Behavior Contracting
Behavior Contracting
Behavior contracting is a written agreement between people highlighting the specific behaviors, expectations, and consequences associated with those behaviors. It is essential for outlining the responsibility and the rules and is mainly applied in education and therapy to bring about the desired behavior.
What is the purpose of a behavior contract?
A behavior contract is mainly intended to be a precise document describing the expectations and obligations of the people taking part in the contract. It acts as a tool for promoting accountability, improving communication, and encouraging the positive change of behavior by stating the required behaviors, potential rewards for complying, and consequences for breaking rules. For instance, in a classroom, a behavior contract can be designed to state that if a student finishes homework on time, he/she will be rewarded with privileges like extra playtime.
How do you create an effective behavior contract?
The successful formulation of a behavior contract such as this is the end/finish of a collaborative effort in which everybody agrees on the conditions/terms. First of all, you should define the exact/fixed behaviors that you want to change, and then set clear targets such as the rewards for achieving the goals and the penalties for not achieving them. For example, the behavior contract for a kid may elucidate a promise to the child to do household chores in exchange for the time to watch a screen, along with the explicit(timelines) benchmarks to mark completion and list of penalties for not being in compliance with it.
Who can benefit from behavior contracting?
A wide variety of people such as students, employees, and clients in therapy or counseling can take advantage of behavior contracting. In classrooms, teachers can apply these contracts to encourage students to become accountable for their actions and strengthen their behavior. For instance, a supervisor may resort to a behavior contract to tackle performance issues, which makes it clear that we as employees need to be aware of our expectations and the help available to ensure our success.
What challenges might arise when implementing a behavior contract?
Difficulties in the implementation of behavior contracts can happen because of the enunciated lack of dedication of one of both contractors, absence of definite right on the expectation, or breaking the promise to o no filling the conformance. The best way to deal with them is to sign and have a contract that is mutually endorsed, to put it in clear language, and revisit it regularly for the necessary adjustments. By way of explanation, In such a case, if a student continuously does not achieve their goals, it is possible that the contract would need to be reviewed to be more consistent with their skills and willingness.