By Ruby Hensley

1. A Behavioral Analysis by Ruby Hensley

2. Why Stranger Things?
Given the fact that many presentations related to concepts of
behavior have to do with training a subject or managing an
“inappropriate” behavior, I thought of doing something different
by analyzing the different behaviors of the cult favorite Netflix
show, Stranger Things. The show presents many beneficial
examples of behavioral contingencies in both real and fictional
settings, so a behavioral analysis on this series would be apt.

3. WARNING
This contains spoilers.

4. Will and the Demogorgon: The Behavior Chain
Will Byers, one of the main characters of the show, is
kidnapped by the Demogorgon, a creature from the
Upside Down, and not found until the end of the
season. While home alone, Will hears and sees the
Demogorgon outside his window. Frightened, he tries
to call for help; when this does not work, he runs to the
shack in the backyard, loads his small shotgun, and
prepares himself to fend off the Demogorgon. This
survival behavior can best be described through a
behavior chain.

5. SD/Oper.
Sound and
sight of
Demogorgon
Before
No
opportunity to
call mom
Behavior
Goes to
phone
After/SD/Oper
Opportunity
to call mom
Before Behavior After/SD/Oper
No sound of
Demogorgon
and static
Picks up
phone and
calls number
Sound of
Demogorgon
and static

6. Before Behavior After/SD/Oper
Sight and
sound of
Demogorgon
Runs to shack
and hides
No sight or
sound of
Demogorgon
Before Behavior After/SD/Oper
No
opportunity to
load gun
Grabs box of
ammunition
Opportunity
to load gun

7. Before Behavior After/SD/Oper
No
opportunity
for self
defense
Loads
shotgun
Opportunity
for self-
defense
Before Behavior After
No feeling of
safety or
security
Closes gun’s
chamber and
aims
Feeling of
safety and
security

8. Slug in the Sink: Escape Contingency
After being rescued from the Upside Down, Will
begins to have some hallucinations and weird
feelings while in recovery. During dinner with his
brother and mom, Will goes to the bathroom to
tend to a scratchy feeling in his throat. He starts
to cough to try and make the aversive feeling go
away, and realizes he had a slug from the Upside
Down caught in his throat.

9. THE CONTINGENCY
Before Behavior After
Aversive
feeling in
throat
Coughs up
slug in the
sink
No aversive
feeling in
throat

10. Eleven and the Van: Avoidance Contingency
After just escaping from the lab, Eleven
quickly befriends the Hawkins kids and
goes into hiding from the government-
secret project’s henchmen. While out as a
group, they stumble upon the henchmen.
As you’ll see in the video, a chase ensues,
which leaves the henchmen without a van
and the kids out of grasp.

11. THE CONTINGENCY
Before Behavior After
Will crash into
van soon
Lifts van
telepathically
Will not crash
into van soon

12. “Pretty…”: Reinforcement Contingency
After safely making herself at home in Mike’s
basement, Eleven feels the pressure of
needing to assimilate into regular culture so
as to not be found by the lab henchmen again.
She begins to wear clothes based on the
reinforcing praise of her peers and others
around her, which helps her feel more
accepted and less like an outsider.

13. THE CONTINGENCY
Before Behavior After
No approval or
praise
Puts on
“pretty”
clothes
Approval and
praise

14. Dart and Nougat: Discriminated
Reinforcement/Punishment Contingency
Early on in the second season, Dustin
befriends a baby Demogorgon that he
names Dart. After feeding him many
nougat bars, Dart grows to full size and
escapes. As the Hawkins kids are looking
for their friends in the tunnels near the
Upside Down, they run into Dart. If Dustin
gives Dart a nougat bar, they can move
forward.

15. THE CONTINGENCY
Before Behavior
SD
Sdelta
After
After
No ability to
pass through
tunnel
Gives
creature
nougat bar
Dart is
present and
recipient
A different
creature is
present and
recipient
Ability to
pass
through
tunnel
No ability to
pass through
tunnel