Reading Activity Week #2 (Due Tuesday)

During this week’s reading I found that I loved section 1.3. I liked everything from the clever beginning metaphor of learning a foreign language to the many times we were required to write our own examples. When I read this section I didn’t ever feel like I was reading a text book. I enjoyed using my own examples in this section and even being given the option to be “creative” with my examples. Section 1.3 really stressed how important it is to learn the words of the language, but also to put them to use. I liked the example areas that really made me use the new vocabulary as well as relate the new words to relevant examples of my own choice.

I disliked section 1.4 more than the others because of the heavy vocabulary. I lost interest quickly when the reading kept consisting of a lot of vocabulary terms. I also wish there had been more examples dealing with the topics because it helps my understanding of the concept a little more. I think the vocabulary is needed so that we fully understand the word, I just felt like this section was a little heavy on that concept.

The most useful section of 1.3 was the area that dealt with “translating”. I loved this part. I thought it was very effective to take somewhat “normal” dialog and translate it into the language of behavior. Also, it was effective to take the language of behavior and have us translate it back into “normal” dialog. This made me look at what I was reading in a different way. Sometimes it is good just to slow down and really think about what you are reading, word for word, and not simply get the just of what you are reading.

Although I wasn’t as much of a fan of all the vocabulary in 1.4, I would say that I found it was useful in the same breath. Knowing the exact definition of words can help us really understand the context of how it should be used. The repetition of using as many behavior language words in each sentence also helped me to get familiar with actually using the words I am learning. Although this seemed very tiring, I think it helped me to become familiar with the words and strive to use them correctly.

While reading section 1.5 I was really affected by the section that spoke of a UNI teaching student’s example of disruptive kids. I found it interesting that although he wanted to learn to stop the disruptive children’s behavior, it was important to find out what exactly that behavior was. Instead of simply saying let’s try and stop the disruptive behavior, the behavior needs to be broken down. We need to start thinking specifically about a behavior in order to study it in the simplest ways. We can then apply it to the ABC model and figure out a better way to manipulate the disruptive behaviors. Sometimes we think in too board of terms. This section was a great reminder that we need to be very specific when wanting to change behaviors.

Before learning much about behavior modification my thoughts on reinforcement and punishment were not very complex. I thought giving a child candy for a good job was a nice way of doing things. I thought spanking a child when they did something wrong was a good way to keep them from doing that wrongful act again. After reading, in-depth, about reinforcement and punishment I found that they are huge concepts that I never gave enough credit. Reinforcement can be the simple addition of something that will increase a behavior a lot. Even the example of using “Good job” with a child can have a huge impact on a child’s behavior. The same goes for punishment. Punishment serves to stop an unwanted behavior. Punishment is also an extremely useful behavioral technique that can help us modify behavior. Reinforcement and punishment aren’t concepts that should go overlooked and I find it very interesting how in-depth we are studying them. By understanding these concepts well we can greatly influence the behaviors of others around us, as well as the behaviors of ourselves.

While reading these sections I will, first off, remember all the random Spanish sections. At first I thought they were a little off topic and random, but they related greatly to learning behavior language almost as if we were learning Spanish. I think that viewing these new words as a sort of new language makes it somewhat of a challenge for us. I will remember the words, also, because of all the places in section 1.3 where we were required to practice writing our own sentences using these new words. I think that was a very effective way to get us using the new vocabulary.
Secondly, I will remember the example of John with his disruptive students. Because he wanted the problem fixed he then need to break down specifically which behaviors in his class were disruptive. I found it interesting that some of the behavior was only wrong some of the time but okay at other time during class. This brought about the topic of context that is very important. The context of the situation can greatly influence a behavior and whether it could be classified, for John, as disruptive or okay. Context is very important when trying to control behavior.
Thirdly, I was impressed by the section that talked of the responsibility of an observer. Observing behavior seems like an easy task, but when we want to systematically break the behavior down to understand it fully it requires a lot more intensive work. Observers measure and record behaviors, often times for long periods of time for an opportunity to potentially find what needs to be reinforced for punished. I liked this section because it made these observers seem like they were almost doing experiments.

