Reading Activity Week #10 (due Tuesday)

4.3
After emitting a reading behavior over section 4.3, I will remember that when setting a goal, it must be realistic, have a time frame, split into sub-goals, be achievable, manageable, and have the ability to even do the goal.
-Realistic
When setting a goal, it must be attainable and a goal that one can actually accomplish in their life. When I was younger I wanted to go to the moon and being realistic, I know that will probably never happen. Now, my realistic goals would be graduating from college and finding a career in Cedar Falls or around the area.
-Time Frame
Timeframe is important when setting a goal. Some goals obviously take longer to achieve but it also ties in with being realistic. I'm making goals now that I can achieve within the next year or two. I'm not making goals that deal with marriage or kids yet because my timeframe doesn't exist around that area.
-Sub-goals
Most long term goals can be split into sub-goals, making it easier to accomplish the large goal one is trying to achieve. Some of my sub-goals for graduating college would be doing well in classes and receiving A's and B's in most of them to attain a good GPA.
-Achievable
This goes along with all the other aspects of goal setting but relates the most to being realistic. Having the right resources and support help to achieve a goal.
-Manageable
This can be accomplished through changing or adapting to new behaviors in order to meet a certain goal.
-Ability
Having the mind set and motivation in order to achieve a goal is huge. This is probably the most important I think and one must be dedicated in order to accomplish a certain goal, depending on what it is.

5.1
I will emit in remembering that all behaviors in this behavioral class are functionally related and that all behaviors have a function and do something. By understanding the function of a behavior, it will make it easier in modifying the behavior. I will also emit in remembering that the topography of a behavior often dictate how we will measure behavior. Therefore, we must specify what behaviors we want to increase or decrease. The context also is important when considering doing a topographical behavior. Example: if there was food on the floor at a restaurant, I probably wouldn't pick it up but if there was food on the floor at my house, I would definitely pick it up.

After emitting a reading behavior on both sections, I found that there are different ways to measure behaviors within different "serving functions" of the behavior. Example: losing weight-there's different many different ways to lose weight. One could go on a diet and eat certain foods, one could eat less, or exercise more. We can modify our behaviors based on functions.

Section 4.3:
After emitting the behavior of reading section 4.3, I will most remember the importance of goals and how to keep them. It was a great way to think of things in my life that I should change, and how to change them. For example, goals need to be achievable. Breaking the goals into smaller sub goals is a great way to start. Reading about how goals need to be manageable elicited a response of thought about my goals in my daily life. If everyone emitted the behavior of thinking about goals more in depth, they could be more achievable. For example, I would like to emit the behavior of running four times a week for 30 minutes at 8 am. Some maintenance pitfalls would cause aversive responses. For example, snow or rain outside, feeling sore or having an injury, or having something at 8 am. These are things you must consider so that you can have as much reinforcement with your good behaviors.

Section 5.1:
After emitting the behavior of reading section 5.1, it elicited refreshing my memory about functions of behaviors, target behaviors, and topographical behaviors. The thing that elicited a pleasurable response was the consideration of behavioral classes and their functions. When you think of their functions, you can find ways that could punish the behaviors, or manipulate them.

For example, the functions of driving fast could be
1) getting to the place faster
2) the 'fun' of passing people/risk taking
3) possibly having the best gas milage at 55 mph

After you realize these, you can thing about the behavior and replace it with a different behavior.
1) leave 'X' minutes earlier
2) find exciting and pleasurable behaviors in a different area, that is less dangerous to other drivers
3) replace speeding with other ways to save gas- such as not using a/c, etc.

The information that I learned on top of my knowledge of behavior modification is mainly just the stress on functions of behaviors. Some of these functions elicit pleasurable or aversive responses. However, once we break up the goals/behaviors, we can understand and manipulate these.

4.3--After emitting a reading behavior of section 4.3, there a couple different things I will remember. The first thing that I will emit a remembering behavior about is setting goals, and guidelines for getting goals. The goals are: be realistic, the timeframe, sub goals, achievable, ability, manageable, descriptive, maintenance, and finding a support base. I now know that from knowing how to actually make goals, it will be easier to actually achieve them! For example, say I wanted to emit a behavior of working out to lose 15 lbs by spring break. I have to be realistic, I can’t say I want to lose 15 pounds by say, Halloween, cause that wouldn’t be too realistic, but losing 15 pounds in 4 months would be more realistic and is a better timeframe. Also, for example let’s use the goal of being manageable with losing weight. Emitting a working out behavior can be time consuming and also aversive. When can I take a half hour to hour out of my day to work out? You need to make sure that you have manageable time, such as waking up an extra hour early, or working out during your lunch break. These are just a couple of the guidelines that I will remember after emitting a reading behavior. I think I will emit a remembering behavior because these are all manageable guidelines that we can use throughout our life.

