Introduction to Behavioural Therapy

Introduction

Behaviour modification strategies have been used by teachers in the classroom for many years, first with special needs students and then with children in the mainstreamed classrooms as well. For example, the use of rewards and removal of privileges is a simple kind of behavioural strategy that educators and parents are familiar with. A child or youngster bangs the door shut in a fit of temper; the teacher says, “You cannot go for recess”. Or the parent says, “no more TV time”. The child may or may not learn from this that banging the door is not a way to deal with his angry feelings. Teachers in regular mainstreamed classrooms have been borrowing from the field of behaviour analysis for decades. Most of the Classroom management tools that teachers use every day have roots in behaviour analysis. For example, Token economies, marble jar reward systems, stickers, the Good Points cards etc. all apply the principles of positive reinforcement in a structured, measurable way.

The result is that any educator working in a modern classroom is already applying elements of behaviour science, whether or not they’ve had formal training.

All of you must have heard the phrase “behaviour modification” as it is an integral part of what we call the student’s IEP or Individualised Education Plan. Behaviour therapy is a more formal approach to replacing inappropriate behaviours, and requires training and experience to really show the full benefits. It is based on principles of behavioural science which by itself is a huge body of study out of the scope of this Unit. However, we shall be talking about basic principles of behaviour science as applicable to education so teachers can use the strategies in their classrooms.

What is behaviour therapy?

Behaviour therapy is a practical approach to modifying behaviour using special techniques such as shaping, modelling, reinforcement and so on. By focusing on behaviour as the central issue, the behaviour therapist aims to teach new behaviours that minimize or eliminate problems in children such as aggression, hyperactivity, non-compliance etc. Behaviour therapy focuses on practical solutions to solve these problems.

Relevance of Behaviour Therapy to Education

As I said earlier, behaviour modification practices as used in the classrooms have their basis in the principles of behavioural science.

For many years, teachers have been using strategies to replace unwanted behaviours such as aggression, hyperactivity, impulsivity and so on, behaviours that interrupt learning. The approach of a behaviour therapist is of course more formal, systematic, and stems from training and experience.

Let’s review the History of Behaviour therapy

Behavioural therapy rooted in behaviourism, originated in the early 1900s with the work of Ivan Pavlov and John B Watson, who studied stimulus-response (S-R) relationships. Simply put, all behaviour is a response to a stimulus. For example, if you feel cold, you wear a jacket. You smell food, you feel hungry. Pavlov performed different kinds of experiments on animals and this model was later applied to education by Edward Thorndike.

In 1913, Dr. Watson popularized the theory of behaviourism and established it as the dominant school of psychology until the mid-1950s. Behaviourism is the idea that behaviour is shaped by the environment, and that people can be taught to change their behaviour through a process called conditioning.

Operant Conditioning

In the 1930s, Dr. B. F. Skinner introduced the concept of operant conditioning, which is the idea that behaviour can be changed by using rewards to reinforce good behaviour (positive reinforcement) and punishment to reduce bad behaviour (negative reinforcement).

ABA

Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas was a prominent psychologist who used ABA techniques to teach language and other skills to autistic children. He pioneered the Lovaas model, an early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) that was based on ABA.

Key principles underlying behaviour therapy

I have given you a brief overview of the history of behaviourism, and now would like to share the Key principles underlying behaviour therapy. Although behaviour therapy has changed over the years, the following are some key principles of behaviourism as applied to learning and behaviour:
1. Learning is ObservableBehaviourism emphasizes measurable and observable behaviours. Internal mental processes (like thinking or feeling) are not the primary focus.
2. Behaviourists believe that behaviour is largely influenced by external environmental factors, not innate traits or internal processes.
3. Learning occurs when a stimulus (something in the environment) produces a response (behaviour).
Example: A bell rings (stimulus) → a student lines up (response). Or packs his bags.
4. This principle called Classical Conditioning was developed by Ivan Pavlov.
5. Classical conditioning explains that learning occurs through association. A neutral stimulus becomes associated with a natural response. For example: A student may feel anxious (response) when entering a classroom (stimulus) if previous experiences were negative. On the other hand, a certain smell, like a perfume (stimulus), may help relax a student (response). Emotional responses become linked to classroom experiences. If a student is repeatedly embarrassed while answering questions, they may begin to feel anxious whenever called upon. Playing soft music during quiet reading may help students associate reading time with calmness. Over time, students automatically respond to these cues.

Operant Conditioning

Proposed by B.F. Skinner, operant conditioning states that behaviour is shaped by consequences. Reinforcement is central to learning.

1. Reinforcement – Increases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
– Positive reinforcement: Giving a reward.
– Negative reinforcement: Removing something unpleasant.
Examples of Positive Reinforcement are:
1. Verbal – Giving praise (“Excellent work!”).
2. Awarding stickers or stars.
3. Giving bonus points for completed homework.
Examples of Negative Reinforcement (removing something unpleasant) are:
1. Cancelling homework when the whole class behaves well.
2. Reducing extra practice after students show mastery.

