Family and social relationships

I. Case History/Background Information (No more than 1 page)
The first section of your paper will present your background. Include factors such as age,
gender, work, health status, family mental health history, family and social relationships,
drug and alcohol history, academic strengths/weaknesses, life difficulties, goals and
coping skills, personality strengths and weaknesses.
Discuss any other relevant information that will assist in understanding your problems and
behavioral goals (e.g., Long history of being sedentary, obesity, etc., if your goal is to
increase physical fitness; e.g., history of multiple injuries if you are trying to increase
weight lifting).
II. Description of the Presenting Problem in Behavior Modification terms
(Approximately 2 pages)
In this section of your paper, you will describe the problem(s) and any associated
factors/symptoms/stimuli that you present with and are wanting to decrease, as well as
target behaviors that you are wanting to improve (as discussed below). Any rating forms,
questionnaires, screenings or assessment tools that are used to describe the problem
should be explained/described in detail in this section (e.g., Frequency of the problem or
target behavior). However, the actual rating forms/questionnaires used, should be
attached as an appendix with the participant’s actual responses/results on them.
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In this section, you will discuss the following:
AS DISCUSSED IN CLASS, YOU CAN DISCUSS BOTH A PROBLEM BEHAVIOR AND A
POSITIVE DESIRED BEHAVIOR OR YOU CAN DISCUSS ONLY A POSITIVE/DESIRED
BEHAVIOR. HOWEVER, YOU CAN NOT ONLY DISCUSS YOUR ATTEMPTS AT
REDUCING A PROBLEM BEHAVIOR, WITHOUT DISCUSSING A DESIRED POSITIVE
BEHAVIOR OR ELSE YOU ARE LIKELY ONLY FOCUSING ON PUNISHMENT
(DECREASING A BEHAVIOR), WHICH IS NOT ALLOWED AND WOULD RESULT IN AN
INCOMPLETE PAPER.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR; WHAT IS THE TARGET BEHAVIOR
(OBJECTIVE, DESIRED BEHAVIOR) IN MEASURABLE, OBSERVABLE, ATTAINABLE
TERMS?
HOW OFTEN IS THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR OCCURING (BASELINE); HOW OFTEN IS
THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR OCCURING (BASELINE) (IF AT ALL); how did you
get/track/observe the information; discuss step-by-step (HOUR BY HOUR, DAY BY DAY,
ETC AS APPLICABLE)? Although you will discuss your findings in this section, you will
NEED TO attach rating forms, questionnaires (with the responses) you used as an
APPENDIX; THE QUESTIONAIRES SHOULD NOT BE IN THE BODY OF THE PAPER?
WHY DO YOU THINK THE PROBLEM IS OCCURING? WHAT IS MAINTAINING OR
REINFORCING THIS BEHAVIOR? WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE TRIGGERS TO THE
PROBLEM BEHAVIOR?
DOES THE PROBLEM AND/OR TARGET/DESIRED BEHAVIOR OCCUR IN EVERY
SETTING? WHY OR WHY NOT? WHERE DOES IT OCCUR AND WHY?
WHY DO YOU THINK THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR IS NOT OCCURING OR WITH LOW
FREQUENCY? WHAT IS GETTING IN THE WAY OF THE GOAL/OBJECTIVE?
IS THIS THE MOST PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOR FOR YOU? DISCUSS ANY OTHER
RELEVANT PROBLEMS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO YOUR PROBLEM BEHAVIOR
OR TARGET/DESIRED BEHAVIOR?
Discuss any relevant thoughts, feelings, and perceptions (covert behaviors/thinking)
related to the problem/symptoms (e.g., Are many failed attempts to lose weight in the past
related to negative self-talk/low motivation/poor self-esteem; is the person hopeful or not,
that treatment will work; why?) Support your beliefs, position on the above topic, with
examples.
HOW IS THE BEHAVIOR IMPAIRING THE PERSON IN HIS/HER LIFE?
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III. Intervention (Treatment/Fixing the Problem) (Approx. 3 pages)
This section of your paper will focus on the intervention used to help the person achieve
his/her objective. You will attach any completed rating, tracking, or assessment
forms you used to track progress as an Appendix; these forms should not be in the
body of the writing/paper.
In this section, you will support your intervention used with research from your
book in APA format (see below).
