Changing Behavior Case Study Analysis sell it

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Introduction

Most of the peoples' behaviors observed in daily life have more impact in their regular execution of tasks. A person can be influenced to change his/her behavior due to some influence. The change of behavior can affect both life and the average daily life of the person who have changed his/her behavior. In this case study, we are going to find out how a person who have not been drinking and he changes his behavior to binge drinking. The client has entered in this behavior due to the influence of his friend. He has been heavily drinking for a period of two years now. This behavior has affected the health of him to a point of damaging one of his lungs. His behavior has made him lose his family since he could not take care of it because most of his time he spent in the bars. He also got fired in several institutions he was working with because his behavior could not allow him to work at the required level.

Part 1

In the classical theory of behaviors, classical conditioning has been used for two reasons: the first reason has been to train a person or an animal for autonomic response. This is done to reduce or increase the level of adrenaline without necessarily using a stimulus to make the animal respond. Unconditional stimuli (US) are used to train the animals react without training them. Conditional stimuli are the conditions where the animal has to be trained over a particular thing so that it can respond. For example, a dog was subjected to bell sound and the food was presented to it over a period of time, later the dog was subjected to the same bell sound, and it was salivating for it attributed the sound of the bell with the food.

Unconditioned response is the responses brought due to the unconditional stimulus on an animal. The animals do not have to learn or get trained over a particular thing so that they can be able to respond. The responses are naturally due to the nature of a person or an animal.

Part 2

Operant conditioning involves the learning of the individual behavior can be modified. The behavior of operant may change in the form of the frequency or the strength. The behaviors which have been initially spontaneous instead of being a response after a stimulus have been impacted. The consequences may inhibit the recurrence of the same behavior.

In operant conditioning, there are the three consequences which shape the behavior of people, it includes, reinforcement, extinction and punishment. Reinforcement makes an animal’s behavior to occur at a superior rate. Punishment is a consequence which reduces the frequency of occurrence. Extinction may be initiated by lack of any consequence resulting to any behavior.

Operant behavior involves the use of positive and negative reinforcement. The positive reinforcement is caused by a stimulus which follows a response and may at times lead to an increase of that behavior. The negative reinforcement takes place when a response is followed by an elimination of an aversive stimulus.

Punishments in the operant conditioning include the positive and negative punishment. Positive punishment may take place after a behavior response has occurred following the stimulus. The stimulus is aimed at increasing the stimulus for example, introducing a shock which will reduce the behavior of the animal. The positive punishment is attained by removing a stimulus which reduces the behavior of the animal.

Extinction takes place when a response which has taken place before is no longer efficient. In this form of conditioning, an animal may be given food due to its behavior. For example, a rat may be given food for lever presses in several times and later the food is not given to it. The rat will keep on pressing the lever little bit slowly and lastly it will stop completely.

Part 3

Cognitive and social theory attempts to explain the behavioral incidences of individuals. They are psychological terminologies that assume that human beings are logical beings that make choices sensible to them the most (Sigmund , Watson and Pavlov, 98). The human brain processes information just like a personal computer does. The undesired behavior of the client develops credibly since his mind coordinates with his body to act awfully. These behaviors are enhanced socially as most of the people embrace them. They perceive their undesired behaviors as the best activity since a lot of their brains support the act.

The role of Latent learning is to ensure that consistency is adhered to. A beer addict can train himself to take a little wine until he finally stops. That enables him to overcome the challenge. The role of vicarious learning is to ensure influence to the client. Through the observation means, the client is influenced to stop the undesired habits. In case of vicarious punishments, behavioral change is reinforced through corporal punishment. Learned helplessness role is to unprogrammed clients mind over certain rigid behavior. In case he thought drinking would help him solve home problem, he finally realizes alcohol is associated with bad health. The client learns how to respond to failing opportunities.

Conclusion

The behavior change of the client to a binge drinking has affected his life to a greater extent. He needs to overcome the bad habit he has turned to making a better life. The client can manage to control his behavior by use of the operant conditioning theory. This is because it examines the behavior of an individual and induces punishments which aim at reducing the bad habit in an individual. Through the help of the reinforcement, punishment, and extinction in the operant conditioning, the client can manage to overcome his bad habit.

Reference

Sigmund Freud, John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner Gestalt psychology, humanistic psychology and cognitive psychology.