5.1---After emitting a reading behavior of section 5.1, there are also a few things that I believe I will remember. The first concept I will emit a remembering behavior of is functions of behaviors. We talked about this earlier in the semester, so revisiting it really made me remember it even more. For example, let’s use functions of drinking alcohol. Functions could be relieving stress, the thrill, entertainment or because your friends do it. The next thing I will remember is the topography. We have also learned about this topic in class, and have emitting a reading behavior over this topic, which helps me remember it more. Sometimes this topic can seem aversive because I cannot come up with my own examples, but I at least know what it is, and how to relate it to the real world and behavior modification. One other thing I will remember from emitting a reading behavior of this section is the last example about saving money. I will remember this because it was a good example and it was easy for me to relate to, and relate to everyday life.

After emitting a reading behavior of these two sections, one thing that I learned that added to me behavior modification knowledge would be how important the guidelines for goal are. Everyone sets goals, but never to the extent of what I learned from after emitting a reading behavior of section 4.3. For example, If you actually follow the guidelines you set yourself, and write them out so you can visually see it, it think it will help you achieve those goals a lot more easily, and I learned that from emitting a practice behavior through the examples in the section. Another thing that added to know knowledge from reading these sections would be that all behaviors have a function, and not just one, they can have multiple. The example in the reading really helped me. For example, eating junk food can have a variety of functions such as: it’s easy, cheap, and can act as comfort food if stressed. Knowing now that there are usually more than one function definitely adds to what I had already learned.

Section 4.3:
After reading this section I found that I have emitted behavior, which follows the guidelines talked about this section in regards to setting goals. I always try to keep in mind that it is easier to achieve you goals when they are realistic. Something that I will be elicited to remember from this section however, is realistic goals are easier to achieve because you will be reinforced for often which elicits you to keep up the good behavior. If a goal is too difficult and you find it harder to achieve then the frequency of reinforcement will decrease making it harder to keep motivated. I will also remember that goals are essentially a target behavior. Therefore, it is important to keep your goals specific. If you find it difficult to emit the behavior of creating specific goals then you can always break it down into sub goals that eventually lead you to achieve your ultimate goal.

Section 5.1:
After reading this section I will emit the behavior of remembering the differences between functions and topographies of a behavior. This section discussed and elicited many examples of these two things. I will remember that a target behavior must be specific because every behavior has a number of functions and a number of ways in which this behavior can be met. If you don’t specify the target behavior you may reinforce things that aren’t necessary beneficial towards achieving you behavior modification.

Both of these sections reinforced ideas that I have already learned from previous sections. Sections 4.3 and 5.1 further explained the importance of knowing precisely what behavior you want to modify and how to reinforce it. Both sections gave criterion for how to make a good target behavior. The fact that you must choose a target behavior that is realistic and also have a efficient way of measuring are the two criterion that added the most to my understanding of behavior modification.

Section 4.3
After emitting the behavior of reading section 4.3, I will remember that setting realistic goals is very important especially in gaining support from family and friends. I will remember this because of the example of the nuns building the church. This example stuck with me because people will not support you or help you in what they think is impossible. This is important to consider when setting goals because it a predicting factor in how much or how little support and aid you will receive in the process of reaching your goals. I do not believe, though, that this should be the deciding factor in what goals one sets. For example, take a student who values education and is dedicated has the goal of graduating from college but his family does not value education and no one in his family has even graduated high school. This student is not likely to receive a lot of support or aid from his family but graduating from college is still a good and achievable goal for this individual. It is just like the example of the nuns. No one supported them but they still built that church. In conclusion, support from family or friends should not be the ultimate deciding factor but it is important to consider especially if the individual needs a lot of support.

