It’s not uncommon for people to exhibit undesirable behaviors for various reasons. As human beings, we tend to form habits and patterns that can be difficult to break. Oftentimes, these problematic behaviors develop over an extended period and can pose a challenge when it comes to making positive changes. However, replacing these unwanted behaviors with positive alternatives with alternative behavior strategies can be a highly effective approach.
By doing so, we can create new patterns and habits that are more beneficial and help us achieve our goals. It’s important to recognize that replacing negative behaviors with positive ones takes time and effort, but the results are worth it. With persistence and patience, we can make significant progress towards living a more fulfilling life.
Understanding the Motivation Behind the Alternative Behavior Strategies
The first step in developing alternative behaviors is to understand the alternative behavior strategies and why the undesirable behavior is occurring in the first place. Oftentimes, problematic behaviors are actually filling some type of need, even if it’s not being met in a healthy way.
For example, a child might constantly call out in class because they are seeking attention and connection with the teacher and other students. An adult might overeat unhealthy foods because it brings them temporary comfort or distraction from stress. Identifying the root motivation helps guide the development of a new behavior that can fill that same need in a better way.
Some common motivations behind undesirable behaviors include:
- Seeking connection or belonging
- Seeking sensory input
- Seeking comfort, security, or distraction
- Exerting control or independence
- Meeting a physiological need (hunger, sleep, etc.)
- Communicating an unmet need
- Fulfilling a habit or compulsion
Spending time to reflect on the purpose the behavior serves will provide critical insight into what the alternative behavior should be. The new behavior has to fill that same need or provide a similar function in order for it to stick.
Consider Multiple Alternative Options
Once you understand the motivation behind the behavior, it’s helpful to brainstorm multiple alternative options to replace it. This allows you to evaluate different possibilities and choose the one that is the best fit.
For the child that calls out in class, alternative attention-seeking behaviors could include:
- Raising their hand appropriately
- Gaining the teacher’s attention in a polite way
- Asking the teacher for a job to help out
- Sharing something quietly with a classmate
For the adult that overeats due to stress, alternate soothing behaviors could be:
- Taking a relaxing bath
- Reading a book or listening to music
- Calling a friend
- Going for a walk
- Practicing meditation or deep breathing
Generating a number of alternatives is useful because some options will likely work better than others for each unique situation. It also provides flexibility to rotate different behaviors to maintain their effectiveness.
Choose Replacement Behaviors Strategically
When selecting a replacement behavior, consider the following factors:
Age-appropriateness – For children especially, make sure the new behavior is developmentally appropriate and something the child is capable of doing.
Accessibility – How easy is it for the person to engage in this new behavior throughout their daily life? If it requires resources they don’t have access to, it won’t work well.
Immediate impact – The new behavior needs to quickly meet the underlying need or motivation that was driving the unwanted behavior in the first place.
Social acceptability – Will the new behavior be considered socially appropriate and not disruptive or concerning to others?
Presence of cues – Having concrete cues in the environment can remind the person to do the alternative behavior when needed.
Ability to self-monitor – Some individuals will need more support to remember and implement their new behavior at first. Evaluating their own self-monitoring skills is important.
Level of disruption – How disruptive will it be to interrupt the undesirable behavior pattern and establish something new? More ingrained behaviors will require more patience and consistency.
Likelihood of reinforcement – Will the person experience rewarding outcomes and feedback from engaging in the alternative behavior that motivate continued use?
Thinking through these key factors will optimize success in replacing existing behaviors with new ones.
Set the Person Up for Success
Making meaningful behavior changes isn’t easy, so it’s important to set the person up for success as much as possible.
Start small – Focus on just one specific behavior at a time that can be worked on in short bursts. Overhaul is overwhelming.
Prepare the environment – Arrange spaces to promote and cue the alternative behavior. Make sure needed tools or materials are on hand. Reduce access to triggers of the unwanted behavior if possible.
