Behavior Management

• Learning Theory

• Behavior Modification • Behavior Management

Human Behavior

Human Relationships

Parent Child

• Predictability• Readability• Responsiveness

Feedback Loop

• Feelings of efficacy Feelings of helplessness Competent System Helpless System

Parenting Styles

• Authoritative• Indulgent• Authoritarian• Neglectful/Abusive

Authoritative

• Parental warmth• Inductive discipline• Non-physical and mild punishments• Consistency in child rearing

Indulgent

• Overly permissive• Difficulty setting limits• Reversed family hierarchy/Boundary problems

Authoritarian

• Limited warmth• Harsh physical punishment/Unreasonable

punishment• One-sided discipline

Neglectful and Abusive

• Disrespectful of child’s basic needs• Physically aggressive in discipline• Disregard for child’s welfare• Limited involvement in child’s life

Limit Setting

• Predictability• Readability• Responsiveness

Giving Commands Assertively

– 1. Move close to child.– 2. Stern facial expression.– 3. Say his or her name.– 4. Get and maintain eye-contact.– 5. Firm tone of voice.– 6. Give a direct, simple and clear command.– 7. State a consequence for disobedience.– 8. Back it up.

Six Basic Rules for Effective Management

• 1. Set clear rules and post in visible location• 2. Reward good behavior• 3. Don’t accidentally reward bad behavior• 4. Punish by using mild consequences• 5. Expect behavioral bursts• 6. Effective communication between parents

Active ignoring

• 1. Briefly remove all attention from child.• 2. Refuse to argue, scold or talk.• 3. Turn head and avoid eye contact.• 4. Do not show anger in manner, gestures, or

speech.• 5. Act absorbed in another activity or leave room.• 6. Be aware of accidental reinforcement.• 7. Give child lots of attention when behavior stops.

Negative Control Techniques

• Advantages of time out– 1. Quickly weakens many bad behaviors and stops

some behaviors completely.– 2. Easy for parents– 3. Less emotional side effects for parents.– 4. Parents modeling rational and non-aggressive

behaviors– 5. Parent-child relationships returns to normal

after the time out.

Steps for Time Out• 1. Select target behavior• 2. Count how often this behavior occurs• 3. Pick out a boring place for time out• 4. Explain time out to child• 5. Wait for the target behavior to occur• 6. Place child in time out using no more than 10 words and 10

seconds.• 7. Get a portable timer and set it to ring in __ minutes, placed

within hearing distance• 8. Wait for the timer to ring, remove all attention from child while

he is in time out• 9. Ask child why he was sent to time out before release.

Natural Consequences

• These are controlled by nature and happenstance,– Playing rough with the cat leads to being

scratched or bitten.– Breaking a toy leads to its loss (don’t replace it).– Not wearing jacket leads to being cold.

Logical Consequences

• These are controlled by parent:– Riding bike in street leads to loss of bike for 1

week.– Refusal to brush teeth leads to no candy, soft

drinks, or desserts.

Response Cost

• Loss of everyday privileges following misbehavior or noncompliance

• Every day is a fresh start• No warnings• Consequences from least to most severe• Easy and cheap

Positive Control Strategies

• Grandma’s Rule• Positive Practice• Reward Alternative Behavior• Reward Other Child (Modeling)

Points Tokens and Contracts

• Steps– 1. Select target behavior(s)– 2. Make a point-reward calendar– 3. Write a menu of rewards– 4. Keep track of points earned and spent– 5. Adjust the reward program– 6. Phase out the program

Obstacles to Effective Behavior Management

• 1. Co-existing Conditions• 2. The wrong person is upset• 3. Not staying with the strategy long enough• 4. Staying with the strategy too long• 5. Human tendency to focus on the negative• 6. Assuming saliency of consequence• 7. Parental emotional reactivity

Children and Media

Screen Media Concerns

• Each hour of TV watched by preschoolers increases by 10% the likelihood of ADHD by age 7

• AAP recommends NO screen media for children less than 2 years old. For older children up to 2 hours daily of educational and non-violent material