Determine My Behavioral Chain

“ABC, easy as 123.  ABC, 123, baby, you and me!”  Those lyrics from the Jackson 5’s hit song always spring to mind when I teach the behavioral chain. Because it is as easy as ABC, 123.

1 Antecedents

–>

2 Behavior

–>

3 Consequences

It’s a well-defined sequence: Antecedents trigger your problem Behavior, which then brings Consequences. It’s as simple as that; one thing leads to another and then to another. 123.

Let’s become a “behavioral detective” and identify what triggers the problem and what maintains it. This process requires a bit of detective work on your part, but it will certainly pay off in informing your action plan.

Antecedents occur before and may precipitate the problem in question. What are the environmental, interpersonal, and mood triggers? What time of the day do these seem to regularly occur?  What were the situations (where you were, what you were doing, who you were with) and your feelings (sad, happy, stressed, relaxed, bored, lonely, etc.) before the problem occurred?

Behavior is the problem behavior as well as the healthy alternatives to it.

Consequences occur after the problem and are usually contingent on it. As you’ve learned, short-term consequences of our behaviors can often be very rewarding—yummy, soothing, releasing, sedating, and so on. But the long-term consequences can be painful and destructive; sadly, we attend far more to the immediate than the delayed consequences. That’s why we record both the immediate and delayed results of your problem.

Here’s how to sleuth out your ABCs. Track them formally for several days using the blank forms we will provide below.

As an example, here’s the shortened results of an ABC behavioral chain that I do with my students in the Clinical Psychology course regarding their problem drinking on campus.  It’s a serious problem; about one-third of college students suffer from alcohol abuse. The behavioral chain is a serious way to understand its causes and to chart its solutions.

Antecedents	–>	Behavior	–>	Short-Term Consequences	–>	Long-Term Consequences
Bored Stressed from school My friends are at the bar Not much to do at night Weekends		Drink Drink Drink Drink Drink		Fun, maybe hook up Relaxed, mellow With my friends, bonding Lot better than studying! Enjoy the party scene		Miss class in morning Sick, hangover Blackouts Sexual risks Poor decisions Academic failure Money problems Loss of reputation Screwing up my future

The results of the Behavioral Chain allow the solutions to practically jump out.

• In terms of Antecedents, find healthier ways to relax than drinking, develop social norms on campus that do not depend on alcohol, and fill your night life with pleasurable activities that don’t involve the bars, for example.
• In terms of Behaviors, learn healthier substitutes that meet the underlying needs of fun, friends, and freedom. Learn social skills, coping skills, and relaxation skills.
• In terms of Consequences, reverse the rewards of the immediate consequences and the punishments of the delayed consequences.  I joke with my students that I could cut campus drinking in half if we required all students to attend 8 am classes!

Complete the blank Behavioral Chain/Behavioral Detective Form for your problem behavior for, say, 5 days.   You’ll learn a lot about the pattern of your problem and, more importantly, how to correct it. Tis a roadmap to your goal. ABC, easy as 123.