Please use this to comment on your reading for sec 5.1.
1) I'll leave it up to you about what and how you would like to comment, however I would ask that you attempt to write using behavioral terms.
2) Discuss how you are going to measure and record your behaviors related to your behavioral project in terms of the material in section 5.1.
1. I enjoyed reading section 5.1 and thought that the ideas and examples were pretty clear cut and easy to understand. I especially like how you brought back the ideas of the function of the behavior, topography of behavior as well as the context of "said" behavior being measured. All to often i think that most of us think too broadly about behaviors and their actions but we don't break it down into its function, what it looks like, and in what contexts we are more likely to perform the "said" behavior. I know all too well that the context of a behavior matters. I've made a couple decisions about behaving in a certain that has landed me in quite a bit of trouble. Thinking back now, in those contexts it probably wasn't a good idea to emit the behavior i did when "said" person had tried to elicit that reaction.
2. To measure my behavior of being more studios i am going to record the number of classes i attend in a week as well as the number of homework assignments that i hand in on time for that week. I think that these two topographies of being studious are easily observable and easily recordable. As well as the context that i perform the behaviors in should be easily recognizable as well. I think that recording these target behaviors will render a pretty good picture of whether i have emitted a studious attitude during the week as well as eliciting me to keep up the effort. Also by handing in homework on time during the week i should see a rise in my potential grade i could receive from the class in turn also increases the likelihood that i will continue to emit a behavior as such.
1) I enjoyed reading this section. It was nice to have a general overview of some of the stuff we have learned up to this point. I especially appreciated the functional analysis of behavior review. I had overlooked the fact that every behavior has many reasons why it is performed. These reasons can vary based largely on context. With the example given of eating junk food, it was interesting to see all the reasons that people might emit this behavior. Although eating junk food is not healthy, there are many other things that can reinforce the behavior. Behaviors always have a function, and they are not just emitted for no reason at all. There is always something that elicits behavior. This made me think about how every behavior that is emitted is just a part of a big chain of behaviors and helped me to see just how interconnected everything is. I had forgotten all about topographies, so that was a very good review as well especially going into the midterm next week.
2) After reading the section on how important measuring a behavior well is, I realized that I need to have a specific plan to measure how much water I will drink. I will measure the amount of water I drink by always drinking out of a water bottle with the measurements (ounces) marked on it. This will allow me to accurately record the amount of water I am drinking. I realized that the context for my behavior is important. I drink more water when I go to the dining center, so I will have better chances of drinking more if I do that. I also need to keep water with me more often. This will be another way I can alter the context.
I liked reading section 5.1. I thought it was very straight and to the point. I really liked the exercising in this section. It made me think more about things. I like it when I get to give my own examples. I also really liked the review on the functions, context, and topography of behaviors. It made me think more about the functions of behaviors and that the outcomes can be the same or different. It was also a good reminder of topography. When I read this I thought back to the section about the way. Everyone ways differently, but the main function is the same. I liked the exercises that were related to what we chose to modify. The exercises helped me apply this section to my project. It made me think about all aspects of the behavior I am trying to change. I realize that creating better study habits has a lot of different functions.
2.)After reading this section I realize that it is very important to be specific about how I want to modify my behavior. I chose to create better study habits and by doing this I hope that my grades will increase. So overall, I need to increase the amount of time I study for my classes. For my behavior that I am going to modify I will record and measure it in the following way. I will list my target behaviors all separately. And after reading this section, I would say my target behaviors are like topographies. All of the behaviors are serving the same function, but may look different. One of my target behaviors was to read the assigned readings and to take notes. I will carefully record how long it takes me to fulfill this task. My second target behavior was to read over my notes for each class, each day. I will also write down the hours that I spend doing this. My last target behavior is to complete all study guides before the exam is due. I will also record, in hours, the time it takes me to do this, but I will also keep track if I complete them before the exam. After I have recorded all of this I will be able to tell if my topographies have served their function.