I absolutely loved the section that related behavior language to a foreign language. After studying the Spanish language abroad I found it as a helpful and creative metaphor. I used to try and try to memorize words in Spanish because that’s how I thought I would learn a language. It wasn’t until I was dropped in another country and forced to use a new language that I really began to learn it well. Although it may be hard to just jump in and start speaking and thinking in these new terms, it is very useful and will help us all learn much faster and more effectively. I enjoyed this metaphor and view on the new information we are learning.

I wouldn’t say that I completely disliked this aspect, but the section of 1.4 that was very heavy in writing our own examples was not my favorite thing to do. I felt because my understanding of a term may have not exactly been dead on, it was not good for me to go on and attempt to make my own definition. I worry that I may have learned a few of the terms wrong. Otherwise I felt these packets were very time consuming and required a lot of work to be sure we are becoming familiar with the language of behavior.

As I continue to read this textbook I am constantly reminded how complex some behavior modification concepts are. Learning the to use the language of behavior properly and learning key components like the power of a behaviors context are all things that make me realize behavior modification is much more complex than what I originally thought.

I really enjoyed section 1.5 because of the diagram towards the end of the section. I feel that, for me, the diagram succinctly caused me to understand the relationship between delivery of reinforcement and occurrence of behavior. In section 1.3 I wanted to initially mention that the repetition felt like punishment. But as I continued to read section 1.4 and 1.5, I realized that section 1.3 was able to elicit from me the behavior of being able to write in the language of behavior modification. Therefore I can see that section 1.3 used repetition to reinforce my use of the language.

In section 1.4 I feel that it more precisely defines the language introduced in section 1.3. Particularly I feel that it was important to give our own examples throughout section 1.4. While section 1.3 was specifically repetitive, section 1.4 used appropriate spacing and introduction of definitions. I feel that it was really great to show understanding after each introduction of definition.

And of course section 1.5 was great in reading the diagram towards the end. I guess the diagram really made it clear that it is important to provide reinforcement each time that a target behavior is emitted. Very clearly I can see now that the lack of reinforcement causes extinction of target behaviors.

Reinforcement seems to be a very useful technique for learning or just plain desired behavior. It could be easily misconstrued as unethical, but I feel that seeing the world through the lens of behavior modification allows for more succinct definitions of your expectations of others. When you desire a behavior you can use a variety of forms to get what you want, but reinforcement is desirable in that it is the increase of a behavior. (I felt tempted to say the increase of a desirable behavior) but I realized that sometimes undesirable behaviors can be reinforced, just as desirable behaviors can as well.

Punishment, on the other hand, is really quite interesting. It is not morally right or wrong, it is merely the negation of behavior. It could be assumed that the behavior is always undesirable. I say this because you punish behaviors that you do not desire to see. So context is important because someone who is sadistic has a separate definition for what is desirable than, say, a Mormon.

Before reading these sections I thought that Behavior Modification was a class focused on learning to understand the language of behavior. I have hoped, and do hope, that I will learn how to reinforce behaviors that I want to see continue to happen, and punish those that need to go away within myself. I also believe that behavior modification will teach me how to read people and posture myself accordingly. It is my hope to learn how to, more or less, manipulate situations to achieve a preferable outcome.

I learned from the sections the importance of defining context, function and topography when it comes to a target behavior. It was also useful to practice using the language of behavior modification. I learned, as well, that stimuli can effect behavior.

I really liked that I was pushed to use a plethora of examples to show understanding. Although it was time consuming, I feel that I can understand the language of behavior modification much better than before the reading assignment.

I did not like the sections about topographical and functional classes of behavior. I felt that the boxes where we were to give three examples should have been spelled out more. I was unsure of what was expected of me. Maybe the wording could have been arranged differently, or maybe I am a rare case.

