Grounded in the principles of behaviorism, a behavior modification plan, sometimes known as a contract, delineates specific steps that a client will take to change his behavior. Rewards and punishments for each behavior are clearly spelled out in the contract.
In order for a behavior modification plan to be successful, it must meet certain criteria. At a minimum, the contract should:
Be collaboratively written -- Both the client and the therapist must be involved in drafting the plan.
Provide clear, concrete goals -- “I will ask permission before leaving group” is better phrasing than “I will not be disruptive.”
Provide clear guidelines for receiving a reward -- “After 30 minutes of quietly working on my project, I can make a five-minute phone call” only works if the phone call is permitted immediately after the 30-minute work period.
Define the parameters of behavior monitoring -- Is the client self-monitoring? Will the therapist keep track of successes and failures? Is the client’s significant other involved?
Set out guidelines for contract review -- No behavior modification contract should be open-ended. Setting a date for review allows both the client and therapist to fully participate in the plan while keeping track of elements that do not work.
Behavior modification plans can be very successful if both client and therapist are committed to making the plans work. Nonetheless, it is important to follow the above guidelines in order to clarify the expectations on both sides.