1. Section 5.1 had a great review over the topography of behavior. By thiniking of different ways a behavior is emitted we can find different ways to achieve our goals. For example, one's goal may be to watch less t.v. There are many situations and occasions when we watch t.v. We flip it on when we get home to relax, use as background noise, watch it with our family, watch it when we're bored, etc. To achieve our goal of watchign less t.v. we can find another activity to do with the family or take up a new hobby to keep us occupied.
2. My behavioral topic is making healthy eating decisions more often. I can measure this by keeping track of the number of servings of fruits and veggies everyday. I can also keep track of how often I decide to eat fast food and see if I can get a lower number each week. I know that when I go out to eat I tend to make poorer food choices than if I eat at home.
1) I like how this section was sort of a review. I still often get confused by functions and topographies...or I guess I just have trouble coming up with my own examples. This section helped clarify some of the beginning steps I need to be focusing on for completing my behavioral intervention. Context is very important because it often affects whether we actually complete a desired behavior or not. I.e. my desired behavioral class is to exercise more frequently; however, if I am out with friends or surrounded by friends who are lazy, I myself will be less motivated to get up and go work out at the gym.
2) In relation to my behavioral goal of exercising more, I am going to measure my behavior by the amount of miles ran per week. This is easily measurable, especially if I run on a treadmill that keeps track of my miles ran. I will also measure my increased activity by the amount of times per week I work out, and the minutes each day. My goal is to do a 20 min Pilates dvd before class each morning, so by the end of the week I should have completed 100 min of Pilates. I am going to record my behaviors by keeping a log of how much, how long, and what I did while exercising. I will carry this log with me when I go to the WRC, but when I am home exercising I will have to remember to complete it there as well. It will probably be helpful to keep a chart or calender in my room that I can write on to keep track of my exercising.
1) I liked how each of these recent sections is helping us with our self-directed behaviors, and this section further expanded on how to measure our behaviors. I learned that you can have many different behaviors that serve the same function. One example I came up with was saying hello. Many different behaviors can be emitted when saying hello, but they all serve the same function. You can wave, say "what's up", or smile at someone to say hello. It was also nice how this section revisited topographies. It helps me learn better when things are repeated like this, so you have another chance to learn it and you don't forget it right away. An example of topographies would be doing homework. That behavior can take on many topographies, such as writing a paper, studying for a test, or reading chapters from a textbook.
2) When I first stated my target behavior for my goal, it wasn't specific enough. Instead of just saying my goal was completing at least 2 hours of homework every night, I changed it to completing at least 2 hours of reading assigned class readings, studying for a test, filling out worksheets, or writing a paper. This is a much easier target behavior to measure, because I know exactly what doing homework entails. I'm going to measure my behavior by writing down how many hours of homework (i.e. reading, studying for a test, worksheets, or writing a paper) I do every night. I will keep a piece of paper right on my desk to record the behavior every night, and it will be easy to see since it will be right next to me. It will be much harder to forget about that way.
I found this section to be a helpful refresher. The part of this section that discusses the functions of behaviors really helped to clarify why it is that we participate in certain behaviors that are poor for our own well-being. For example, the example that was given about eating junk food was very straight forward. The functions are 1) its convenient 2) it is inexpensive 3) our friends eat it 4) its the only thing available 5) it is comfort food. All are very legitimate and understandable reasons that may elicit a stimulus that causes us to emit a consuming behavior, even though the there may be an aversive outcome to consuming the food. My example for functions of the behavior driving fast is:
1) you are late
2) no one is around, so it isn't dangerous
3) you don't like driving, so the faster you go the less you drive
1) I found this section to be helpful for understanding the topography of behavior. When it was discussed in a previous chapter, it became more clear in the class discussion, but section cleared it up even more for me. It's weird to think that you can achieve one behavior in so many different manners. I definitely agree that recording the context of the behavior is important when deciding what is and is not helping complete the behavior.
2) Floss my teeth every night-I know what the function of my behavior is and I know that I want to complete this behavior in one way. That is to take disposable plastic floss and go between each tooth. I will record the context of my behavior and chances are if I don't floss, it's because I'm too tired! When recording the data for my behavior, I will record the day I flossed my teeth and for how many seconds I flossed.
