BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

by David Nuttle

Behavior modification may be a very negative or positive event in the lives of many people, and it is important to understand the process to avoid potential abuse.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and Viet communists, during the Vietnam War, used and experimented with behavior modification on prisoners. American POWs, held by the Viet communists experienced extensive abuse in horrific efforts to force responses per their cruel captors' harsh demands. Injuries and illnesses were never treated, prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions & very poor diets were a means to damage health, ice cold showers and extensive torture was a means to create extensive fear and compliance. Almost daily harsh interrogation determined if POWs were responding as demanded. A good friend, Mike B., was captured by PAVN (north Viet troops) and spent 5-years, at the Viet POW facility known as the Hanoi Hilton. Mike was tortured almost daily by his Viet captors. His first year he was confined alone to a black box that had extreme solar heating during the day. The roof on this metal box was so low Mike said he could only sit or lay flat. Without a doubt, this form of behavior modification was harmful and totally negative. N. B. Mike survived but his health is poor as a result of his POW experience.

In the last few years, the CCP started using "carrot and stick" operations for behavior-type compliance for foreign visitors to the PRC (China). In order to force the target foreigners to spy on their own governments, or engage in hostile acts to harm their governments, the CCP offered large cash bribes as the "carrot." The "stick" was a video of a wild sex party, of the foreign visitor with a CCP "entrapment hooker" trained to lure a target visitor into a CCP controlled hotel room with covert video-making equipment. The "entrapment hookers" all do such work to keep their parents alive knowing the CCP will kill them if these young attractive Chinese girls fail to perform as asked. A PRC Chinese family, friends of mine, experienced the loss of an intelligent and beautiful teenage daughter because of this very horrific CCP entrapment program. When said sex video was used for blackmail, the Behavior Modification was in the form of coercive persuasion. Communist treatment of POWs was also in that form.

Young parents with a child who has a tantrum if they are not provided with the candy they want while in a checkout line, at the grocery store, employ behavior modification when they refuse to buy their child the candy they demand. A negative response is to buy their child the candy they demand to end the child's tantrum. A few parents will experience habituation and expect their child to have such a tantrum and reward them by buying them the candy they have demanded.

Planned behavior modification for adults may be used to end obesity, drug or alcohol abuse, gang or criminal activities, and/or bad habits. In so doing, the law requires that the informed consent of those being treated be obtained. Elements of such treatment typically include: a) Response stimulus; b) Consequences; c) Reinforcement; d) Perception; e) Just punishment for failures; and f) Reward(s) for successful behavior modification. In most cases a professional behavior modification coach is needed. Under some circumstances parents can study program concepts and create a good behavior modification effort for their own child or children in need of such change. However, the change is far more difficult for most children over age 14.

Behavior modification can be a very powerful tool used in a positive or negative way so use should never by hap-hazard and generally requires help from a professional with a record of proven skills in this area.