When I think about how my thoughts have changed towards behavior modification, I would say that I have been given more of a language for seeing behaviors. It like learning the words for something you can already see. Like looking at a tree and then learning that the word for tree is "tree". I can see how I have been taught to see situations, and I have learned that your behaviors can be changed in situations. Now I have a new way of talking about those behaviors and situations.

The most interesting section to me was definitely section 1.5. This is when the text started to move forward at a fast pace. The reading got into the specifics onto when and how to use a reinforcement procedure. I felt as though this section sort of delivered a ‘theory in practice’ sort of approach.

The most useful part of section 1.3 would probably be the entire review of the usage of behavior modification lingo. At this point, it is still very easy to get their meanings confused. Even though some of the exercises were repetitive at times, I know that it was fostering my learning.

The most important part of section 1.4 in my opinion was the description of the relationship between deprivation, satiation and the establishing operation within the procedure. For my first web divergence post, I noted that knowing one's valence towards a particular reinforcer can be the difference between success and failure. Simply stuffing a kid full of ice cream will only work for so long, until he is satiated.

Section 1.5 emphasized the importance of knowing the target behavior. One needs to be specific in order to diagnose a reinforcement procedure. Looking at the behavior based on the context is also important. For instance, running in a building during school hours might be frowned upon by many teachers. But what if it was an emergency? Running outdoors during recess isn’t considered aversive behavior because of the context difference. The chart that was used at the end of the section was also very helpful.

Prior to reading this section, I felt as though I had a good understanding of the ABC’s. This reading, in particular section 1.5 threw a curveball at me. Behavior modification is more than a cookie-cutter method of reinforcement and punishment. There is much more that is involved in developing a reinforcement procedure. I’ll remember the sections about satiation and deprivation the most. Though deprivation can seem sort of cruel, it is clear as to why this would be so effective. The example of John, the middle school teacher who wanted to bring some order in his classroom was also very helpful. I liked this example because I have taken many education classes that brought up situations like this.

There wasn’t much that I disliked about these sections. There were times when I found sections 1.3 and 1.4 to be a bit repetitive, but as you have said… this is a good thing, for it means I have learned the material. After doing this reading, my opinion on behavior modification has remained about the same. These simple techniques however, are becoming more and more complex.

I enjoyed reading section 1.5 the most because there wasn't much reading or new terminology to learn about. It mostly just consisted of combining the different terms we had already studied in the previous sections but now we had to put them into use. I thought it really helped by trying to combine multiple terms into one example. The section I liked reading the least was section 1.3 because it contained lots of new information to try and take in. It took a long time and I am one of those students who usually just scans through my texts really quickly and this forces me to sit down and actually read and focus in on what exactly I am reading. This is a good thing because I know I will learn more I however just don't like taking the time to do it.
The most useful part of section 1.3 is the area where we had to identify if certain situations were a reinforcement or punishment. This actually proved to be pretty hard to do and required a lot of thought. The most informational part of section 1.4 is when we had to come up with sentences using different terms and then try and use as many other behavioral terms with it as possible. Finally the most helpful part of section 1.5 was the chart on the last page illustrating in front of us the different ways behaviors can be influenced.
I think that reinforcement is the best way to ensure that a certain behavior is going to occur or not occur. This is because you can use reinforcement in both positive and negative ways, but it in most cases is used with individuals who will respond to the situation. You are able to alter the reinforcement depending on the situation, but punishments usually become expected and not as affective. Punishments don't seem to be as affective because it doesn't make the person desire to do a certain behavior it just makes them feel like they have to and people don't usually like being told what to do in an aversive manner.
Before reading the next couple sections from chapter one I figured that we had already covered most of the basics in influencing behaviors. This has proved to be very incorrect because these sections have really showed that even in just reinforcement there are many different things that affect how that is even used. For example how a discriminative stimulus like McDonalds can cause you to want to eat even if you have a feeling of satiation if that is where you eat every time your parents take you out to dinner.

