Home Reinforcement Analysis

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As a student, I have always felt that I work best under pressure. Naturally that means that hitherto I have never taken homework home in my life. I have always just delegated time to do it on the bus, in class -- even the period it was to be due. Luckily I have never had to face the music or receive comeuppance of any kind for this -- whether it be a bad grade or having to turn in the assignment late -- and I think that fact has made me more brazen about my keeping work and home separate. In my own opinion, receiving that comeuppance is not a possibility, but an eventuality, so to condition myself to do my homework -- at home -- was the perfect choice.
Going into the project, I felt that a system of positive reinforcement and negative punishment …show more content…

I have found myself bringing home homework with the intention of doing it, and then I remembered that no, I don’t really have to do that anymore and also that yes, I do want to play battlefield. From that observation it seems logical that only the threat of punishment keeps me doing the responsible thing. During the actual trial, I was very diligent; I only broke twice and following that I administered the punishment. Given the breaks in time between the two events, five days, I can deduce that the punishment being being fresh in my mind worked to dissuade me from not doing my homework and that as time went on the threat of punishment, the reinforcement, became less real in my head -- extinction. A side effect that I did notice and accurately predict beforehand was doing my homework in school -- before its due date -- to avoid having to bring it home. I observed that happen twice as intended, but I am sure that there were other times where I finished one assignment during school, but still had another left to bring home. In all, my behavior modification was only effective during the trial and as soon as the punishment element was removed, the house of conditioning collapsed in on …show more content…

In terms of legitimate behavior modification, I would make few changes. First, and most importantly I would make it a condition that I can only access the reward following the behavior -- with my current plan withstanding, I could theoretically play battlefield after my phone was taken away, which defeats the purpose. I wouldn’t mind being without my phone so long as I could play Battlefield. Second, I think that if the trial was to take place over a longer period of time, then I think the effects would benefit me in the long term more

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