La ciencia de la conducta, Dr. Fernando Armendariz/Terapia Contingencial.

Summary

The video discusses the power parents have to influence their children's behavior, including those with disabilities like autism or Down syndrome. It emphasizes how a child's conduct is shaped by their environment and the responses they receive. The speaker highlights three main challenges parents face in applying these behavioral techniques: societal expectations, the struggle to balance punishment and positive reinforcement, and the difficulty of consistent monitoring. The video encourages parents to take an active role in shaping their child's behavior by recognizing good actions and carefully addressing negative ones.

Takeaways

• 😀 Parents have a significant potential to shape their child's behavior, even in children with conditions like autism or Down syndrome.
• 🙂 Behavior is molded by how parents and the environment respond to a child's actions every second of their life.
• 😌 The first challenge parents face is that behavioral suggestions often differ greatly from traditional psychology or societal beliefs about parenting.
• 🤔 Society often teaches that a 'good parent' should always be kind and accommodating, especially for children with disabilities, but this may lead to poor behavior management.
• 😬 Another misconception is that parents should punish bad behavior instead of recognizing and rewarding good behavior.
• 💡 It's essential to reward positive behavior in children, just as employers do with employees, yet many parents struggle to do this.
• 😳 Parents often unintentionally give more attention to misbehaving children, reinforcing the negative behavior and neglecting those who are doing well.
• 🧐 Lack of time and energy makes it difficult for parents to consistently monitor tasks like homework, which leads to children getting away with poor behavior.
• 😔 Many parents give in to a child's demands, especially when they start crying or throwing tantrums, as a quick solution to stop the problem.
• 🧠 Learning the correct techniques for managing behavior in everyday situations is challenging because few professionals teach these methods effectively.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video?

The video discusses how behavioral science gives parents the power to shape their children's behavior, especially when dealing with children who have disabilities like autism or Down syndrome.

Why do parents find it challenging to apply the suggested behavioral techniques?

Parents often struggle because the suggested techniques differ significantly from traditional advice or societal norms regarding parenting, especially when dealing with children with disabilities.

How does society influence parents’ perception of what it means to be a good parent?

Society often teaches that being a good parent involves being overly lenient or considerate, especially towards children with disabilities. This mindset can hinder parents from properly addressing negative behaviors.

What example does the speaker provide about allowing children to misbehave due to societal norms?

The speaker gives an example where a child with autism grabs a toy from another child, and instead of correcting the behavior, the parents allow it, believing they are being considerate due to the child’s disability.

Why do some parents resist recognizing positive behavior in their children?

Many parents feel that doing what is right, like completing homework or chores, is expected from children and doesn't require praise. This mindset is contrasted with the idea of recognizing good performance, as is done in professional settings.

What negative consequence can arise from giving attention to misbehavior?

By giving attention to misbehavior, parents inadvertently reinforce it, making the child more likely to repeat undesirable behaviors because they associate those actions with receiving attention.

How does the speaker suggest handling attention during homework time with multiple children?

The speaker suggests that instead of focusing on the child who is not doing their homework, parents should direct their attention and praise toward the child who is working diligently, reinforcing positive behavior.

What is a common challenge parents face when their child resists doing homework?

Parents often find themselves giving attention to the child who is not doing their homework, which can reinforce negative behavior, while ignoring the child who is actually completing their tasks.

What does the speaker say about giving in to a child’s demands when they throw a tantrum?

The speaker explains that giving in to a child’s tantrum may provide immediate relief, but it teaches the child that they can get what they want through misbehavior, leading to more frequent and intense tantrums.

How can parents overcome societal pressure when disciplining children with disabilities?

Parents need to resist societal pressure to be overly permissive and instead focus on consistently shaping positive behavior, even if it means facing criticism or uncomfortable situations.