The section I liked the most so far is 1.2 because it broke down what reinforcement and punishment are and explained it well. The section I liked the least is 1.4 because it’s very repetitive and boring. The most useful information in 1.3 is how important the language of behavior is and it’s important because you have to know the language before you can try to modify behavior. The most useful information in 1.4 is the relationship between certain behavior words, like elicit and emit. This is important because it helps to understand the language better. The most useful information from 1.5 is target behaviors because once you know what the target behavior is, it’s easier to know how to get the outcome you want.
When it comes to reinforcement, I think that using it is very important. Everybody is reinforced for just about everything they do so understanding how it works and it’s important helps to clarify why people do certain things. Punishment is just as important as reinforcement. Punishment also acts as a way to get people to act a certain way. Even though punishment is an aversive thing, when it’s used in the right way it can be viewed as a good thing.
Before I started this class, I thought behavior modification was just learning how people work and how to change certain behaviors. For the most part, I was correct but there was much more that I didn’t know. Three things that I’ll remember from these sections are how important the language is, the ABCs of behavior modification, and self-reinforcement. I remember these things because they’ve been repeated several times and the importance of them have been stressed throughout the sections. One thing I really liked was how well everything was explained. It’s a lot easier to learn things when it’s explained in a good way. One thing I disliked was how many examples we had to give. It felt very repetitive and was honestly a little boring. Reading these sections has really changed my thoughts about behavior modification because I previously had little information about what behavior modification actually was.

When reading the 3 sections I liked the section 1.5 the best because it talks about how individuals can modify their own behavior. To modify your own behavior you have to know what the behavior looks like and what does it feel like for an individual to be able to change it. The main point is we can do a same behavior and get a different result or we can get the same result by doing a different behavior. Trying to manipulate someone’s behavior can be a very good thing when you are doing it for the right reasons, like How do I make my kid want to finish his/hers homework after school, or How do I make my kid want to eat healthier? My least favorite section was 1.3 because it talked too much about language of behavior. It was hard to understand and remember how to talk about objects and behavior, for example “The stop sign elicited a braking behavior” I am not used thinking about things in that way so it is a challenge. I think the most important thing that is talked about in section 1.3 is establishing operation because it tells us why we may appreciate things that happen to us more. For example if your electricity goes out for a week and then it comes back you will appreciate and be so much happier that you have electricity more than a person whose electricity didn’t go out. Something important from section 1.4 was about operant behavior which means setting the occasion for either punishment or reinforcement to occur. Increasing or decreasing the frequency of a certain behavior is called a target behavior and we also talked about this in class. This is important because it gives you a better understanding how something sets the occasion for that particular behavior to happen. Something important from section 1.5 is acknowledging the difference between functional vs. topographical. I never thought about looking at different ways of emitting a behavior and getting the same result, talking about these two definitions makes me think about all sort of possibilities why things happen the way they do.