Section 5.1
After emitting a behavior of reading section 5.1, I will remember that it is important to specify the topography of a behavior that one wants to change because a behavior can have the same function but be exhibited in many different topographies. I will remember this due to the example that I used for the behavior I wish to modify. The behavior I wish to modify is being more physical fit through exercise. The function of this behavior is to burn calories, increase muscle mass, decrease fat, and increase cardio vascular health. This behavior has many topographies. One example is walking to class technically does increase physical fitness through exercise but it is not really what I have in mind. I intend to have a time set aside each day to increase my physical fitness through intentional exercise so the behavior of walking to class does not really fit into the topography of the behavior that I had in mind. Thus, it is important to specify the topography of a behavior to be successful in achieving behavior modification.

Section 4.3 and 5.1
After emitting a reading behavior of sections 4.3 and 5.1, the consequence was adding some new information to what I already knew about behavior modification. I learned that it is important to set realistic goals if you desire support from family, friends, peers, etc. It is also important to consider how disruptive a goal will be to one’s life and the lives of others before setting a goal. I also learned that it is important to have multiple partners in a group that has similar goals in case some quits and to have people that are at different stages in their behavior modification. Section 5.1 was mostly review but the idea that context and function of a behavior are important to address in order to successfully modify a behavior. Context is important because if an undesirable behavior takes place in response to a certain antecedent then behavior modification might be as easy as stimulus or environmental control. Function of the behavior is important in figuring out why the behavior takes place which can aid the individual in avoiding situations that prompt the behavior.

4.3
The first thing that really stuck out to me while emitting the behavior of reading this chapter was the story about the bus ticket. I realized how true it is that without a goal or destination we will never get to where we want to go. But the thing I will emit to memory the most out of this section is the fact that I need to make sub goals to make a realistic goal of mine. Without achieving the smaller sub goals along the way I could become discouraged to continue and as a consequence give up on trying to reach my goal. The sub goals will help to keep me positive and motivated throughout the goal reaching process.

5.1
After emitting the behavior of reading section 5.1 I will remember behavioral topographies the most. There are plenty of different topographies in every daily activity I do and it was interesting for me to think about how I change my behaviors because of something so small. The door example in the reading helped me to visualize how many and simple topographies there are and how they can completely alter a behavior.

Emitting the behavior of reading both sections emphasized the importance of goals in behavior modifications. Without a goal we can’t get anywhere. I also learned that to reach a goal there people need to take littler steps to reach the final outcome desired. Making sub goals and dealing with topographies are just two things that really caught my attention during these readings that will help or alter a person’s goal. Now as I am making my goals I will do my best to use the 7 steps we learned last week and to make sub goals to reward myself throughout the process.

After emitting a reading behavior for section 4.3 I think I will remember that setting goals is sort of a process. Not only must a specific goal be realistic, but you need to think about several other factors when setting it as well. Specifically, I think I will most remember the timeframe aspect of setting goals. I looked at this as sort of gradually accomplishing several prerequisites leading up to your target behavior, and once those are accomplished you will be in a favorable position for reaching your specific goal.

After emitting a reading behavior for section 5.1 I remember most that if you are planning on changing behavior it will be helpful to record in some way, not only your baseline behavior, but your behavior along the way to reaching your target behavior. I thought the cigarette smoking example was extremely helpful in remembering this information. I will also remember that you should emit a recording behavior for frequency and context. This could let you know which specific antecedents lead to a higher or lower frequency of that behavior, and thus you can plan accordingly when working toward reaching your target behavior.

Section 4.3 added to what we have been talking about in the previous two sections regarding specificity when modifying our behavior to reach our personal target behavior. However, I think the section that referred to a timeframe for reaching our goals really added to that overall concept. It made me realize that reaching a specific target behavior is a process, and you have to prepare yourself by sort of easing into it by accomplishing slightly smaller goals that will all end up leading to the main one. I think section 5.1 added to this as well in the section that talked about different ways to measure your behavior to monitor how well your doing at achieving your target behavior. I learned that you should be specific about exactly how you want to measure a specific behavior because it could be measured in numerous different ways.

4.3
I think the thing that I will remember most about this chapter section would be sub goals. I feel this is the most important thing to remember from this chapter section because it would be the most important for success in the future. The reason I say this is because you can't really do a goal without breaking it down first, it just makes the goal more manageable and more achievable.

