Behavioral Regulation: Associated Theories and Uses

It is well known by those who study human behavior that motivation is essential when a person is pursuing a goal or reinforcement. Two of the theories that attempt to explain this fact are the associative structure of the instrumental conditioning and behavioral regulation.

Throughout this articles we will see the theories of behavioral regulation, we will explain what its precedents were and how this model is applied in behavior modification techniques.

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What is behavioral regulation?

In comparison with structural conditioning which focuses on the responses of each individual, on their motivational antecedents and on the specific consequences of these; behavioral regulation encompasses a broader context.

In behavioral regulation all the behavioral options that an organism has at its disposal when it comes to achieving something are studied that will serve as reinforcement. It is a much more practical perspective that focuses on how the conditions of the situation or context limit or influence the behavior of the person.

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Precedents in Psychology and Education

As previously discussed in instrumental conditioning reinforcers were considered as special stimuli that caused a situation of satisfaction, and therefore strengthened instrumental behavior.

However, not all theorists were in complete agreement with these ideas, which is why they began to emerge. alternatives such as the consummatory response theory, the Premack principle or the hypothesis of deprivation of answer. Which would establish the bases of behavioral regulation.

1. consummatory response theory

This theory developed by Sheffield and his collaborators she was the first to question the rules of instrumental conditioning.

According to Sheffield, there are a series of behaviors typical of the species that are reinforcing by themselves. Examples of these behaviors would be eating and drinking habits. The consummatory response theory hypothesizes that these behaviors constitute a reinforcing response by themselves.

The revolutionary idea of ​​this theory consists of investigating the types of reinforcing responses instead of reinforcing stimuli.

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2. Premack's principle

The ideas reflected in Premack's principle advanced existing thinking on reinforcement mechanisms. According to this principle, the reinforcers that should be given importance were the responses instead of the stimuli.

Also known as the Differential Probability Principle, it theorizes that when there is a link between two stimuli (responses), the situation that is more likely to occur will positively reinforce the other with less chance of occurrence.

Premack and his team argued that a reinforcing response can be any behavior or activity that the subject perceives as positive. In this way, a behavior valued as positive or pleasant and that is carried out on a regular basis will increase the probabilities that another less attractive behavior will be carried out; but for this both have to occur contingently.

For example, eating would be a positive, habitual, and species-specific reinforcing response. However, cooking does not have to be. However, if the person wants to get the reinforcement, in this case to eat, he will have to cook even if this is not so attractive to him. Therefore the pleasant reinforcing response will also promote the other response.

3. Response deprivation hypothesis

According to the response deprivation hypothesis proposed by Timberlake and Allison, when the reinforcing response is restricted, this response is promoted instrumentally.

In other words, what is important is not with what proportion or probability a behavior is executed and not another, but that the mere fact of prohibiting the reinforcing behavior will motivate the person to want to perform it.

This hypothesis can be seen reflected in an infinite number of contexts or situations in which the mere fact that we are prohibited from doing something will work as a motivator to make us want to do it.

This theory is totally opposed to that of Premack, since it defends that the deprivation of the reinforcing response has greater power to encourage instrumental behavior than the differential probability of carrying out a response or other.

Behavioral regulation and the point of behavioral delight

The idea of ​​regulation is closely linked to the notion of balance or homeostasis. This means that If people have a distribution of their activities that is satisfactory to them, they will try to maintain it. at all costs. In this way, the moment something or someone interferes with that balance, the behavior must change to return to normality.

Therefore, the point of behavioral delight is the distribution of responses or behaviors preferred by the person. This distribution can be reflected in the number of times or the amount of time spent on an activity or behavior.

In this case we can imagine a child who likes playing video games more than studying, one activity is pleasurable and the other is carried out out of obligation. Consequently, the distribution of behaviors for this child will be to play for 60 minutes and study for 30 minutes. This would be his delight point.

However, although this distribution is pleasant for the person, it does not always have to be the healthiest or most appropriate. According to behavioral regulation theories, in order to modify negative behavior, the imposition of an instrumental contingency is necessary.

Imposition of a behavioral contingency

The objective of the technique of imposing an instrumental contingency is to rectify or reform the distribution of behaviors of the person causing them to move away from the point of delight. To do this, the therapist will resort to a series of reinforcements and behavior-modifying punishments.

If we return to the previous case, through the imposition of an instrumental contingency, the therapist will force the child to play the same amount of time that the child spends studying. Therefore, if the child wants to play for 60 minutes, she must study for the same amount of time; or on the contrary, if he only wants to study for 30 minutes, this will be the amount of time he will have to play.

The result will be a redistribution of behavior that will stay between one option and the other, increasing the amount of behavior desired but without causing the person to deviate too much from his point of view delight.

The main contributions

The currents that opted for behavioral regulation as a way to increase motivation left numerous contributions and new points of view about behavior modification. These include:

• Paradigm shift in the conception of reinforcers, which go from being specific stimuli to specific responses.
• Concept of distribution of responses or behaviors as a method to increase instrumental behaviors.
• The distinction between reinforcing and instrumental responses is eliminated. They are only distinguished within the therapeutic intervention.
• The notion of behavioral regulation develops the idea that people respond to or perform a behavior with the intention of maximizing its benefits.