BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION PROJECT: (Chapter 7, 15 points) 

You may complete this assignment as a group.

This assignment calls for synthesis of the class material and creative thinking.

Your task is to identify a behavior that you would like to change.

A)    Design a plan/program that might make the desired behavior possible using  Classical and Operant Conditioning and write a paper that summarized the project (one paper for the whole group).  All-important components of each learning process have to be named and described in your plan (as you are explaining how they are to be used in your plan for behavior modification). If you are not including some of the components (or consider them not useful for your plan), they still need to be named and defined; the rationale for not including those components must be provided.

List of important components: (please highlight them or underline as you introduce them in your paper)

·        Classical conditioning: UCS, UCR, CS, CR, neutral stimulus, extinction, stimulus generalization, systematic desensitization.

·        Operant conditioning: positive/negative reinforcement, primary/secondary reinforcements, punishment, schedules of reinforcement.

In your project you do not need to introduce these concepts in the order presented. Combine them as you wish or as it makes sense to your project. Your grade will be based on 1) your knowledge of Classical and  Operant Conditioning and 2) understanding how these types of learning can modify behavior. 

B)  After you design the program you are encouraged to implement it in you daily life to see if your program is able to bring a desirable change. Your successes and failures have to be summarized in your paper.

C)  In your paper you need to provide an evaluation of your program and two learning processes that you used:

·        Highlight strengths and limitations of classical and Operant conditioning

·        Do these types of learning operate independently or compliment one another

·        Are these two learning processes sufficient to bring about change in the behavior

·        What are the factors that can make learning easier/harder?

·        Are there other methods (besides Classical and Operant conditioning) that can facilitate change in behavior?