Texting Goes Silent

-
    

Ever texted a crush? A friend who owes you money? A long-lost friend you wish to get in contact with again and never got anything more than silence? You’re just trying to continue the conversation as it slowly dies out then one day without a response becomes a week, into months then they seem to disappear which is when you stop, not because you want to but because your brain is wired to extinct the behavior. The way your brain exhibits this is that your text is the behavior, the reinforcement is the person texts you back and then the change is that the person stops responding. Your brain reacts negatively and realizes this no response affects your dopamine levels. You keep trying hoping for a response, this is called an extinction burst which is a short last desperate attempt in effort before giving up and knowing this person isn’t responding anymore. After enough time passes, your brain fully gives up and the behavior of you texting is extinguished.

    I feel as though it is important to recognize that this is a problem almost everyone has faced in their life. It is also important to realize that each and every persons brain is  programed to deal with the situations of “ghosting” in similar ways. Another aspect that is important after learning this is to see ghosting in a positive manner by removing the large impact the reinforcement has on you. If you stop expecting so much, you can live happier by not losing sleep over this person not responding, snacking at midnight, and doing anything just to pass time. Looking back, it is important to recognize when you are in an extinction burst because once you realize you’re about to give up. you can push through it instead. Overall, it important to recognize the way your brain works and how you can make yourself feel greater and stronger by reacting different to being ghosted. 

    Sources:
Regoup, “Brain Chemistry, Dopamine, and the Secret Power of Texting.” Regroup Mass Notification, 25 Nov. 2024, www.regroup.com/blog/brain-chemistry-and-the-secret-power-of-texting 

Nolan, Tim. “The Science of Ghosting.” The Science of Ghosting | Aubrey Daniels International, 19 Nov. 2019, www.aubreydaniels.com/blog/the-science-of-ghosting.  

Comments

  1. Bella ModernoJune 14, 2025 at 10:15 AM

    I like the way you described the activity of texting because it reminded me a lot of the three term contingency (ABC) commonly used in ABA therapy. The antecedent would be wanting to maintain a relationship, the behavior is sending the text, and the consequence is receiving a response or not.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Operant Conditioning in Disney Movies

-
Image
I always liked Disney movies and I have never noticed that they used operant conditioning. In the video they use positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. The movies that they talk about are Toy Story, Cinderella, Inside Out, and Lion King. This video made me think about other movies that use operant conditioning, and when I watch another movie I will try to notice these little things. Cinderella uses positive reinforcement by if Cinderella does her chores she gets to go to the ball. Toy Story uses negative reinforcement by how Woody removes Buzz so that Andy will continue his behavior in choosing Woody to play with. Lion King uses positive punishment by when Rafiki hits Simba on the head from stopping Simba from thinking about the past. Inside Out uses negative punishment by Riley's dad taking away dessert to stop her from crying about eating broccoli. This video made me understand reinforcement and punishment better and the di...
Read more

The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health

-
Social media's impact on teenage mental health is a crucial area where developmental psychology and contemporary technology converge. Teenagers can explore their identities and engage in social interaction on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but these platforms also bring in complexity that can negatively affect mental health. Studies highlight how frequent use of social media can exacerbate problems including low self-esteem and anxiety, which are frequently caused by comparisons with idealized online identities and exposure to cyberbullying. These relationships are consistent with social psychology theories that highlight how social factors shape people's behavior and mental health consequences.                A critical assessment of this influence demands preventative actions to minimize possible risks while maximizing social media's advantages. In order to help teenagers develop resilience-building skills and digital literacy, educat...
Read more

Social Learning Theory

-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhe6p3Xkzt0 Social Learning Theory- the view people learn by observing others. I shared a video clip from the movie, Big Daddy, to show an example of social learning theory. You develop behaviors, views, and attitudes from social context. In this clip, you see how the little boy develops the same behavior as his mentor. Who does inappropriate behavior that feeds off to the little kid. Psychologist, Albert Bandura, assimilted two theories into four different requirements for learning - observation (environmental), retention (cognitive), reproduction (cognitive), and motivation (both).
Read more