My favorite section would have to be 1.5. I really enjoyed all of the examples of the behavioral typography. It is amazing how we as humans adapt and learn how each door or phone or whatever is different. Walking into a door and pushing on it and realizing there is no success in opening the door we then switch to another action, this time maybe pulling in which the door opens. We change our behavior by having a negative outcome. Its strange to never realize all the different ways things act and move. There are many different kinds of phones and toilets but we still figure out a way to use them.
The section that I liked the least was probably section 1.4. The amount and rate of the information presented was a little bit to fast for me. By having the responses at the end of all the terms made it more difficult to differentiate between the terms listed. If this section was treated more in the way of the other sections with a term, explanation, example, and chance for you to create your own, I would like to think it would resonate much easier.
The most useful information from section 1.3 was overall statements that I found interesting. First statement was the one from Goldiamond, saying “self-reinforcement of operant behavior presupposes that the individual has it in his power to obtain reinforcement but does not do so until a particular response has been emitted.” This statement still baffles me. When I break it down what I think about is the behavior typography information. Goldiamond saying for example if someone wanted to enter into a store to obtain food, they would not be reinforced until the right behavior was emitted, so until they learned how to open the door, they would not be able to be reinforced with receiving food. The second statement I found enlightening was, “Frustration just means that you are in the process of learning (boredom means you learned it already).” By doing something that you have interest in you could be engaged for a very long time, but if you already know, or are not interested in the topic, boredom could begin to set in.
The most useful in 1.4 would obviously be all the terms and definitions. I cannot pick one over the other, which is more useful because most all of the terms are linked and intertwined with each other. By not understanding the language there is no way that I would be able to understand anything about behavior modification.
And in section 1.5 the most interesting thing would be the behavior class, functional vs. topographical examples. By noticing how things can mean the same thing but done differently has always just been the norm, but how different would things be if there was a mandatory way to wave, walk, sit, hug, high five, anything!
My thoughts of reinforcement are more clearly after the practice of what positive and negative reinforcement are and their effects on behavior. I would have to say the same thing about punishment. Knowing that one is a desired effect while the other is negative. While both are affecting the overall rate of behavior, either decreasing or increasing the desired behavior.
Prior to reading these sections I had some idea of the terminology but no idea how intertwined everything is. One thing I will remember from these sections is the repetition of the questions asked about the reading. I will mostly remember what I enjoyed, or what I was interested in. Stated above I was interested in the behavior class categories and how they differed. I still agree with that statement for the same reasons listed above. Again the main thing I did not like about the sections was the rapid pace of info being presented. The only thought that has changed really would be how in-depth behavior really goes. I usually think of behavior mod as uncontrollable actions but really it is the study of every day actions and events.

I liked section 1.4 the most. The introduction to the new terms and the way they relate to behavior was really interesting to me, plus it is always easier for me to learn in terms of vocabulary, simply because it’s much more clean cut, and I feel like a lot of vocabulary that I had not hear in other psych classes were brought up and explained. So I guess you could say the most usefull information in this section were the new words, discriminate stimulus, operant response, operant behavior, target behavior, satiation, and deprivation. It was good because the term ‘operant behavior’ has been used in class but I was not totally clear as to what it meant.
Its not that I disliked any section, but I did feel like section 1.3 drug on a bit. I did get some new information, which was good but I felt like a lot of it was reiteration, which was kind of good but it also got a bit boring. That being said I would say the new information presented in 1.3 would be the most useful. Establishing operation, extinction, extinction burst, were all new words that I had never heard before. Though I could guess what extinction and establishing operation was simply from reading the words in a behavioral context I woudn’t have guessed what an extinction burst is. The retelling of the fable where the bird has an extinction burst but then still experienced reinforcement presented an idea I would have assumed not possible. That reinforcement can still occur after extinction or and extinction burst. I also always find the bubbles where we have to write sentences helpful. There were a lot in the new sections, but they are a good way of practicing and getting things down for sure.
Section 1.5 got into more specific things about behavior. We touched on this in class Thursday and I was glad to go over it in more detail as far as topographical behaviors and functional classes. I think the difference between topographical behaviors and functional classes is the most important part of this chapter. Having been focusing on the language of behavior, it is good to be able to describe two different categories of behaviors.
I have mixed feelings on both reinforcement and punishment. I feel there are important and useful functions of both but am unsure how to bridge the gap between them and what is useful and what is not. For example I understand that reinforcement is good, but I don’t believe al reinforcement is good. Getting a “good job” of a click from a teacher when you’re learning is always good, but getting candy after homework gets less and less good. In both cases the individual is receiving outside reinforcement. But it cant go on forever, and in any case they need to become internally movivated to do homework or listen in class as opposed to only doing it for the candy or click. So I am unsure how to best balance both reinforcing and trying to encourage internal motivation.
As far as punishment goes, I see pros and cons. I was spanked as a child, and I can see the benefits of taking things away, sending to their room, or spanking if it crosses a certain line. However I think it goes back to internal motivation. Wanting to behave and do the right thing, and if an individual is always operating on outside stimuli then they may not be able to depend on themselves, which is hopefully the plan for them someday.
I have loved getting into the material for this class. I think it will be incredibly interesting and I am anxious to learn more and more about behavior modification. So there isn’t just one thing I liked about this section, I would say the material period was a high point for me. The language did (and I’m sure will continue to ) get a bit confusing and I’m unsure I have it all figured out yet, but like I said earlier the practicing and the examples go a long way for me to straighten it all out. Prior to this class I had no idea of what ‘behavior modification’ meant. Although it always brought to mind a picture of some sort of animal being trained. Since reading the chapter, I’ve got a better, more aesthetically pleasing picture, and a better idea of what exactly I’m learning. The idea of ‘manipulation’ never struck me as a bad thing because I understood it wasn’t meant to be, but it clarified just how broad the word ‘manipulation’ can be when referring to human behavior.