1) I agree with everyone else; I enjoyed reading this section and found it a helpful refresher course over material our class covered earlier this semester. I found the information on topography and function particularly helpful; even though I understood the material the first time, I found it helpful to read the definitions and examples that Dr. M provided again. Also, I think brainstorming and coming up with behaviors and the subsequent topography and function of the behaviors was particularly helpful as far as understanding the information. Also, I may be wrong, but I think the focus on the context of behaviors was new information. Or, maybe I just recognized that part of the material more this time. Either way, I agree that focusing on the context in which a behavior occurs is incredibly important when it comes to modifying the behavior in question. Earlier this week, I participated in a group presentation in one of my education classes. Interestingly enough, we discussed the importance of context when it comes to determining whether a particular behavior constitutes a misbehavior or acceptable behavior in an elementary classroom. For example, doing handstands in the classroom could be considered a misbehavior because of the context in which the behavior is occurring (the classroom). However, doing handstands on the playground or in the gym is most likely to be considered acceptable, probably because the context in which the behavior is occurring is much more conducive to handstands!
2) Completing homework readings on time - I obviously know that the function of this behavior is. Getting my reading done on time keeps me up to speed in my classes and also helps me to get good grades, which is very important to me. Also, it helps me to be an educated participant in class and group discussions. I plan to record this behavior by keeping either a list or series of tallies in a small notebook that I carry in my backpack. When recording the behavior, I will record the date of the behavior and the reading I completed.
1.I would also have to agree with others in saying this sections was easy to follow and understand. The examples helped to really explain the topics and make them "real world" understandable. The section that stood out to me the most was when you talked about serving as the function, it is always good to remember that several different behaviors can all serve as the function for something.
2.For my behavior project, I am going to be working on completing all assignments on time and catching up on overdue assignments. I am going to measure my behavior by recording when I complete assignments on time, and if I fail to emit the target behavior then I will also record the context of why I may have failed in getting my assignment done on time, or not getting a make up assignment done. The function of my behavior will be to understand the course material and to earn a good grade in the class.
1. I thought this section was interesting, but also easy to learn. Some of it was repeated material, and that always helps refresh my memory from previous chapters. I really liked the parts about "serving the function" and topography because I thought the examples were applicable to me. The more I think about topography and functions, the easier it is for me to come up with examples.
2. My behavior project is improving my study habits. I'm going to study for at least 2 hours Sunday through Thursday (ending before 10:30pm each night). I may have to change the amount of time after I get my baseline, because I'm not sure how much time I spend studying/doing homework per night right now. I will measure this behavior by recording how much time I spend studying each day in a small notebook I keep on top of my desk. It will be easy to record in the notebook because the only place I do homework or study is at that desk.
1) I, too, found this section to be a nice refresher. The first time going through some of these terms I didn't completely understand them, but after going over them in class and then reviewing the ideas in this section, I am much more comfortable with them. Also, applying these terms to our own behavior classes helped, not only understand the concepts, but apply them to something that is real to us in our day to day lives.
2) I will be able to measure my behavior with hours and minutes. I can calculate the time I study and do homework. More specifically, reading the textbooks, going over notes, and completing written assignments. I could also calculate the time spent doing activities I want rather than need which contribute to procrastination and lack of studying as well as time studying and observe the shift in the ratio of the behaviors to tell of my success or failure.
1) I benefited from reading this section. Everything is so true! It really made me question what I am measuring with my target behaviors. I know that I use reinforcement when I accomplish my goals. And I don’t know if you would want to call it punishment, but I sort of punish myself for not reach a goal that I have. I know next time I better try harder at my goal otherwise there is a consequence to follow. May be I need to change the way I am measuring that goal in order to succeed at it. What I got from this section is that it is important to remember that almost all behaviors have a function. A variety of physical movements can be emitted in order to produce a certain behavior. The topography of behavior and the various behavioral classes often dictate how we will measure behavior.
2) No Procrastination: I am going to measure my goals by the grades that I receive. Have they improved since I am studying better? Record then by amount of time put in to accomplish my success.
