Instruction
Part A - Reflection Paper
In reading Chapter 8, you have seen how difficult it can be to eliminate unwanted behavior. Reinforcing a positive behavior to replace the unwanted behavior is a necessary step, but it is not always sufficient. Here is where the trainer becomes a detective, looking for clues about what might be sustaining the unwanted behavior. Stimulus control is often found to have a powerful influence, and it can be present not only in the context of the trainee’s personal environment, but also in the larger context of family, culture, and society. Now that you understand how stimulus control operates, you can begin to see how some people become stuck when they are surrounded by an unsupportive environment. The power of stigma, prejudice, and discrimination cannot be overstated. If individuals from undervalued groups encounter a hostile environment in treatment, education, or the workplace, the stigma that they feel becomes a burden.
For this assignment, choose one group that you feel that you may fall into that you believe carries some sort of stigma, prejudice, or discrimination in our society. Then, write a reflection paper that identifies some of the ways in which stimulus control could influence the behavior patterns of individuals within this group with which you identify. Be sure to utilize the theories and vocabulary from the course textbook, especially Chapter 8.