Out of the three sections we read this week, I enjoyed 1.5 the most. I think it was the most clear and helped sum up the ideas and terms that were covered in previous sections. I liked learning about target behaviors. I didn't realize how important it was to be so specific. It's no wonder that many people get frustrated when they can't modify their own behavior (such as dieting). They probably aren't being specific enough, so it would be difficult to determine exactly what elicits reinforcement. Another useful part of 1.5 was explaining the differences between functional and topographical behaviors. I already knew the difference from lecture on Thursday, but the reading provided more examples (and encouraged us to come up with our own). Section 1.3 was my least favorite, because it covered a lot of new material. Translating the Aesop fable into behavioral speak was especially frustrating for me. I kept trying, but felt I was doing it wrong. I think the more useful part of 1.3 was the comparison of behavioral speak to a foreign language. It made me realize that I would have to practice in order to speak/understand it correctly. The practice boxes in section 1.4 were also helpful - especially the boxes that required a specific term (such as reinforcement), but encouraged us to use additional terms. I was never able to use more than three terms in a sentence, but it made me aware that I should be trying to use the behavioral language even when I am not specifically asked to.

The readings have helped shape my views on reinforcement and punishment. Before I started this class, I knew that reinforcement was more effective than punishment but I didn't understand why. I knew some forms of punishment were not the best method to change behavior, but nobody was willing to say why. I had a class last year where the topic of spanking was brought up. I agreed that it probably wasn't an effective method and I did not want to incorporate it into my future parenting style, but I asked the professor to explain WHY it wasn't effective. His response was "it's wrong and should never be used - there are other ways." He never did give me a more complete response.

The more I read about behavior modification, the more basic it seems. Not to say that changing behavior is always an easy thing to do, but the more knowledge you have, the better off you are. The only part I have not liked so far was translating everyday talk into behavioral speak, because it was very frustrating. I really like how all the sections are building off of each other though. This isn't a book that uses a term once and expects you to remember it for the during of the semester. The terms are continuously reviewed in each section, which I find to be very helpful.

Of the three sections 1.4 and 1.5 were a toss up. I prefer learning from material set up in that manner. 1.term 2. definition 3. example in proper context. I have always enjoyed reading and understanding word usage. When I find a topic engaging, material in the format of 1.4 is the best way for me to learn. 1.5 was a little harder for me to digest, but i think i shied away from the material a little when i understood how important it was to be completely precise when evaluating a target behavior. After reading this section an additional time, i think that i might even favor it more than 1.4, because it involves more practical material than just definitions.
The section that i liked the least was 1.3. At the beginning, it was hard for me to get into the reading. The spanish correlations didnt do anything for me. However, the first fable was rather interesting when translated into behavior speech. I believe that was also the most helpful part of the section for me along with the material about establishing operation and the use with rats. I get that these words are part of a language of their own and are very important in how you use them, that's why i like to see it or even hear it used in context. I feel like I understand the material well enough to read it, but not quite enough to speak confidently when using it.
1.5 was as i said above another good chapter for me. I found some overlap today as well in my abnormal psych class. We were being lectured on Cognitive Behavior theory and many of our terms came up along with some new ones. I was quite pleased to understand what an inter-observer agreement was as it was being discussed, and beyond what we were being given in class. The need for each observer to be exact in their observations is crucial for the proper diagnosis of a behavior, if something were to be missed or left out, treatment could do nothing or worse for a patient.
I tend to favor reinforcement. From my own experiences, the effects of reinforcement last longer and hold more favor than punishment. If you reinforce a good behavior the person is going to respond much better to you than if you let them get to a point of emitting a bad behavior and then having to use punishment. Punishment seems to always come with undesirable affects. I think that the affects last longer than the effects that you may be trying to gain.
Prior to reading this material, sections 1.1 and 1.2 made behavior mod seem quite easy. After reading this info i am back to where i stood originally that this is going to be very tricky and delicate information that needs to be handled as such. Just by using a term incorrectly you could say something other than what you were trying to get across. Also if you choose not to pay attention you could miss a vital bit of information that could ruin the goal you are trying to achieve.

