Radical behaviorist Critique
Relying on information learned and read in this class and at least three (3) outside references, write a four
to six (4-6) page paper based on the Radical Behaviorist Approach. For purposes of writing your
scenario, your character is named Rad and you are the Instructor. The scenario should be based on the
following steps outlined in your book:
- Step One � Set Behavioral Goals. Describe the desired behavior you would like Rad to achieve. Note:
Consider what have you observed about Rad related to the desired behavior. - Step Two � Determine Appropriate Reinforcers. Define reinforcers, and explain the reinforcers that
you have selected for the desired behavioral outcome for Rad. Include the primary reasons why the
selected reinforcers are appropriate for Rad, you (the Instructor), and the environment. - Step Three � Select Procedures for Changing Behavior. Describe the procedures that you
implemented to achieve the desired behavior in Rad, and specify the main reasons why you chose these
procedures. - Step Four � Implement Procedures and Record Results. Discuss the implementation of the
procedures that you chose in Step 3, and create fictional results. Explain the method(s) that you used to
observe the results. - Step Five � Evaluate and Revise. Discuss the method(s) that you used to evaluate the effectiveness
of your desired behavioral change in Rad, and determine the major revisions you may consider to your
program in the future.
The format of the report is to be as follows:
o Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one inch margins on all sides, APA format.
o Use headers for each of the subjects being covered, followed by your response.
o In addition to the four to six (4-6) pages required, a title page is to be included. The title page is to
contain the title of the assignment, your name, the instructor�s name, the course title, and the date.
Radical behaviorist Critique
Step 1: The Setting of Behavioral goals
The main goal is for Rad to be more accommodative of other people’s feelings and condition.
These changes will be manifested in his ability to share toys, personal space with others and also
be considerate of other people. At the moment he tends to be primarily aware or focused on how
he feels and always wants to have his way by being forceful, being violent and throwing
tantrums. The negative behavior tends to be manifested most when he is with his mother or his
siblings as well as in the playground at school. When other children are playing on swings, he
will try to force others off so that he can also play. He tends to be a loner and doesn’t play in
team sports such as soccer or others that require collaborative effort. With respect to tantrums, he
will start screaming and throwing items when he is told he needs to do something such as clear
his toys or brush his teeth. When his father tells him to do it, he instantly acts but when it is his
mother telling him, he tends to be hesitant and when she insists, he starts crying and being
destructive. Success will therefore be realized when Rad is able to be fair to his fellow students
on the playground and also obedient to his mother at home.
Step Two Determination of Appropriate Reinforces
In the context of behavioral science reinforcers could be said to be a set of activities which will
be used to strengthen the adoption of a given behavior. While the aim of this exercise is to bring
about a change in Rad’s behavior, it is also important to think about the long-term. It will be of
no use to conduct the program if his behavior change will be short-lived. Reinforcement is
therefore the process of giving a change in behavior more potency and permanence in the life of
an individual. Emphasis is often on the future behavior when it comes to reinforcement. For
Rad’s behavior the use of punishments and rewards (Staddon, 2014).
The instructor with the help of Rad’s mother will need to figure out the things that the young boy
loves doing. These may be playing with his handheld game console as well as watching cartoons
after school. When he is in school he enjoys recess. The punishment will be applied through his
being denied time to play the video games or the television being disconnected whenever he
throws a tantrum. In school the punishment for him being rough to other children on the
playground will be time-outs during the breaks. These will be primarily administered by his
mother and school teachers, both of whom will have to be firm in their tone of voice and body
language. This type of punishment is negative punishment because the target is denied something
that brings them pleasure as a consequence of their action.
Rewards on the other hand will be given for Rad being compliant to the mother’s instructions
and also by him being sensitive to other children on the playground. This will be in the form of a
compliment and occasionally a token for his good behavior. This will however be done in an
irregular pattern to ensure his does not become manipulative.
The punishments will make him associate his bad behavior with punishment and this will
discourage him from such actions. The positive reinforcement will motivate him to engage in the
positive behavior since he will note the progress himself and also see that his actions are
appreciated (Staddon, 2014).
Step Three: Procedures for changing behavior
The procedures for Rad’s behavioral change basically involve his being instructed expressly that
there will be a change in the way things run. With respect to his behavior he will need to change.
This needs to happen when all is calm so that he can listen to the message and get prepared for a
change. Rad will be clearly told that negative behavior such as tantrums and being rough will
have the punishments described above. Since it is a habit for him, the mother will be ready the
next time he throws a tantrum. She will tell him that because of his action he will not watch
television or play video games the next day. For the first two weeks an explanation will be given
each time he is punished. If the behavior persists, the severity of the punishment will persist but
there will be less explanations. This will reinforce to him the fact that the punishments are the
order of the day and not temporary. For the occasions he behaves well, he will be complimented
and occasionally brought a gift by the mother. This will be something that reminds him of his
good behavior.
Step Four Recording of results
A Table will be created to tally incidences of good or bad behavior to track his progress.
Day/Behavior Bad Behavior Compliant Punishment Reward
Monday 3 0 3
Tuesday 4 0 3
Wednesday 3 1 3 1
Thursday 3 2 3
Friday 3 3 3 2
Saturday 2 3 2 2
Sunday 1 4 1 2
Total 19 13 18 7
The results were observed by pre-determining the times of day or situations where the bad
behavior is usually manifested. Each incident is tallied into the table created and this also applies
for the reinforcement. The table takes into account a week so that daily and weekly progress can
be tracked (Doegett and Koegel, 2013).
Step 5: Evaluation and Revision
The evaluation method that will be used will be through recording the incidents of negative
behavior that take place in a day as well as the number of times corrective measures
(reinforcement) was taken for the actions. This way the intensity of the negative behavior can be
related to the numerical figure indicated. The reduction in negative behavior over time can be
tracked and cross compared to the reinforcement being taken. This can be done weekly and even
monthly. The instructor can make moderate changes such as increasing the frequency of
punishments or increasing compliments to see if they have any impact.
In the future of this program major revisions that I may consider include engaging the child
himself and asking him what he thinks about his actions rather than just effecting reinforcement
and hoping he changes for the better. The attitude that the child has towards the desired behavior
should also be recorded so as to find out if there is an actual change in his or her mindset or the
behavior change is more of a response to the pleasure principle which makes one inclined to
avoid pain in favor of pleasure (Philips, 2012).
References
Doggett, R., & Koegel, R. L. (2013). Negative Reinforcement. In Encyclopedia of Autism
Spectrum Disorders (pp. 1987-1988). Springer New York.
Phillips, D. C. (2012). Behaviorism and behaviorist learning theories. In Encyclopedia of the
Sciences of Learning (pp. 438-442). Springer US.
Staddon, J. (2014). The new behaviorism. Psychology Press.