5.1
The thing that I will remember mostly about this chapter section would be functions of behaviors. The reason I found this interesting was because it's a new way to look at behaviors that people emit around you. When you see someone emit a behavior, such as driving fast, you can now pair multiple functions with that given behavior, like getting to a destination faster or competing in a sport.

After reading both sections some information that I found out that I did not know before was the emphasis on the context that the behavior is emitted. This was new because when you consider the topography of the behavior you can then look at how the same results can be emitted through different behaviors. An example of this was how you can open a door, then when you put the context, or situation, of you having your hands full the behavior goes to opening the door with your back or foot.

4.3

After emitting the behavior of reading this section that the class elicited from me i believe that I will emit the behavior of remember the important goal setting guidelines. They were well explained and the examples helped to solidity the point in my brain and this will stay with me because I will need this to set my own goals for changing my choice target behavior. I will also remember how important social support is because after reading that section I emitted the behavior or looking back at all my previous attempts to change my chosen behavior and decided that if I had any social support which was unlikely, that they gave up which let me stop modifying my behavior as well.

5.1
After emitting the behavior of reading chapter 5.1 I will also emit a behavior of remembering those things I considered most important and those that I had not previously known. some of those items were the information about functions of behavior because I really liked the junk food example and was able to relate it to my own personal experience with junk foods. I will remember that context in behavior situations matter and that we must have a definite way of measuring said behavior before and after we start the change. This chapter also put in another reminder about documenting your behavior on the small notepad. I really enjoyed the last few pages which elicited me to emit a writing behavior of my own goal and what the functions are, topographies, measuring the behavior and contexts.

4.3 and 5.1
After reading the chapter which was elicited by the class I learned so more things about behavior modification that I added to my previous knowledge. I knew most of what was in the chapters already but I am consistently amazed at how much goes into modifying a behavior. For example I never knew how specific one's goals needed to be in order to achieve them and every time I emit the behavior of reading a chapter I learn more about becoming a little bit more specific about my own goals. I also added to my information about goals with the guidelines that 4.3 provided for me.

4.3
Learning the importance of goals was the target behavior that was intended for this chapter. After reading this chapter it elicited the response of knowing how important goals really are when trying to change behavior. There are certain qualities goals must have in order to be affective and are important to remember. A goal must be realistic and achievable according to your abilities, time, etc. Goals also mustn’t be too large or broad to achieve at one time. If they are you should split them into smaller sub goals to correspond with the larger goals. Make sure these goals are something that can be maintained or desired the long run. Those are the most important things to know about goals and how to go about emitting goals into a behavior.
5.1
Chapter 5.1 discusses measurable behavior. Not only does behavior have to be measurable but it has to fit into a certain topography and function. There is no point in emitting a behavior of it does not have a function. It’s important to remember that many different behaviors can elicit a similar response. It is also important that many behaviors can look similar, but elicit a completely different response. This information is vital when trying to put behavior into measurable terms.
I think that many of the basic concepts of the chapter I knew beforehand, but the chapters reinforced what I already knew. I learned a more clear definition of goals and how to make them. I also learned ways in which to measure behavior besides the obvious measuring of frequency, and how measuring behavior can be more complicated if it isn’t clearly defined about what the behavior is.

4.3) After emit the reading about this section I learn that it is important to be realistic about the goal that we want to reach, because we just will be able to emit good results and can do it if it is possible. The timeframe must fit in our normal schedule and be good even when are small changes in our routine. It´s easier if we made a division behavior of the major goal in sub goals (ex: If I want to be Psychologist and work with autism first I have to finish the undergraduate studies, then graduate and after that do a master) it`s easier and make sense when we go a step in the time. If I want to change my behavior I have to make sure that I can do it, and I really want to change (achievable y ability). We have to know and understand since the beginning how this behavior modification it will go affect our life and normal routine (disruptive) and make shore that we can do it no matter what (maintenance).
These concepts are very important and I believe that I have a good learning behavior when I read the section, so probably I will remember them better in the future.

5.1) After emitting a reading behavior of this section I think it is important to understand two concepts: the concept of functions of the behavior, we want to change our behavior but why we emit the behavior and why we want to change? Is the question that we have to answer to find out in what situations we emit the undesirable behavior and be able to identify where and when we have to change. It is important too, to emit a response of knowing why we sometimes emit in the same context the behavior, and in others not (Topography of behavior). If we understand this information we will be able to understand how and in what situations we can measure behavior.
After emit a reading behavior I believe that I gave one more step in the understanding of Behavior modification and I learn the meaning of “serves the function” and how our change behavior can be disruptive in our normal life.