The section that I liked the most was section 1.5 because of diagram. It can be helpful to understand the relationship between delivery of reinforcement and occurrence of behavior. Also, l like use some pictures or diagrams when I study. Through these way, I can recognize easily what is context and what is want to say. The section I disliked the least was section 1.4 because there are so many words and it was difficult to understand what is mean. Actually, I think it was so hard to only me than other students because these were terminology and I have to understand through second language.

The most useful information from section 1.3 is elicit and emit. I already learned those in section 1.2 but I did not understand what is the point and what is the right definition. Through this part, I did made some examples. It makes me can have my own definition about elicit and emit. And the most useful information from section 1.4 is about target behavior. It was so interesting because, If I want to increase my some behavior I can control my behavior through target behavior. Lastly, the most useful information from section 1.5 is related to concept between functional and topographical. It was really novelty to me because It can have different consequences although they have same behavior.

My opinion is a little bit same about the use of reinforcement and punishment. I think both reinforcement and punishment are very useful way of behavior modification, especially in education. Of course, when I use these way for students, reinforcement can be the better method than punishment. But, I believe that punishment have so interesting means. Generally, people thought adding some good thing to someone’s behavior is the effective. But, subtracting some bad thing that people dislike from someone’s behavior it can be more effective than reinforcement.

Before reading these section, I thought behavior modification will be useful and I can enjoy the class because it will be interest contents to me. I already have a lot of interested in psychology, so I think it will be very helpful to satisfaction of my desire.
Three things that I will remember from these section is 1: I should remember the accurate definition about terms which will use this class. Through understanding terms exactly is help me to comprehension about the class. 2: I have to remember the examples of each terms. I think it is better than just remember what is mean or definition. 3: reinforcement and punishment. It always mention in every section ; chapter 1. In my opinion, these are base in studying for behavior modification. So, If I can understand about these I can understand the other things.

One thing I really liked in the sections was the example of John. Through this example, I felt actually from his experience. Because it is real story and I think it is common mistake among people who learned behavior modification. And one thing I disliked that is translate the stories. It makes me confuse instead of understanding. I could not understand how can I make the story.

I did not know that If I want to study behavior modification I should know that so many words will use in this class. It was just looks so interest but it was not true. It makes me confusing because it included so many complex words and I have to remember how can these will use in the right situations.

The section I liked best was 1.4 because immediately after explaining what a term was, we were asked to define it. Even though I felt as though I was not doing it correctly, it was still helpful. The boxes elicit a learning behavior and I hope my responses emit a learning behavior as well. It is a little frustrating when there is no reinforcement to follow my responses, though. The section I liked the least was 1.3 and I'm not positive why. It may have been because I knew we would be learning new terms and I'm not entirely comfortable with previous terms yet. However, being reinforced by the text and reading "This is why we spend time at the beginning of class reviewing our work in groups. It not only provides us with feedback, but it also affords you the opportunity to practice speaking and hearing the language of behavior," because it made me realize I will get the hang of using this new language, I just have to give myself time. The most useful piece of information from section 1.3 for me was the stress of how important it is to use behavior words correctly because it can become very confusing and incorrect if done otherwise. What I found most useful from 1.4 is the importance of clearly and precisely defining "target behavior." This class is behavior modification, thus it is extremely important to know what you're talking about before attempting to reinforce, punish, elicit, emit, etc. any behavior. The most useful information from section 1.5 was understanding the difference between the topography and function of target behaviors. This is important not only in the defining process but also with what one is observing. I believe I'm starting to understand reinforcement better including defining and how to use the terminology because I've read three more sections on it and was asked to write examples using "reinforcement." I have similar thoughts regarding punishment; however, I feel on both accounts, there is still much to be learned.

