Eight Methods: A Taxonomy of Behavior Removal

Definition

Pryor presents eight—and only eight—distinct methods for getting rid of unwanted behavior. She claims that every intervention for eliminating a behavior is a variation of one of these methods. Four use aversive/negative approaches; four use positive reinforcement. The methods form a complete taxonomy: (1) Removal/Elimination of the subject from the situation; (2) Punishment; (3) Negative Reinforcement (removing something unpleasant contingent on behavior change); (4) Extinction (removing reinforcement so behavior dies out); (5) Training an Incompatible Behavior (teaching something physically impossible to do alongside the unwanted behavior); (6) Putting Behavior on Cue (bringing it under stimulus control, then never giving the cue); (7) Shaping the Absence (reinforcing anything except the unwanted behavior, a.k.a. DRO—Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior); and (8) Change the Motivation (eliminating the underlying need or drive that produces the behavior).

In the Book

Pryor describes each method with detailed examples and pros/cons. Method 1 (elimination) definitely works but teaches nothing—e.g., firing an employee solves the immediate problem but leaves them without skills for their next job. Method 2 (punishment) is humanity's favorite but often fails because it stops behavior rather than starting new behavior, and causes fear and avoidance as side effects. Method 3 (negative reinforcement—removing the car horn until kids quiet down) can work but contains a built-in punisher element and risks spillover effects.

Methods 4-8 use positive reinforcement. Extinction (Method 4) works for attention-seeking whining if you can truly ignore it, but fails for self-reinforcing behaviors like barking. Method 5 (incompatible behavior) is "especially useful for athletes and pet owners"—train a dog to lie down in the doorway during meals (lying down is incompatible with begging). Method 6 (stimulus control), which Pryor calls "the dolphin trainer's most elegant method," brings a behavior under cue control so it only occurs on command, then never give the command—she used this to eliminate a dolphin sinking to avoid blindfolds by first reinforcing it on cue, proving it was voluntary, then stopping the cue.

Method 7 (shape the absence) reinforces anything but the target behavior—to change her mother's complaints into cheerfulness, Pryor deliberately ignored complaints and enthusiastically engaged with every other topic, and within two months reversed a twenty-year pattern. Method 8 (change motivation) is "the most humane and often most effective"—feed hungry children before the supermarket trip instead of managing tantrums; provide lonely dogs with companionship instead of trying to suppress barking; help adults find meaningful work instead of punishing laziness.

Pryor provides a table showing how each method might address the same problem (e.g., a roommate leaving laundry everywhere), demonstrating that every situation has multiple solution paths.

Why It Matters

The Eight Methods framework transforms behavior change from an ad-hoc art into a systematic practice. It reveals that punishment is just one tool among eight, and often not the best one. For parents, managers, teachers, and anyone trying to help someone (including themselves) change behavior, the framework provides a complete checklist: "I've tried Method 2; it didn't work. What does Method 5 look like in this situation?" The distinction between "positive" and "negative" methods also reframes the conversation away from emotional judgments ("be nice") toward functional outcomes. Most importantly, it makes clear that the most effective long-term solutions (Methods 5, 7, 8) involve building new capabilities or understanding motivation, not just suppressing symptoms. For complex, persistent problems—addiction, chronic lateness, nail-biting—the book shows that combination approaches using multiple methods together often work when any single method fails.