Model the behavior – Demonstrate the new behavior yourself first. Lead the person through it step-by-step. Provide pictures, videos or written instructions as needed.
Use prompts as reminders – Verbal prompts, visual prompts or tactile prompts can all help cue the person to engage in the replacement behavior when appropriate. Gradually reduce prompt use over time.
Reinforce immediately – When the alternative behavior occurs, offer praise, encouragement or another reinforcer as soon as possible after. This helps increase repetition.
Be patient – It takes time to develop new habits. Expect mistakes and backslides. Stay positive and keep reinforcing approximations along the way.
Monitor consistently – Keep track of instances of both positive and negative behaviors. Review progress and make adjustments.
Communicate with others – Fill in family members, teachers, caregivers or anyone else involved about the plan so they can prompt and reinforce too.
With the right supports in place initially, new behaviors are more likely to stick. Gradually remove external prompts and reinforcers, and the intrinsic rewards will take over to maintain the behavior change.
Troubleshoot Challenges
Switching out well-established behaviors for new ones is difficult, so challenges inevitably come up. Staying calm and applying some troubleshooting strategies keeps things moving in the right direction.
If behavior worsens first – This “extinction burst” happens when someone ramps up an unwanted behavior to try and get the old results. Stay consistent, don’t reinforce it, and ride it out.
If new behavior isn’t effective yet – The person may need more intensive teaching, stronger reinforcement or additional environmental adaptations to do the replacement behavior properly.
If alternative behavior isn’t generalizing – Increase practice examples in different settings and circumstances to highlight when and where the behavior applies.
If motivation is lacking – Reevaluate the function the old behavior served. Does the new behavior really meet that need? Find ways to increase the intrinsic rewards.
If too many demands occur at once – Scale back to focus on one behavior change until it’s solidified before moving to something else. Small incremental steps work best.
If progress stalls – Review the original motivation, and also look for any new triggers or antecedents setting the stage for the problem behavior again. Adjust accordingly.
If supports are removed too soon – People often need ongoing cues, reinforcement and accountability to really cement new habits long term. Provide continued monitoring and validation.
Adapting the alternative behavior strategies and responding to individual difficulties with calm patience and consistency leads to better adoption of replacement behaviors. Change takes time, but it is possible with the right alternative behavior strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t identify the purpose behind a problematic behavior?
Take time to closely observe antecedents, consequences and patterns around when the behavior does and doesn’t occur. Also look at communications or demands being made beforehand. Consult others for their perspectives too. The primary motivation often becomes clearer over time.
How do I teach the new alternative behavior?
Break the skill down into small, concrete steps. Demonstrate the behavior yourself, and then walk the person through imitating you. Use prompts, guides and environmental supports as needed. Be sure to offer reinforcement when they are able to approximate the behavior.
How long does it take to change a behavior?
It depends on the person and the behavior itself. Generally minor changes may take 2-6 weeks of consistent practice to become habit. More significant behavior changes often take 2-3 months of daily reinforcement. Severe or traumatic behaviors may take much longer with intensive supports. Remain patient and focus on incremental progress.
What if the alternative behavior isn’t working?
First re-evaluate whether the new behavior truly serves the same purpose for the individual. If it does, ensure you are modeling, prompting, and reinforcing it correctly and consistently. You may need to adapt environmental factors or provide more intensive teaching of the skill itself before it can be used functionally.
How can I get others to help reinforce alternative behaviors?
Openly communicate with family members, teachers, caregivers and other stakeholders. Explain the motivation behind the behavior change and how they can prompt, cue and reinforce the new behavior. Ongoing collaboration helps ensure alignment. Provide updates and appreciation for their support.
Understanding the underlying causes of anger is crucial, and addressing them through positive alternative behaviors takes diligence from everyone involved, but it can greatly benefit the individual and improve challenging situations over time, with consistency and patience being key factors in the process.