AT A MINIMUM, PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING (Use subtitles) POINTS LISTED
BELOW; SOME OF THE INFORMATION BELOW MAY HAVE ALREADY BEEN
DISCUSSED IN PREVIOUS SECTIONS IN DETAIL (E.G., TARGET BEHVAIOR,
BASELINE); THEREFORE DISCUSS IT BRIEFLY (1-2 sentences) IN THIS SECTION
AND MOVE ON TO DISCUSSING THE INTERVENTION/TREATMENT IN DETAIL:
• DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND TARGET BEHAVIOR (1-2 sentences)
• OBJECTIVE: WRITE THE TARGET BEHAVIOR/OBJECIVE IN AN
OBSERVABLE, MEASURABLE, AND ATTAINABLE MANNER (1-2 sentences)
• BASELINE: WHAT IS THE BASELINE OF YOUR PROBLEM AND TARGET
BEHAVIOR (1-2 sentences)?
• DISCUSS THE INTERVENTION IN DETAIL.
o HOW DID YOU APPLY IT? PLEASE LIST YOUR INTERVENTION STEPBY-STEP (HOUR-BY-HOUR, WEEK-BY-WEEK, MONTH-BY-MONTH, AS
APPLICABLE, ETC.) AS YOU APPLIED IT TO INCREASE THE DESIRED
BEHAVIOR.
o WHAT TYPE OF INTERVENTION ARE YOU GOING TO APPLY? WHY DID
YOU PICK THAT INTERVENTION? USE INFORMATION FROM YOUR
BOOK TO SUPPORT/CITE WHY YOU HAVE CHOSEN THAT
INTERVENTION (E.G. NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT,
EXTINCTION, SCHEDULES OF REINFORCMENT, DIFFERENTIAL
REINFORCEMENT OF OTHER BEHAVIOR, ETC. HAS BEEN SHOWN TO
INCREASE… ). YOU WILL CITE THE REFERENCE SUPPORTING YOUR
INTERVENTION(S) AS YOU WOULD A RESEARCH PAPER/ARTICLE.
o Make sure you clearly explain what the reinforcers are and why, when, and
how you are using them? What are some back-up reinforcers used in the
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event the individual gets satiated? Any motivating operations helpful in
reaching your objective? How will you be tracking progress or lack of
progress?
o How did you record the information above? Discuss in detail. The graph/table
should be attached as an appendix, but you will say, “See Table…” as you
discuss your response to the treatment/techniques applied above.
• WHEN YOU REACH THE OBJECTIVE, APPLY GENERALIZATION
TECHNIQUES; DISCUSS HOW THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WILL SUSTAIN
THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR; DISCUSS STEP-BY-STEP AS INDICATED ABOVE
(THIS LAST PART COULD BE HYPOTHETICAL IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN
THAT FAR – NOTE IT WILL BE HARDER TO GUESS (HYPOTHETICAL) THAN
TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT).
o Again, you will need to support with research from your book, in APA
format, why you chose your approach of generalization.
IV. RESULTS and DISCUSSION (Approximately 2 pages)
• AS WITH ANY OTHER RESEARCH PAPER, YOU WILL SUMMARIZE/DISCUSS
WHAT YOU FOUND (RESULTS) AND DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING AREAS
THAT STILL NEED ATTENTION (DISCUSSION):
• DID YOU REACH YOUR OBJ ECTIVE, THE TARGET BEHAVIOR?
o What were the results of your intervention?
• DISCUSS WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN’T WORK, THE PROBLEMS
ENCOUNTERED WHILE CONDUCTING YOUR PROJECT, AND POSSIBLE
CAUSES OF THESE PROBLEMS YOU ENCOUNTERED?
• DID YOU TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED TO REACH YOUR OBJECTIVE?
WHY? EXPLAIN IN DETAIL.
• HOW DID YOU ADDRESS PROBLEMS THAT SURFACED (E.G., CHANGED A
REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE OR TECHNIQUE)?
• MAINTENANCE: IF PROBLEMS SURFACE (RETURN OF THE PROBLEM
BEHAVIOR OR DECREASE IN THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR) IN THE FUTURE,
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WHAT WILL YOU DO TO ADDRESS IT AND REACH YOUR OBJECTIVE
AGAIN?
o WHAT OTHER FORMS OF BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES
WILL YOU USE, BETTER WAYS OF TRACKING THE PROBLEM
BEHAVIOR AND DESIRED BEHAVIOR, OTHER WAYS OF IDENTIFYING
TRIGGERS, FACTORS INTERFERING IN TREATMENT PROGRESS,
INCLUDE OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR PLAN, OTHER GENERALIZATION
TECHNIQUES, ETC.