Neal's mother used a form of behavioral modification known as aversion therapy. By applying a foul-tasting substance to Neal's pens and pencils, she created a negative association with chewing them.
Neal's mother employed aversion therapy, a form of behavioral modification. By coating Neal's pens and pencils with a foul-tasting substance, she aimed to deter his habit of chewing them.
Aversion therapy operates on the principle of creating a negative association with a particular behavior by pairing it with an unpleasant stimulus. In this case, the unpleasant taste served as the aversive stimulus.
As Neal experienced the unpleasant taste whenever he chewed his pens and pencils, he associated the behavior with the unpleasant consequence. Over time, this association led to the suppression of the behavior as Neal's inclination to chew the pens and pencils decreased.