1- This was a helpful place to have a refresher on topographies, functions, and their relation to measurement. Naturally measurement is the central concern of behavior modification because without it you don’t know if either the behavior has happened, or whether and to what extent it’s been modified. So documentation alone requires an understanding of the various topographies the target behavior may take on, as well as the various functions a particular target behavior may have. We all have experiences with people who are starting a workout regiment and a few days in make a comical comment like “Well, I did work up a sweat walking to class today so that takes care of the working out”, or “I did have to shovel my car out of the parking space this morning…” in order to avoid emitting the true target behavior, yet still satisfying the requirements for reinforcement. They are claiming that these are all topographies of the functional class their target behavior has taken on. Some target behaviors do in fact have different topographies, but an ability to recognize what they are is important to meeting your goal. Shoveling snow for an hour may very well take the place of a workout dvd due to the intensity and duration of the workout, but walking up three flights of stairs and getting winded probably doesn’t compare, although it may seem like it. All of these subtleties in topography and function can be barriers to meeting your goals.
As with the smoking example it may seem as though you’ve solved the problem of smoking at work by using the patch, yet if this is not working it is not necessarily due to your inability to quit smoking. Instead it is probably due to the fact that when you set up the functional target behavior of “quit smoking” and outlined nicorette gum, and the patch as two topographies serving this function you were unaware that the patch would not really serve this function. You therefore need a different topographical behavior to use during work instead. Now you simply need to modify your behavior modification technique, instead of simply having to give up because you can’t do it.
2- My target behavior is to work out with a p90x dvd three days per week. At the end of a work-out I will place an x on the calendar depending on what day it is and then review the week at the end of every week (Sunday for me). This target behavior is specific enough that there really aren’t a lot of different topographies. There are like 12 different dvd’s so in that case there would be exactly 12 different topographies on any given day. Another class I’m taking forced me to work out at the WRC a few times and I have no started to enjoy this. So perhaps I need to find a way to fit an hour long workout at the WRC into my target behavior since it would still serve the overall functions I’m interested in, i.e. losing weight, getting more fit, etc. To the extent that I worked out with the same, or close to it, intensity level and duration I see no reason that it could not be a topographically distinct way to emit my target behavior. Since working out at the WRC requires a totally different context, being at UNI instead of my home in waterloo, it may be more reinforcing to be able to emit the target behavior in a wide variety of contexts as opposed to just one. I would then need to carry a calendar with me to keep track of whether or not I worked out, or simply remind myself with a notebook so that I check it off when I get home.
1) I enjoyed that this section built upon what we already know and that it also provided a quick review of the basics: behavioral classes, function and topography of behaviors. Also, the additional examples we needed to create served as an example to test the comprehension. I remember this time being much easier to come up with examples than last time. Up until this section, I was having trouble understanding how we create and carry out a plan for changing a behavior, but now it's much clearer. And I feel like I'm beginning to understand how one needs to think in order to obtain those changes: the importance of a detailed target behavior, measuring that behavior, and having it all planned out.
2) My target behavior is to increase study time and efficiency. I tend to just go homework and move on to the next bit, and I only study just before the test. This really isn’t a great way to learn though. However, I have decided that I will mark on my daily planner half way between the beginning of a new section and the test. On those days, I am going to go back through the material and review it all. This way, when it comes to studying before the test, I won’t be cramming it all in. As far as the different topographies are concerned, I can use flashcards, rewrite or review my notes, reread the texts, or create a quiz for myself. However, I certainly need to look back and gather a good baseline for study habits. I think I’m just going to measure one week’s worth of study habits for the comparison.
I thought this chapter did a great job of tying some of the information we've learned together. We have learned all of the information already but it's sometimes hard to tie everything together without help. It's going to help me get my target behaviors set so I know that they can be measured effectively.
My behavioral project focuses on decreasing the amount of time I'm on my computer. The one target behavior I'm sure of is to read everyday. I will be reading a fictional novel and originally I set my goal at reading 50 pages but I'm increasing it to 100 pages. It will be easy to measure because I can just record the number of pages I read each day. My other two target behaviors are still up in the air. One of the behaviors I'm considering is not using my computer when I watch tv and not have the tv on when I am on the computer. To measure this I would record the times each day that I use the computer and the times I watch tv.