Prior to reading these sections, I thought behavior modification was a much simpler process. Until you learn how to do something or really understand what it all entails, of course it will seem simple. Yet, after reading these sections, I see how complex of a process behavior modification is. Three things that I will remember reading are the importance of correct word usage, clearly defining a target behavior, and the need to practice what I'm learning. All of these are key to being successful in learning new material and through the examples in the text, it is already working to make me better. One thing I really liked in the sections were the continued examples. It was helpful to be able to follow the same situation rather than trying to wrap my mind around multiple. One thing I've disliked thus far in all of the sections is the lack of feedback after the sections I fill in. I know that since this in our text and is outside homework there is not much we can do about it, but it's frustrating because I'm not sure if I'm doing it correctly and I don't want to continue with the next section if I don't understand. As stated above, the reading of these three sections has changed what I thought about behavior modification by the fact that it is a detailed process that has specific steps and definitions that need to be followed.

The section that I enjoyed the most was 1.1, and the reason I enjoyed it the most was because it was the one I understood clearly without having to reread it! My least favorite section was a tie between 1.3 and 1.4 because i had a much harder time understanding the concepts...and I then realized it was because I was way over thinking the material.
I believe the most useful information I learned about section 1.3 was how to use behavioral terms in an everyday situation. The example of how to explain opening a door handle made the terminology of the behavioral approach much easier to grasp. One thing I'm still confused on in this section is the usage of the words emit and elicit. I thought I understood them correctly in class, however when i reread the material I found myself to be confused all over again. I also found the term establishing operation to be interesting. Establishing operation is "used to make a reinfocer more reinforcing". The example you gave in class helped me better understand this term. However, in this section I'm still not clear on what the term extinction implies.
When I read the first few sentences in section 1.4 I felt relieved because it said "we don't expect you to become an expert at these terms over night". Not going to lie, I'm still extremely nervous about properly using this terms in an every day situation! The thing I most understood in this section was target behaviors. Operant behaviors are something that I understood as well, however it took me awhile to grasp the concept. Operant behaviors remind me mostly of what is and is not socially desirable in a culture. For example, if a guy dresses in women's clothing he is emitting an operant behavior in that he is setting up the occasion to get punished by what is considered the social norms. The punishment may be as little as getting a glare, or as severe as being discriminated against. (I hope I am understanding the term and using it correctly :/)
To be honest the most interesting thing I found about section 1.5 was the term topography because before this class I had never heard it before! This section was slightly aversive for me because I still don't quite understand the difference!
Prior to reading these sections, I had no idea that behavior modification was so complex. I had no idea mainly because I didn't give the topic too much thought!
The three things I will remember is that reinforcement can be negative and positive, as well as a punishment may be negative or positive. I always thought that reinforcement always meant good, and that a punishment was always bad. Not just that one increases a behavior while the other decreases. A second thing that I will remember is that emit means do:) I know it's a simple concept, but I never knew that that's what it meant! The third thing I will remember is operant behaviors set the occasion for things to occur. I'll remember these because I felt accomplished and more knowledgeable knowing them!
The thing I liked most about these sections was the use of everyday life examples, it made the material much easier to understand. The thing I least liked was how long it took me to understand (and is still taking) some of the terms/concepts.
It definitely changed the way I think about bmod because, as stated before, I had no idea it was this complex! I didn't know there was so much terminology behind the things you do on a daily basis!