Stimulus Control

I guess it is about time for me to write another post. I originally started this blog because I felt like I had many stories to share about behavior analysis, but lately any time I think about writing, my mind just goes blank. Honestly I was not sure if anyone cared or enjoyed what I wrote about, so in a way, my blogging behavior was being punished by the removal of a reinforcer: positive feedback from readers. But today, I checked in on my blog stats and saw that I had a new follower of my blog, so this post is dedicated to my new follower. You have positively reinforced my blog writing behavior and have increased the likelihood I will write again. 

So, today I wanted to elaborate a little more on something I have mentioned briefly in The "P" Word and The Basics. The concept is stimulus control. When I talked about behaviors being influenced by their environments such as my bed and my rude neighbors yard, I was talking about stimulus control. First, I guess I have to answer the question of what is a stimulus. Merriam - Webster says that a stimulus is "an agent that direct influences the activity of a living organism or one of its parts". In behavior analysis we have several different types of stimuli that we are concerned with, but for now I am just going to talk about general stimulus control. So, my question from The "P" Word was why do I only avoid the rude man's yard when I forget to bring a bag and I am walking my dog? Well, the answer is .... stimulus control. The stimuli involved with the man punishing my behavior include the visuals of his house, yard, him and his car in the driveway. There are likely sounds and smells associated with the punishment, but I am not consciously aware of those. Obviously, it is not necessary for me to know about the control those stimuli exert over my behavior. Even if I were not an almost behavior analyst, I would still not walk Igor by that man's house if I forgot to bring a bag with me. 

How does knowing about the concept of stimulus control help us in our daily lives? Well, in my line of work it helps me immensely. Because of my knowledge about stimulus control I can prepare to have to think about how I am going to get the skills I teach individuals in one setting, to transfer to other settings. In your life it may help you to know that even though you have potty trained your child or your dog at your house, initially that skill may not carry over to other environments. Of course that is one of many examples and it may not apply to your life, but knowing about stimulus control of behaviors can help you to understand why certain behaviors only occur in some settings and not in others. This could possibly reduce some frustration with those in your life (not that any of you would ever get frustrated). 

Also, I think this topic begs the question: What stimulus control does my presence assert over others? Does my presence contribute to people in my life engaging in appropriate behaviors or problem behaviors? If my presence does not assert the stimulus control I would like it to, how do I change that? Those questions, specifically the last will have to be tackled in another post. 

If any of you have any questions, comments or smart remarks about what you would like to read about in the future or any improvements I can make, I would love to hear them. 

(Yes smarty pants, I am soliciting reinforcement for my blog writing behavior.)

The Good Stuff

Since my last blog was about punishment, it is only fair that I talk about reinforcement now. A reinforcer is the exact opposite of a punisher: a stimulus that occurs immediately after a behavior, which increases the probability that the behavior will happen in the future.

Again, we all contact reinforcers every day in our natural environments. If we did not contact reinforcement, we would not continue behaving. My behavior of taking my dog out at O-dark thirty is reinforced by escaping the inevitable "accident" that will occur on my floor if I don't take her out. My behavior of starting a home maintenance project that I want my husband to do is reinforced when he inevitably finishes it for me. My husband's behavior of leaving the dishes in the sink is (or has been) reinforced by me putting them in the dishwasher. My behavior of constantly searching for a house to rent on craigslist has been reinforced by finding new, possible houses each time I look (I am obsessed about this right now, it is not healthy!).

The thing that I think is really neat (imagine a nerdy laugh and me pushing glasses up my nose here) is that you don't have to know that your behavior is being reinforced for it to happen. Actually, typically you don't know that your behavior is being reinforced, but it still increases the likelihood that you will engage in that behavior in the future.

So, I told you that I would share with you how you can use these principles of behavior in your own life. How can you do that you ask? Simply by changing which behaviors you choose to reinforce in others. For example, if I want my husband to stop leaving his dishes in the sink, I can stop putting them in the dishwasher for him and instead cook him something special when he does put his dishes in the dishwasher. Is this being manipulative? Maybe, but would it be better to yell at him every time he leaves his dishes in the sink? I submit not. Now think about this. What is reinforcing my behavior of intentionally leaving his dishes in the sink? Do you see? I reinforce his behavior, but he also reinforces (or punishes) mine. So, as I see it, we manipulate others behaviors whether we are doing it intentionally or not. I would rather be aware of what I am doing, so that I can reinforce appropriate behaviors rather than unintentionally reinforcing the behaviors I don't want to see.

P.S. My husband is a wonderful man and I love him dearly, even if he doesn't always do the dishes.