How to Teach a Chicken to Dance

Behavioral science is really an odd bird. This is because so many people struggle with cause and effect. This is also why the patient who is brought into therapy is often not the focus for the change. The patient's spouse, employees, parent, etc, are often the individuals in a hold pattern of responding to behavior which gets, at the least, periodic reward. For the child acting out, the reward may be attention. If the child does not learn to get positive attention, they WILL learn to get negative attention. (Second born child syndrome: If the child cannot compete with the abilities of the older sibling they will act Behavioral science is really an odd bird. This is because so many people struggle with cause and effect. This is also why the patient who is brought into therapy is often not the focus for the change. The patient's spouse, employees, parent, etc, are often the individuals in a hold pattern of responding to behavior which gets, at the least, periodic reward. For the child acting out, the reward may be attention. If the child does not learn to get positive attention, they WILL learn to get negative attention. (Second born child syndrome: If the child cannot compete with the abilities of the older sibling they will act out for negative attention. Let's face it. Negative attention beats no attention. )

The same goes with the woman who complains about the guy who keeps calling on the telephone. Every time she answers the phone, she is rewarding the behavior. And as the gambling industry has so effectively put into practice, periodic reward is more addictive than constant reward. If you do not hear the little bells ring every twenty minutes or so with a few coins deposited back, you will not continue to feed the machine.

Those with cause and effect problems do not realize that if they are not getting the response they desire, they need to change the approach. Beating the dog harder does not change the problem. It would be much simpler to change the time you feed the dog, be available to take the dog out at the appropriate time, and praise the dog for the desired results. I have seen prisoner's work with dogs and the offenders grasp the ideas very quickly. I believe that everyone who works in education, management or supervision should be required to take a class in dog training.

HOW TO TEACH A CHICKEN TO DANCE:

You must believe the chicken is not evil. The chicken is not out to get you. The chicken's does not live just to annoy you. Its mission in life is not to frustrate you.

You must reward the chicken for behavior you want. Reward the chicken with something the chicken actually likes, not something you think the chicken ought to like.

You must reward close approximations of the behavior, if the chicken turns his head in the right direction, reward him! Do not wait until the chicken dances perfectly. If the chicken points a toe in the right direction, reward him.

You must ignore behavior you do not want; the non-dancing behavior.

Do not use punishment. Rewards for the desired behavior need to greatly exceed any punishment.

THESE PRINCIPLES MUST BE SUPPORTED BY THIS BASIC RULE: "THE DESIRE FOR CHANGE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHANGE MUST RESIDE WITHIN THE SAME PERSON."

If one may teach a chicken to dance by following these principles, it follows that a parent could teach a child, a spouse could teach a spouse, a friend could teach a friend, or a partner could teach a partner.

Now for your laugh of the day: go to you tube and view Stroszek-Dancing Chicken.