When Does a Behavior That Is Not Reinforced Begin to Disappear?

̶0;Never̶1;

• One reason why a certain behavior might never go away lies in the concept of self-reinforcement. Even when parents and teachers are not reinforcing a specific behavior, the child himself might be reinforcing it through self-reinforcement. Self-reinforcement often comes in the form of self-praise, such as a child mentally telling himself ̶0;I did it.̶1; In a similar respect, the attention of a child̵7;s peers is often enough to reinforce poor behavior. For example, parents might ignore sibling-to-sibling teasing so as to not reinforce the behavior by giving the teaser the attention he craves, but the laughter of a child̵7;s friends or other siblings is often enough to reinforce the negative behavior. Behavior not purposefully reinforced by parents -- not acknowledged -- is often reinforced through less obvious means.

̶0;A Few Days̶1;

• According to the University of Nebraska, changing a child's behavioral habits is a time investment that can pay off in as little as a few days, provided you remove all the reinforcers for a specific behavior. This means carefully considering all the possible sources of reinforcement, including peer attention, overstimulation and self-praise. Thus, contrary to common sense, in many situations, not reinforcing a behavior requires you to act. For example, you might need to remove a child from a group of peers by sending her friends home or giving her a time-out; in this way, you prevent the child from getting the reinforcement of her peers̵7; attention.

Signs It̵7;s Working

• Pay attention for signs that you̵7;ve properly removed the reinforcers and that your child̵7;s actions are on their way out. One common sign is the extinction burst, a psychological term referring to a sudden burst of the misbehavior that you wish to remove. Though seemingly contradictory, if you have successfully removed all the reinforcers, you̵7;re likely to see a temporary increase in the misbehavior. For example, after ignoring a child's pulling on your clothes to get your attention, you might witness him doing this at an increasing rate for the next few days. This increase in misbehavior stems from the child finding no reinforcement for his actions, leading him to exhibit even more misbehavior in the hope of getting your attention. According to the Escambia County School District (ECSD) in Escambia County, FL, the extinction burst will disappear in a few days, leaving significantly less misbehavior in its place.

An Action Plan

• While removing reinforcers and thereby preventing the strengthening of a child̵7;s misbehavior certainly helps weaken that action, parents can also engage in non-physical discipline to solidify the lesson that certain behaviors are inappropriate. According to Trinity College Dublin̵7;s Children̵7;s Research Centre, non-physical discipline helps children improve their ability to control their actions. Pair the removal of reinforcers with such discipline, such as removing privileges or administering time-outs, which has the added benefit of removing a child from an environment that might be reinforcing his actions. Remember to discuss with your child why the behavior in question was wrong and what alternative behaviors can better deal with a situation. For example, tell him, "Hitting is wrong because it hurts" and ask him, "Next time you are angry, what can you do besides hitting?"