Bird Droppings March 4, 2013
Changing Behavior

“In order to change behavior of a person, the ultimate factor is motivation, and more attention needs to be paid to the mental state.” The Dalai Lama

In dealing with students and people in general changing behavior is perhaps one element that crosses so many different aspects of life. It could be in parenting, teaching, the work place, and or life in the world in general for that manner. To better provide simplification we can narrow down to an individual and then we come back to basics. Essentially all behavior functions around a simple formula. There is an Antecedent or A, there is the actual Behavior B and a consequence C or in simple terms ABC. In order to modify or change behavior we have to change either A or C or make adjustments to those so we can achieve our desired end in the behavior. Within the realms of psychology this goes basically back to B.F. Skinner.

“Give me a child and I’ll shape him into anything.” Dr. Burrhus Fredrick Skinner

Having a degree in Emotional Behavior Disorders and Psychology I am generally pondering events in psychological terms and ideas. I was working on an IEP Individual Educational Plan for a student who happens to be EBD, Emotionally Behaviorally Disturbed. I recall the days gone by in the early seventies when in my undergraduate days at Mercer University I was running white rats in Skinner boxes to see if I could control the various behaviors of the rats by using a tasty morsel which would be provided when the rat pressed on the foot pad. Ring a bell so to say and press the pad and a piece of food dropped into the feed cup. I always thought it would be cool to have a foot pedal in class rooms and ring a bell and an order of French fries would drop out.

“Physics does not change the nature of the world it studies, and no science of behavior can change the essential nature of man, even though both sciences yield technologies with a vast power to manipulate the subject matters.” Dr. Burrhus Fredrick Skinner

Each day we are manipulated by the numerous different Medias as advertising has been a powerful motivator ever since the concept came into being. Each day ads splash across TV screens, newspapers, internet, websites and radio to say the least promising us youth and vigor if we use this product or a super duper price on an overpriced item. One recent endeavor which amazes me is how gasoline prices keep going up and our gas companies blame rebellions in the Middle East or OPEC or combinations of each. Somehow in all of this oil companies reap higher and higher profits. I was standing in line behind a woman paying for her gas at a convenience store and she was complaining ending the conversation with we need to drill more in US. Maybe one day the truth will unfold when oil runs out it is not production that is the issue but speculators and oil companies reaping profit and using media and hype to drive prices up. So we need more oil to help cut gas prices a great sales job somewhere and yet in the US five major oil companies control over eighty percent of US gas retailing. It wasn’t that many years ago the Federal Government broke up John D. Rockefeller’s monopoly on oil.
Interesting how John D. Rockefeller was the wealthiest man in the world at the time and in today’s dollars he would be worth more than the top twenty wealthiest on Forbes list. We are arguing a pipeline currently cutting from oil sands of Canada through Midwest to Texas refineries. Pipeline is destined for a specific refinery that by chance sits in a no tax zone and oil is not destined for US but China and elsewhere. When you read the fine print we are currently exporting more oil and gas than ever in US history. If more oil means lower gasoline prices why are we exporting? It comes to supply and demand and who will pay what oil companies want for oil which has a barrel price set internationally not in US alone. More to it than ok we have more oil.

“When new turns of behavior cease to appear in the life of the individual, its behavior ceases to be intelligent.” C. E. Coghill

“What is the appropriate behavior for a man or a woman in the midst of this world, where each person is clinging to his piece of debris? What’s the proper salutation between people as they pass each other in this flood?” Leonard Cohen

So how do we avoid the traps of media and of the lobbyists influenced politicians who sway the populous and stir up the mob? How do we on a smaller basis influence men and women and change behavior.

“To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say.” Rene Descartes

“Perfect behavior is born of complete indifference.” Cesare Pavese

One aspect of trying to change behavior is that we need to truly observe that which we want to change first. So often the behavior may really not be in need of changing it may be us who needs changing in our perspective perhaps. Yesterday I had an assignment on the board select a poem and explain the poem, actually one of my students made the assignment up which in and of itself was sort of interesting. One fellow finished up pretty quick he had found a Shel Silverstein poem from “Where the Side Walk Ends”, a book of Shel’s poetry. A good website for teachers and parents for fun at home or class room is the poetry kit.

Click to access PoetryClassroomBooklet.pdf

The poem the young man chose was called, The Early Bird. It is a simple four line wonder about the early bird catching the worm and ending with if I were a worm I would sleep late. It is about perspective. As I look at the behavior of the bird and worm one is trying to eat to survive and one is trying to survive to eat. So in effect it depends on whose point of view we take and so often in viewing behaviors perspective and perception is a key issue. For teachers and parents of young children a neat site poems and stories performed by Shel Silverstein.

http://www.shelsilverstein.com/indexSite.html

A bit of a side track from politics and behavior yet is it really what drives us motivates us to do what we do.

“When man learns to understand and control his own behavior as well as he is learning to understand and control the behavior of crop plants and domestic animals, he may be justified in believing that he has become civilized.” E. G. Stakman

“People don’t change their behavior unless it makes a difference for them to do so.” Fran Tarkenton

Changing behavior becomes more than just a quick word or two or as in my case those many years ago a few pellets of food for a food satiated rat. With Human Beings changing behavior and maintaining those changes often entails changing attitudes as well.

“Our attitudes control our lives. Attitudes are a secret power working twenty-four hours a day, for good or bad. It is of paramount importance that we know how to harness and control this great force.” Tom Blandi

“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I watch daily people seeing the world through different eyes. In one case a superior sees a person missing several days of work or school and talks about responsibility and being to work or school in a timely manner. On the other hand that persons view perhaps is totally different and perhaps being there is not as important to them, perhaps it is hell as Emerson states.

“Nothing in life is so hard that you can’t make it easier by the way you take it.” Ellen Glasgow

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

In life perhaps some of the greatest behaviorists are coaches as I watch each day they take a team and literally psych those players up. Basketball is a very psychological sport and literally a team wins and loses based on attitude and or behavior. What motivates this team to win yet demotivates this team enough to lose. I come back to my first quote from his holiness the Dalai Lama.

“In order to change behavior of a person, the ultimate factor is motivation”

What drives that person is it peer relationships, money, M&M’s, what makes that person tick and when we know what makes us tick we change behavior, we change attitudes, and we change the way things happen. Sadly and unfortunately advertising companies and politicians know these things as well. I recall a cartoon used by many of a cart and a donkey. The driver of the cart has a stick with a carrot on it and of course the donkey moves forward towards the carrot. Sometimes behavior is this simple but in a heartbeat that donkey can kick and destroy the cart as well, which is part two of the Dalai Lamas statement.

“and more attention needs to be paid to the mental state.”

Perspective and attitude are the keys. If we more carefully look at our own wants and needs we can more better appreciate what it is that drives and motivates those around us and in effect better learn what it that motivates them and can allow for behavior change through understanding. Would it not be great if we could ABC the world so for today as always please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and to always give thanks namaste.

Wa de (Skee)
bird