Behavior Modification Project: Treatment Phase Report Assignment

Behavior modification or therapy encompasses various techniques that can be employed in altering discordant behaviors. In this case, the specific actions requiring modification are referred to as target behaviors. This exercise aims to establish positive actions that can replace unwanted characteristics. The modification process is action-oriented and tends to be highly engaging. Behavior modification suggests that new positive habits can replace old negative patterns. This is achieved through various techniques that depend on the state being treated and the extent of the individual's symptoms. Hence, the ability to identify one’s target behaviors serves as the first step toward action therapy. The practice allows people to overcome disorders that may prove difficult by other methods, confirming its effectiveness.

Target Behavior

Target behaviors are the adverse actions that need to be altered and replaced with more positive ones. They should be socially significant, encouraging the short-term and long-term well-being of the individual involved (Turner, 2017). Crowded rooms and confined spaces can arouse people's fear and anxiety. These being the leading causes of my claustrophobia, I decided to alter the maladaptive responses of fear and anxiety resulting from the phobia. Thus my target behavior was anxiety, which encompasses actions like sweating, increased heartbeats, ringing of ears, and feeling of disorientation. The process aims to minimize anxiety levels and thus replace it with a sense of calmness and peace when present in confined spaces or crowded areas. Therefore, eliminating these maladaptive responses will help me integrate successfully with people in crowds and have peaceful involvement in activities in constricted places.

Treatment Method

The treatment approach selected for this exercise was the classical conditioning technique: Specifically, the exposure therapy method, where the source of the anxiety will be introduced continuously for specified short durations over time with varying intensity ("Treatment - Phobias," 2018). This way, I will be able to learn how to manage my fear. Based on this theory, I was to stay in an enclosed small room in the house for two hours daily for a week. During the first three days, I had a bookshelf in the room. Due to the calming effect I feel when reading, I figured the books would help provide a sense of calmness while in the situation. This way, I was practicing classical conditioning. In the following two days, I removed the books and left the room empty while carrying out my exercise. For the last two days, I invited my friends over to provide the feeling of a crowded place in the small room. Therefore, the possibility of eliminating the phobia was high by varying the intensity of the exposure process.

Treatment periodThe duration of the modification process was one week, with two-hour sessions for the exercise daily. To begin with, I measured my heart rate in an empty, confined room to acquire the pulse rating when faced with claustrophobia. Next, the amount of sweating and level of feelings of distortion were recorded based on a very high, high, medium, and low scale. These formed my baseline values in the anxiety versus time graph that would guide me in establishing the progress of the exercise. Finally, a baseline of twelve units was settled with steps of two divisions for the level of anxiety, while the time was on a daily interval.

Figure 1

A Graph of Anxiety Level Against Time

Note. Before the beginning of the experiment, both indicators of anxiety levels are at their maximum; hence they overlap on the graph.

Experiment Narrative

A single-subject research design was employed for the activity, with an orientation of the AB design where the A refers to the baseline. At the same time, the B represents the intervention period. The graphs provided showcase the intervention period. Some factors concerning the room acted as confounding factors in the exercise. These included the position of the room in the house. The room was situated in the attic, which is a space that people in the house rarely frequent. The room had been abandoned for a long time and had accumulated several cobwebs and dust. The sight of the abandoned space enhanced my fear and anxiety, which could have affected the modification process. The treatment schedules were carried out in the evening hours during leisure time. The onset of darkness may have had a possible impact on the activity. Therefore, figure 2 below shows the graph as constant due to the confounding factors experienced during the first day of the exercise.

Figure 2

A Graph of Anxiety Level Against Time

Dimension(s)

The frequency of the sessions was appropriately and evenly spaced out across the week. The specified periods were adhered to during the process to ensure consistency and avoid additional confounding aspects to the exercise. The intensity was varied accordingly to ensure a smooth transition of responses from extreme to mild. The removal of the books and introduction of the crowd aspect played a significant role in ensuring proper change of the intensity. The intensity variation pays off as the anxiety levels reduce, according to figure 3 below. The amount of sweating and feeling of disorientation has minimal latency in response to the treatment. In the beginning, the incorporation of books significantly calms the mind and promotes the idea of a safe space within the room. The exercise duration proved that the behavioral modification process is effective due to decreased anxiety levels.

Figure 3

A Graph of Anxiety Level Against Time

Summary of Treatment

The treatment method chosen proved effective based on the decreased anxiety levels. The period was enough to demonstrate behavior modification since the factors that exhibited anxiety were eliminated in the presence of the triggering conditions: confined spaces and crowded places, as shown in figure 4 below. I achieved calmness and inner peace while at the locations that contributed to my phobia. The overall importance of intensity variation is seen as a smooth transition of responses experienced throughout the process. Therefore, the treatment process was successful and beneficial to me through adherence to the required steps and consistency.

Figure 4

A Graph of Anxiety Level Against Time

The ability of people to identify their target behaviors is necessary as the first step toward the behavioral modification process. The appropriate therapy methods are identified and applied strategically while paying attention to introducing appropriate varying intensities that facilitate the modification process. Proper application yields positive results, whereas an imbalanced introduction of intensities may overwhelm the person. Care should be taken in identifying and acknowledging the presence of confounding factors that may impact the process and results. Identification enables people to understand the dynamics of their recorded progress without raising the alarm or misdiagnosing the situation. Proper measures and alterations can be made to avoid these limiting factors. Moreover, the duration of the process should be well outlined with evenly spaced out sessions that ensure consistency and the need for positive habit development

References

Treatment - Phobias. NHS.uk. (2018). https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias/treatment/#:~:text=Exposure%20therapy%20works%20by%20gradually,less%20anxious%20about%20your%20phobia.

Turner, A. (2017). Selecting and Defining the Target Behavior - Practical Training Solutions. Practical training solutions. https://practicaltrainingsolutions.net/2017/05/30/selecting-and-defining-the-target-behavior/.