Applications of social psychology to increase the impact of behaviour-focused intervention Flashcards
Chapter 3
One effective way to increase the frequency of desirable behavior or decrease the occurrence of undesirable behavior is to change the consequences.
Approach to intervention is based on the scientific philosophy of B.F. Skinner. Instead of targeting internal events such as thoughts and attitudes, Skinner believed psychologists should focus their attention on observable behaviour.
applied behaviour-analysis
precede and direct behaviours necessary to obtain a desired consequence.
antecedents or activators
antecedent→ behaviour→ consequence
three-term contingency
three-term contingency
antecedent→ behaviour→ consequence
Most large-scale interventions designed to improve behaviour can be classified as either antecedent or consequence strategies. We outline below four antecedent strategies and three consequence strategies behaviour analysts have applied successfully to change socially important behaviours.
Behavioural intervention strategies
include (1) education, (2) prompts, (3) modelling and (4) behavioral commitment
Antecedent strategies
usually involves adding role-playing and feedback components to verify participants can perform the target behavior.
Training
can be enhanced by tailoring the information to the target audience.
effectiveness of educational and training interventions
TRUE OR FALSE: Training is different from education in that training usually involves adding a role-playing and feedback component to verify participants can perform the
target behaviour.
TRUE
are verbal or written messages strategically delivered in the place where the target behaviour occurs. These messages serve as antecedent reminder stoper form the target behaviours.
Prompts
Geller, Winett and Everett (1982) identified several
conditions under which prompting strategies are most effective:
prompts workbest when (1) the target behaviour is clearly defined by the prompt, (2) they are relatively easy to perform, (3) the message is displayed where the target behaviour can be performed and (4) the message is stated politely.
This tendency to rebel against a top-down request was termed (—) by Skinner (1971) and (—) by social psychologist Jack Brehm (1966).
countercontrol, psychological reactance
Prompts are popular because they are
(1) simple to implement, (2) relatively low cost, and (3) can have considerable impact if applied properly on a large scale.
may be more effective when the models are presented with rewarding consequence immediately after the desired behaviour is performed.
Modelling
take this process a step further by asking individuals to formally agree to change their behaviour. Intervention research has repeatedly demonstrated that asking individuals to make a written or verbal commitment to perform a target behaviour increases the likelihood that behaviour will be performed.
Social psychologists attribute this tendency to follow through this commitment to the powerful social norm of consistency, which creates pressure to be internally and externally consistent.
Behavioural commitments
three basic
consequence strategies:
penalties, rewards and feedback
Interventions employing (—-) techniques identify undesirable behaviours and
administer negative consequences to those who perform them.
penalty
Practical Reason or Main Reason? penalty interventions usually require extensive enforcement in order to be effective, and enforcement requires backing by the proper authority.
Practical Reason
Main Reason or Practical Reason? the effect it has on the attitudes and long-term behaviors of those who receive it.
Main Reason
can be expensive to implement. Fixed and variable-ratio reinforcement schedules both produce high rates of response.
Practical Disadvantage
Second Limitation or Third Limitation? target behaviors on which they are contingent tend to decrease when the rewards are removed.
Second Limitation
Second Limitation or Third Limitation?
reward interventions have been criticized by some who contend rewards diminish intrinsic motivation.
Third Limitation
T OR F? The main reason behavioural psychologists have opposed the use of negative consequences is the effect it has on the attitudes and long-term behaviours of those
who receive it.
TRUE
Because of the negative side-effects associated with penalties, behavioural psychologists have typically favoured the strategy of following a desirable behaviour
with a positive consequence. (—) can come in the form of a variety of positive consequences, including money, merchandise, verbal praise or special privileges.
Rewards
rewards are often preceded by antecedent messages announcing the availability of the reward upon completion of a specified behaviour. This antecedent message is termed an:
incentive
an antecedent message announcing a punitive consequence or penalty for undesirable behaviours is considered a:
disincentive
increases future occurrences of a behaviour,
Positive reinforcement
decreases behaviour through the delivery of a consequence.
punishment
Finally, reward interventions have been criticized by some who contend rewards diminish:
intrinsic motivation
involve providing information to participants about the rate or consequences of their behaviours.
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