Punishment

Punishment is another kind of consequence. In operant conditioning, punishment is any consequence that reduces the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated in the future. It works by making a behaviour less appealing or more unpleasant to perform. Punishment is most effective when applied immediately and consistently after the unwanted behaviour, but excessive or harsh punishment can lead to fear, avoidance, or aggression rather than genuine behaviour change.
Punishment refers to any stimulus provided that Decreases the likelihood of a behaviour.
1. Positive punishment: Adding an unpleasant consequence. Example: A child receives a scolding (an aversive stimulus) from their parent immediately after hitting their sibling. This is intended to decrease the likelihood of the child hitting their sibling again.
2. Negative punishment: Removing a privilege. Example: A teenager loses their video game privileges (a desirable stimulus) for not completing their chores. This is intended to decrease the likelihood of the teenager neglecting their chores in the future.

Negative reinforcement VS punishment

In Negative reinforcement, something pleasant is taken away after inappropriate behaviour, eg. iPad or cell phone is removed when a child refuses to start homework.
In punishment, an unpleasant stimulus is added after misbehaviour, eg. giving extra chores Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated.
Punishment decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated.
1. Positive punishment: Adding an unpleasant consequence.
2. Negative punishment: Removing a privilege.
Result: Desired behaviour increases because something unpleasant is removed.
In addition,
1. Behaviour that is reinforced tends to be repeated.
2. Behaviour that is not reinforced may weaken (extinction).
This theory has had the most influence on modifying children’s behaviour across multiple settings.
Underlying Behavioural Principle: The timing and frequency of reinforcement affect learning.
Examples:
1. Praising every correct answer (continuous reinforcement) when introducing new material.
2. Randomly calling on students and praising effort (intermittent reinforcement) to maintain attention.
Intermittent reinforcement often makes behaviours more consistent.

Learning is Gradual and Shaped

1. Through a process called shaping, complex behaviours are learned step-by-step by reinforcing small improvements toward the desired behaviour. Shaping is used in most behaviour modification programs. For example, if a therapist is trying to teach a child to say the word ‘cookie’, she will first reinforce any vocal sound the child makes. Slowly, the child is reinforced (or rewarded) for a closer sound like “coo,” and finally only reinforced for the full word “cookie”.
2. Principles of shaping form the basis of ABA or Applied Behaviour Analysis used for children with autism.
3. A wide variety of new skills can be taught using shaping.

Shaping

Students build skills step by step. Reinforcing small steps toward a complex behaviour.
Examples:
1. Praising a child first for writing a sentence, then a paragraph, then a full essay.
2. Encouraging partial answers before expecting complete explanations.
3. Gradually increasing reading difficulty level.
Practice and Repetition – Frequent practice strengthens stimulus–response connections.
Principle: Repetition strengthens learning.
Examples:
1. Multiplication drills.
2. Spelling practice tests.
3. Repeated reading for fluency.
4. Regular quizzes to reinforce content.

Immediate Feedback
Behaviourism emphasizes quick correction.
Examples:
1. Instant grading with online quizzes.
2. Immediate correction of pronunciation in language class.
3. Quick verbal feedback during classwork.
Immediate feedback strengthens correct responses.

Classroom Management Systems
Behaviourist principles are often used in:
1. Token economies (earning points for rewards).
2. Behaviour charts.
3. Reward systems.
4. Merit/demerit systems.
These systems directly link behaviour with consequences.

Case Study. Putting the pieces together.

Mohan is a Grade 6 student. He has a diagnosis of attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. Mohan interrupts the class by shouting out a question or walking over to his friends’ desks to check what they are writing. This disrupts the class. The teacher has tried many different strategies such as reminding Mohan to raise his hand; redirecting him back to his seat and so on but nothing seems to be working. Using an ABC chart, the antecedents and consequences of this behaviour were tracked. This was a high frequency behaviour, occurring several times a minute, so in this case a key was used with predefined antecedents and consequences, to speed up recording.

From the information collected, it became evident that the antecedent for the behaviour was quiet independent working. The most common consequence was attention/conversation from peers, the second was a verbal warning from the teacher. Mohan did complete his worksheet. Mohan continued to speak out despite teacher reprimands. After receiving a response from a peer, Mohan paused a bit in his speaking out. The data from the FBA indicated that the function of Mohan’s behaviour was most likely to gain attention from peers.

A Behaviour Intervention Plan (BIP) was created. The goal was to stop Mohan’s interrupting the learning of his classmates and replace this with a way to get positive peer attention. The plan was introduced to Mohan so he understood what the rewards were and how the plan worked. Basically, the plan was the creation of a token-based reward system. When Mohan worked quietly, he would get tokens. When enough tokens were collected, Mohan could raise his hand and share his answers with the class.

Video – Introduction to Behaviour Therapy

Teacher Resource Document – Introduction to Behavioural Therapy