Good section, helped to combine some of the ideas within a common behavioral element.
I find it interesting to think about some of the behavioral procedures we go through every day, whether walking through a door or going for a run. Consciously or not, we go through the processes in a formula-like manner. While topographically they may appear different, functionally they often serve the same purpose. Behaviors occur under a variety of contexts and it's these contexts that shape them.
For instance, I act differently when I'm at a basketball tournament in St. Louis than I would have otherwise. I would not paint my face purple and gold in too many other circumstances, but in this case it helped functionally satisfy my goal of cheering on UNI. My actions were reinforced as UNI won on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday--now headed to the NCAA Tourney!!
Regarding the second part of the question, I will record my behavior of exercising graphically, recording the number of minutes spent swimming, lifting weights, etc. No matter the topography, it will still serve the same functional goal of becoming more physically fit, as I exercise for sixty minutes at least 4 times a week. Also, I would like to take into consideration on my graph the contexts of my behaviors to help determine where and when I struggle or succeed, etc.
1. I enjoyed this section. It was a good review of the basics, and did a good job of tying the things we have learned all together. This section was just over all helpful (especially after the lecture in class) to just give refresher and helped to understand every thing.
2. I am going to measure my behavior by keeping a chart of what nights I study. I need to study for 2 hours every week night. I'd like to keep track of how many hours I actually study, so it won't be a check mark. I'll mark the actual hours spent studying.
1) I thought section 5.1 was good for 2 reasons. One, you introduced us to more terms, but also you continued to remind us about how to use old terms in relation to these new terms. It really makes it easier for me to see these examples and see how they apply to the new section we are covering. I am having some struggles with the context of behaviors, but I think we'll be able to cover that more later either on office hour time or in class. What do you think the topography of my sleep behavior would be? I put down where I sleep and why I'm sleeping there, but I thought I could check with you in this response in case I'm wrong.
2) I am going to measure my behavior of sleeping by how many hours I sleep, where I'm at when I'm sleeping that night and if alcohol is in my system. I really think three things at the same time are manageable (I did it with calories, exercise, and alcohol), and it's going to be really interesting to see how that plays out.
P.S I'm not an alcoholic I swear, I just like going out :)
1) Good to have a refresher at this point, it really does help you make sure you understand everything clearly, plus the repetition really helps it stick with me. The linkage of new information to familiar topics is something that a lot of classes/instructors don't utilize very well. Behavioral classes are a simple enough concept, as any 2 things that serve the same function should be in the same behavioral class, although many behaviors can be nearly identical functionally while being different topographically.
2) The behavior I am planning to modify is my sleeping pattern. This seems fairly easy to execute at first, but there are a number of things to take into account:
-When am I truly considered "asleep"? While laying in bed with my eyes closed? Or do I need to reach a certain stage of sleep? I believe you are still somewhat conscious during Stage 1 sleep, but it is considered a part of the sleeping process, so is it sleep? Or only Stage 2/3/4? My plan is to estimate the time I'm floating around in Stage 1, or basically identifying the latest time I looked at the time before I go to sleep and estimating from there. This would probably be more concise if I was hooked up to equipment which monitored my brain waves, but I think it's safe to say that those steps aren't necessary here.
-If I wake up to go to the bathroom, does it count against my time of sleeping? To address situations like that, I am just saying any break in sleep that lasts less than 30 minutes is going to be ignored; it just counts as time that I was asleep.
The function of sleeping is also a foggy area. The function of sleep is to provide rest, recovery, and energy, amongst numerous other things. According to that definition, sitting in a chair and relaxing could be considered sleeping though, so that would need to be clarified.
Some topographies of this behavior include naps, and mostly sleeping in various ways. According to my definition, sitting in a chair or getting a massage would be considered behaviors that were topographically different but functionally the same.
