Motivation can be defined as a set of internal drives, needs, and interests,
which create a behavior towards a particular target behavior.
On the tape, the listener is asked to assess if the resident is
alert enough to be aware of their behavior. Cognitive ability
affects the resident's responsibility to change their behavior.Problematic
behaviors are often the result of cognitive activities, such
as thinking, fantasizing, imagining, or planning. Covert behaviors,
such as these, are essentially inaccessible to direct observation.
If your client or staff member, for example, possesses an adequate
behavioral repertoire for acting on the basis of his or her thoughts,
changing the cognitive response can become the primary task of
a helping process. As you know, many of your clients seek assistance,
but often they are motivated not so much to change, as to avoid
discomfort. Here is an example of avoidance of discomfort. On
the tape, to motivate a resident who is demanding a level of care
higher than that provided by the facility, it is suggested staff
state, "Hester, our home is only able to provide a certain
level of care for its tenants. When that level of care increases
beyond a certain point, you will no longer be an appropriate placement
in this Assisted Living Community." Of course, client abandonment
and prior notice issues also need to be addressed in such a situation.Extinction: It is sometimes necessary to eliminate undesirable behavior.
One way to do this is to determine what reinforcers are maintaining
the undesirable behavior. Your goal may then be to remove that
reinforcer. This procedure is called extinction. Upon removal
of reinforcement, the behavior often weakens and finally disappears.
However, the behavior in question may initially increase before
decreasing. On the tape, Joe's body odor bothered other residents,
as well as being a health hazard to him. The reinforcer was staying
in the facility. Staff informed Joe that his behavior may become
inappropriate for the level of care provided.
(1) Give an example of extinction where the reinforcer is removed and the behavior
decreases. Time-Out: Often, socially disruptive behavior referred for therapy occurs
with nonvoluntary clients. Such disruptive behavior in adults
has also been treated with aversive therapy. In institutions,
a time-out procedure of brief isolation is used for persistent
yelling. Time-outs may also be used effectively with children.
(2) Give a brief example of a Time-Out.
Adverse
procedures: Another way to reduce the frequency of unwanted behavior is to
use aversive procedures. These procedures can be used in three main arrangements:
escape procedures, avoidance training, and punishment.
A. In an escape
procedure, the individual can turn off negative reinforcement by performing
an action.
B. In an avoidance paradigm, the individual prevents
the happening of a negative reinforcement by making his or her response. Both
escape and avoidance arrangements lead to strengthening of the escape or strengthening
of the avoidance behavior.
C. Punishment is the presentation of
an aversive event or the removal of a positive event following a response. The
result is a decrease in the frequency of the response. Punishment has the effect
of reducing the frequency of behavior. This may happen very rapidly. This procedure
is very useful when it is important to gain quick control of your client's unruly
or aggressive behavior. However, it has three draw backs.
a. First,
with punishment, behavior may only be temporarily suppressed. Often, when
you remove the punishment, the behavior recurs. However, as you know, this can
be overcome by adding a reinforcing behavior that is not compatible with the punished
behavior. For example, aggressive behavior might be punished to prevent a yelling
response, and cooperative, polite behavior might be reinforced as soon as it occurs.
On the tape, an example of reinforcing behavior is illustrated by giving Mary
encouragement and telling her to pretend she is pulling weeds as she reaches down
to put the ointment on her toe.
b. The second draw back to punishment is the subject can learn an avoidance response that is just as undesirable
as the behavior that was punished. For example, punishing stealing might lead
to your client's learning how to hide his or her act more effectively to prevent
being found out, and thus avoid punishment.
c. Third, punishment can
also produce unwanted side effects. An example of unwanted side effects would
be a general social withdrawal, a fear responses, and/or aggressive behavior.
(3) Give an example of a punishment.
Personal Reflection Exercise #6
The preceding section
contained several Motivational techniques. Write three case study examples regarding
how you might use the contents of this section of the Manual or the “Motivation”
section of the audio tape in your practice. Affix extra paper for your Journaling
entries to the end of this Manual.
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