4 Steps to Change your behavior

The 4 Step Model of Behavior Change

1. Cue
2. Craving
3. Response
4. Reward

This model of behavior change was originally studied by psychology and behaviorist B.F. Skinner (1904-1990). Skinner was a proponent of operant conditioning.

Operant Conditioning:

TLDR: To simplify, operant conditioning is the idea that rewards increase the likelihood that a behavior will recur and punishment decreases that likelihood.

The 4 Types of Behavior Change

1. Positive Reinforcement
   1. ‘Positive’ implies the addition of something new to a situation
   2. ‘Reinforcement’ implies that you are trying to increase a behavior
   3. Example: When you are teaching your dog to sit, you offer them a treat after they sit
2. Negative Reinforcement
   1. ‘Negative’ implies the removal of something from a situation
   2. ‘Reinforcement’ implies that you are trying to increase a behavior
   3. Example: When a student works very hard in class and accomplishes a lot, their teacher can remove their homework assignment for the night to reinforce their hard work in class
3. Positive Punishment
   1. ‘Positive’ implies the addition of something new to a situation
   2. ‘Punishment’ implies that you are trying to decrease a behavior
   3. Example: When a child misbehaves in class, the teacher makes them write the class rules 10 times to decrease their misbehavior
4. Negative Punishment
   1. ‘Negative’ implies the removal of something from a situation
   2. ‘Punishment’ implies that you are trying to decrease a behavior
   3. Example: When a child does not do their homework, their parent takes away their TV time to decrease the times that their child does not do their homework

How to Facilitate Change in 4 Steps

You can accomplish and facilitate behavior change through the 4 step model that all behaviors follow : cue, craving, response, reward.

Cues are triggers that initiate a behavior, it is a bit of information that indicates that a reward is coming. Cravings are the motivational force driving a behavior. Responses are the actual behaviors or habits you perform. Rewards are the end goal of every behavior or habit.

However, without all four of these components, you will not be able to establish a behavior as a habit. When missing a cue, you will have no indication that a behavior needs to occur. Without a craving, you won’t have the motivation to start a behavior. Without a response there is no behavior to repeat. When missing a reward, you will have no reason to repeat your behavior.

Next are some examples of these four steps of behavior that occur in everyday life. Examine how your own behaviors fit into these four steps by analyzing each behavior’s cue, craving, response, and reward.