcement: Response increases when a previously existing stimulus (one the learner finds undesirable) is removed.

Punishment: consequence that decreases the frequency of the response it follows.

4. Extinction Definition: gradual

disappearance of response as a result of repeated lack of reinforcement.

Ext. is used to decrease undesirable behaviors.

The behavior produces no results …. You ignore it!

o Behavior may increase for a time before it begins to decrease. Things may get worse before they get better!!

o Extinction must be complete with total nonreinforcement

E.g.: a student makes funny sounds during class

The teacher and students ignore him/her

The student will stop making funny sounds.

5. Training an Incompatible Behavior

Identify the negative behavior

Reinforce the opposite and incompatible behavior

Example:

Undesirable behavior: not sitting at desk

Desired behavior: sitting in proper seat

The student cannot do both behaviors at the same time

6. Put the Behavior on Cue Create cues to associate

with desired behaviors

Must be consistent

Examples:

Raising hand to ask or respond to question

Placing fingers to mouth to quiet down

Teacher taps student desk to get their attention

7. Reinforce the Absence (i) When student is NOT engaged in bad behavior,

teacher reinforces by:

Turning towards student with pleasant expression and

MAKING EYE CONTACT

SMILING

PRAISING

When student reverts to bad behavior, teacher:

TURNS AWAY

DOES NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT

7. Reinforce the Absence (ii) Ronald Morrish’s Real Discipline Approach:

Bad behavior is rare in a well-structured classroom with enforced rules and limits.

Students practice correct behavior till it becomes automatic.

Forego praise when students do only what is expected of them

Praise work and behavior only when it deserves special recognition

8. Change Motivation (i) Don’t Prejudge Student and assume

they can't change

Involve Students in changing own behavior:

Ask questions

Discuss behavior with student

Try to prevent negative behavior, making student aware of their own behavior

Brainstorm practical solutions to avoid negative behavior

8. Change Motivation (ii)Ronald Morrish on Motivation:

Initially, not all students are motivated to do well or to behave well in class.

Teacher sets high standards for behavior and for schoolwork, using his authority.

Students comply initially, responding to teacher's authority and attention.

As student matures, he is given more Choice Management, moving towards independence.

Jackpot! Unannounced unexpected reward

Student perceives reward as significant

Given immediately after desirable behavior

Connection between the two clearly delineated

Use sparingly

Especially useful when good behavior has started to decline. (i.e. When attendance begins to decline, when students are distracted, etc.)

Extremely effective: example. Compulsive gamblers who won big early in life

Scenarios Break into Groups

Choose an Approach

Reconvene Class

Share scenario & chosen approach

Case 1 Mr. Washington has a close-knit group of friends in

one of his high school vocational education classes. He is concerned about one particular student in this group, a girl named Helen. Helen uses obscene language in class. She is rude and disrespectful to Mr. Washington. She taunts and insults classmates outside her own circle of friends. And she is physically aggressive toward school property—she defaces furniture, kicks equipment, punches walls, and so on.

What would you do? Which methods would you use to get rid of these undesirable behaviors?

Case 2 Tommy, an 11-year-old student, was judged by his

teacher to be the most disruptive student in his English classroom. He frequently engages in inappropriate talking and other vocalizations during class. The behavior is troublesome not so much because of its nature, but because of the high rate at which it occurs. Also, Tommy does not do his work. He rarely completes an assignment. Tommy does not put any effort at all.

What would you do? Which methods would you use to get rid of these undesirable behaviors?

Case 3 Joshua, larger and louder than his classmates,

always wants to be the center of attention, which he accomplishes through a combination of clowning and intimidation. He makes wise remarks, talks back to the teacher, utters a variety of sound-effects noises, such as automobile crashes and gunshots, makes limitless sarcastic comments and put downs of his classmates. Other students will not stand up to him, apparently fearing his size and verbal aggression.

What would you do? Which methods would you use to get rid of these undesirable behaviors?

Atypical & Neurological-Based Behavior (i)

10% of students exhibit neurological-based behavior (NBB)

Result of atypical cerebral processes

Refers to a number of possible diagnoses

Atypical & Neurological-Based Behavior (ii)

Possible diagnoses:

ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)

Bipolar disorder

Anxiety disorders

PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)

ASD (autism spectrum disorder)

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

ODD (oppositional defiant disorder)

Specific learning disabilities

Atypical & Neurological-Based Behavior (iii)

Indicators: Behavior difficulties

Language difficulties

Academic difficulties

Students with NBB should be distinguished from those students who are “just having a bad day.”

May not respond to the “typical” behavior modification strategies.