I am going to measure my behavior by estimating (it feels weird to put estimate so close to the word measure) the time that I fall asleep and then the time that I wake up and start my day, and figuring my "continuous" hours of sleep. This is where it seems like it should be simple, there are essentially 2 things to record.
Where it becomes hazy though is the contexts in which sleep can occur. I don't have problems nodding off in boring classes, so that is one context I shouldn't have to worry about. A sub-goal of my project is to eliminate the worthless "sleep" I get while floating around in the early stages of sleep for an hour or more while hitting the snooze button on my phone every 8 minutes, along with eliminating naps throughout the day. These may be separate behaviors (I think you mentioned this in one of your e-mails to me, but I skimmed through those pretty quickly and didn't have a chance to absorb everything), but I think they are very significant with regards to my goal, so I am including them. A nap during the day or having my alarm go off a second time after hitting the snooze button means no reinforcement for that week. I should just consider these peripheral goals and not talk about them at all in this project, just to make the whole thing a little more simple, but oh well.
1.) This section was a good refresher of terms we had previously learned. The information that was revisited will benefit us in our upcoming behavioral project by helping us measure our behaviors more accurately. This section tied together the points that are needed when measuring a behavior and in its context. This helps define behaviors more accurately.
2.)This section will help me better measure dental hygiene because it helped me realized the context of when the brushing and flossing will occur, and exactly what the function of my behavior is.
1.) This section was a good refresher of terms we had previously learned. The information that was revisited will benefit us in our upcoming behavioral project by helping us measure our behaviors more accurately. This section tied together the points that are needed when measuring a behavior and in its context. This helps define behaviors more accurately.
2.)This section will help me better measure dental hygiene because it helped me realized the context of when the brushing and flossing will occur, and exactly what the function of my behavior is.
1. Section 5.1-Measuring behavior
In order for me to accomplish a goal it is so important to have a way to measure and keep track of my progress. Some things are too hard to measure. One of my New Years resolutions was to spend less money and save more, but I didn't take the time to figure out how I would measure these goals. I thought this section helped me think about some behavioral classes and their functions. It was also helpful to revist the topography of behavior. Your "door opening behavior" was a great example. It would have been helpful for me to record a baseline of my current spending habits in order to set a goal for spending less. How am I going to save money? How am I going to measure it? It is interesting to think about som many of my behaviors to serve the same function, but be so topographically different. I think I have said this before, but if people knew more about the specific ways to set goals then more people would acheive them.
2. The behavior that I have been trying to modify is drinking more water. The function of drinking more water is to stay more hydrated. This will hopefully keep me healthy. I also want to drink more water in hopes to eliminate other drinks of convenience.
1. This section was good at helping to better understand functional and topographical behavior. Reading about how the context can effect the topography of a behavior is good to know when recording our data for our second behavior modification projects.
2. The behavior i have been trying to modify is doing more physical exercise( push/sit/pull ups). During my baseline i need to record the context of my target behaviors to see when and what the antecedents to my behavior are. Knowing the context and antecedents of my baseline behavior will make it easier to come up with reinforcement for my target behavior.
1.) Section 5.1 was a general overview of what we have been learning about target beahviors and functions of our behavioral class. Functions of a behavior are very interesting because the function of the behavior is similar but the outcomes can all be different. I never really thought of real life examples until I was browning some hamburger with my roommates the other night. I have two roommate and all three of us were making something that needed cooked hamburger, and while we all had the same method, our results were all different. One resulting in the smoke alarm going off.
2.) I will be measuring my behavioral class by the amount of time that I will be working out. My goal is to work out 3 times a week for 30 minutes each so when I go to the Wrc and work out at home I will be keeping track of how much time I exercise by writing it in a log that I will keep with me when I work out.
Overall this section talked about the different types of functins for a behavior. for my behavoral project for this class there can be many functions that will prevent me from achieving my end results . These functions are laziness, lack of motivationm lack of desires,and desire for other activies. I will also look into the different topographies of this behavior inorder to make srue I am mearuing the behavior I desire.
I am going to measure my behavior though the amount of time I spend strech befor and after running am mile. I will keep track on this on a note pad while I am at the WRC and then I will record this on a graph for my behavioral project