The Psychiatric Technician is using modeling to improve the behavior of a client in a group. Which of the following would the Psychiatric Technician do?

The Psychiatric Technician is using modeling to improve the behavior of a client in a group. Which of the following would the Psychiatric Technician do?

• A. Give verbal praise to another student who is demonstrating the desired behavior in the presence of the target student.
• B. Give the student verbal praise each time he completes increasingly larger portions of the assignment.
• C. Set up teams that compete against each other, with extra time at recess for the winning team.
• D. Give extra computer time to a student for not talking during the morning instruction session.

Answer: (A)

Modeling uses a visible peer who demonstrates the desired behavior and receives reinforcement, so others can imitate that behavior. In this scenario, praising another student who is exhibiting the target behavior in front of the group provides a concrete, observable example of the behavior being valued, and the reinforcement shown to that model encourages the target student to imitate it. This kind of peer modeling leverages social learning: the observer learns by watching and then repeats the behavior. The other approaches focus on reinforcing the target student directly or creating competition, rather than presenting a clear, observable model for the group. Praising the target student for portions of the assignment or giving extra computer time rewards the individual rather than showcasing a model to imitate, and competitive setups divert attention from demonstrating a positive behavior for all to copy.

Modeling uses a visible peer who demonstrates the desired behavior and receives reinforcement, so others can imitate that behavior. In this scenario, praising another student who is exhibiting the target behavior in front of the group provides a concrete, observable example of the behavior being valued, and the reinforcement shown to that model encourages the target student to imitate it. This kind of peer modeling leverages social learning: the observer learns by watching and then repeats the behavior.

The other approaches focus on reinforcing the target student directly or creating competition, rather than presenting a clear, observable model for the group. Praising the target student for portions of the assignment or giving extra computer time rewards the individual rather than showcasing a model to imitate, and competitive setups divert attention from demonstrating a positive behavior for all to copy.