In the study of reflexes, it is possible to highlight the difference between reflexive displays of children’s speaking abusive language and conscious behavioral patterns.
Reflex
Understanding the notion of reflex is important because it can provide a solid explanation for children’s specific actions (Chance, 2008). Reflexes reveal a relationship between a certain event and a simple reaction to the event. Though reflex is not a specific behavior, it can be applied in my project because children often make use of bad language to imitate specific actions.
Sensitization
Sensitization is closely connected with the degree of responding to stimuli. For example, children can use abusive words when they are angry with an individual or event when an object or a person irritates them (Chance, 2008). In this study, the concept of sensitization is indispensable to understand how delinking activities can influence their behavior.
Modal Action Pattern (MAP)
The modal action pattern involves a sequence of instinctive behavioral patterns aimed at responding to external sensory stimuli. As soon as a specific pattern of behavior is fixed, such as bad language use, it is necessary to define how this behavior can be changed.
Stimuli
Experience is a set of events and situations affecting behavior. These events are considered stimuli. They are mostly physical. In my study, the concept of stimuli is crucial because I am going to delink the external factors, such as television, and define how it can introduce positive change to children’s behavior.
Once the objectives and rationale for the project have been established, an effective methodological design should be introduced to make the research viable and credible. In this respect, certain theoretical issues are to be introduced to take a closer look at the most effective ways of experimenting.
Cumulative recorder
Any changes and shifts in behavioral patterns should be measured and analyzed. With the help of a cumulative recorder, it is possible to trace fluctuations in mood and behavior.
Experiment
Because the project under analysis involves manipulations of dependent and independent variables, the analysis of the specific peculiarities of the experiment is vital for completing the project successfully.
Independent variable
Independent variables are elements of the experiment that can be manipulated. Their function is confined to affecting dependent variables. In the given analysis, the independent variables will be a system of rewards and punishment, television exclusion, and different kinds of reinforcement.
Dependent variable
Dependent variables are children who will be affected by manipulations. Therefore, it is necessary to have a full understanding of this concept.
Experimental group
Under the experimental conditions, children will be studied for their reactions to specific events. The role of the experiment is to define which event provokes aggression and anger among children. Therefore, the experimental group is a perfect match for this project.
ABA reversal design
ABA reversal design is necessary to meet the challenge of differences among the participants of the experiment. To increase the probability of changing the participants’ behavior, I plan to refer to the baseline condition to define whether the selected independent variables are efficient for experimenting.
Pavlovian or Classical Conditioning
The study of classical conditions is necessary to understand how reflexes can be acquired and how some reflexes can be eliminated. Classical conditioning, therefore, is associated with learning where one stimulus signals the appearance of another stimulus. Hence, in case a child is punished, it means the ban to use bad language. Once the child obeys, another stimulus is represented in the form of a reward for such an action (Harris & Carpenter, 2011). Therefore, the analysis of the classical conditions provides a better explanation for children’s actions.
Higher-order conditioning
High-order conditioning is part of classical conditions ensuring that one stimulus provokes a response of another stimulus. In the project under analysis, children can respond to punishment by reducing their use of abusive language.
Contingency
Contingency refers to a phenomenon of cause-and-effect actions. If there is a certain cause, the effect will be predictable. In this case, in case it is predicted children will stop using bad words and phrases if they do not watch television and receive rewards instead.
Spontaneous recovery
Certainly, there is always a probability that some undesirable behavior may come to the fourth even if specific stimuli have been introduced. This phenomenon is called spontaneous recovery, which should be carefully studied before the project is implemented.
Stimulus substitution theory
Because the Pavlovian model does not presuppose acquisition of new behavior, but an old approach to react to new stimuli by using acceptable instruments, an individual must substitute it with another reflex response, which is associated with the stimulus-substitution theory. Learning this theory is important to learn the differences between conditioned and unconditional reflexes, as well as define how those reflexes can be distinguished from behavior
Conditioned emotional responses
While experience bad word usage, children can become conscious of the consequences and, therefore, can predict the outcomes in the future. In case, the outcome is negatively reinforced, it can become much stronger. In this respect, the conditioned emotional response can be considered the reason for children using bad language.
Systematic desensitization
Because the main goal of the project is to change the behaviors of children and reduce the frequency of bad language use, the analysis of systematic desensitization is indispensable to understand how a specific therapeutic approach can help children lower the extent of using bad language. In particular, children can practice specific relaxation skills to relieve themselves from anger and aggressive behavior.
Generalization
Generalization is a process when a certain behavior to occur in situations different from the ones where the behavioral pattern was learned. Because the project is based on the experiment in which children will undergo specific manipulations, generalization can contribute to understanding the shifts in behaviors before and after the experiment.
Discrimination
Discrimination involves a situation when behavioral patterns closely resemble the situations when the pattern has been learned, but they do not differ from newly emerged situations. The analysis of such a phenomenon is necessary to identify both similar and contrasting situations while children use abusive language. It can also contribute to learning the nature of children’s actions in various situations.
Oddity matching
Oddity matching refers to a variation in sampling matching in which reinforcement is possible to choose the comparison stimulus that differs from the sample. Using different samples of reinforcement can allow the experiment group to apply to different methods either to reinforce or to suppress children’s behavior.
Differential Outcome Effect (DOE)
In case different types of reinforcement produce different reactions to stimulus, the phenomenon is called differential outcome effect. The phenomenon is studied deeply in the sphere of operant conditioning and instrumental learning and, therefore, it should be considered as one of the important tools for re-arranging behavior among the children within the frame of the experiment. According to Delamater et al. (2010), “when different reinforcing outcomes…were used to reinforce each correct stimulus-response… pair, the subject showed better learning on the task” (p. 471). An experiment group, therefore, can receive a reinforcing outcome for each correct reaction.
Stimulus control
Stimulus control is a phenomenon that increases the likelihood of a certain behavior occurrence. In other words, the concept learns to pay attention to the ideas identified in the environment that in the future provide individuals with information about the effectiveness and suitability of behavior. Hence, it points out under which situations a specific pattern is effective and which situations discourage the behavior occurrence. About this definition, effective stimulus control can provide a solid theoretical and practical foundation for controlling children’s behavior by applying different stimuli.
Excitatory gradient
Analysis of the excitatory gradient can allow predicting the responses to specific stimuli. The shifts in responses are also associated with the above-presented phenomenon. Children can also undergo similar shifts in behavior and, therefore, this concept should be taken into consideration. What is more important, because negative and positive reinforcement will be introduced, the research should pay closer attention to the children shifting reactions.
Inhibitory gradient
The inhibitory gradient is another important concept complementing the theory of operant conditioning. It is presented in cooperation with excitatory gradients.
References
Chance, P. (2008). Learning and Behavior: Active Learning Edition. New York: Cengage Learning.
Delamater, A. R., Kranjec, A., & Fein, M. I. (2010). Differential outcome effects in Pavlovian biconditional and ambiguous occasion setting tasks. Journal Of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 36(4), 471-481.
Harris, J. A., & Carpenter, J. S. (2011). Response rate and reinforcement rate in Pavlovian conditioning. Journal Of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 37(4), 375-384.