4.3
In section 4.3 I learned a lot about setting goals that you can actually reach. We always want to push ourselves to reach these goals but we cannot set ourselves up for failure. I will remember that to set goals you have to not only have the resources to reach said goal, but also the will to reach this goal. Without the will to make your goal happen, there is no reason to even begin the journey to the goal. I will remember this because it is very important that you do not fail all the goals you make because it will ruin any confidence you have and decrease the likelihood of setting other goals.
5.1
In this section the most memorable information to me is the need for good recording skills. To reach your goals, you must be able to track your goals from the beginning, until your goal is reached. Without knowing you have improved or decreased the target behavior, you won’t know if you reached your goal or not. I will remember to keep track of behaviors from beginning to end because it is the most important part of reaching your goal; without it, you have no idea when your goal has been reached.
From the two chapters, I believe I added new information to my knowledge of behavioral modification. I have learned that you need to make your goals reachable and unattainable. It is not enough to just make an outrageous goal , you have to have the will and supplies to reach them. I also learned that you need to record the behavior when it is performed. It is also not enough to merely tell yourself to change the behavior, you need to keep track of the progress along the way.

4.3
After emitting the behavior of reading this particular section, I will take away a few key points. Out of the details concerning realistic goals (being realistic, time frame, sub goals, achievable, ability, manageable, disruptive, maintenance, and support base) I will remember to create sub goals and to have a solid support base in behavior modification. When setting a goal, the behavior of dividing that goal in to “sub goals” will be reinforced by the achievement of the original goal. This technique will be remembered because I can implement this in to my everyday behavior. The second aspect that I will remember is to have a support base when working toward a goal. To avoid aversive outcomes (such as failure) people around the individual become a support group to which the individual can be accountable.

5.1
After the assignment elicited my reading behavior of chapter 5.1 I will mostly remember the section regarding all behaviors having a function. Even though this topic has been visited before, the summary given in this section was great review. Bottom line to remember is that every behavior has a purpose or a function no matter how small.

Reflecting on both sections, I feel that they were both a well needed review. Beginning with goal setting and how goals must be specific, manageable, and within a reasonable time frame (to name a few). In the second section, I emitted a reviewing behavior of how behaviors serve a function. That may be to get someone’s attention, to open a door, or to induce an adrenaline rush.

Section 4.3

I emitted a reading behavior, that elicited a remembering response of having realistic goals. I thought it was interesting to learn about how people think some goals aren't realistic and how some are. It was also interesting to learn about how people's negative views on our goals will decrease the frequency of us emitting them. I will also elicit a remembering response to set a timeline for goals, that way I can increase the frequency of completing the goals and not have an aversive consequence.

Section 5.1

I will emit the remembering behavior of topagraphies. There are many different actions that accompany a behavior to elicit responses. I really enjoyed doing those exercises and practicing the different options for the same behavior. I will definitely relate this to my everyday life and be more aware of the amount of variety actions available. In order to be successful in behavior modification, you need to use topagraphy for a behavior.

From both of these sections, I have added the concept of how important goal setting is for behavior modification. I have always been the type of person who believed that new years goals and other resolutions were bologna and I never understood the importance in making these goals. Now, I will increase the frequency of goal making in the future knowing how important it is to set goals and follow through with them.

4.3
After I emitted a reading behavior for section 4.3, I will remember a variety of items from the text. One thing I will emit a memory behavior for is making sure to set realistic goals. Although this seems pretty obvious, it is hard for a lot of people to do. It is okay to dream big and to never settle on something, but one needs to emit the behavior of realism. If one is obsessed with a goal that is very unrealistic, it will discourage them from attempting to reach more realistic goals that could also elicit happiness. Another thing I will remember from the section is to set small goals to obtain a large goal. Without a specific target behavior, one often does not succeed because he or she doesn’t really know what they want. The subgoals suggested by this section can lead people in the right direction to reach their ultimate goal. That is, as long as it is realistic. The last thing that will stay with me from the section is realizing one may have to make lifestyle changes to obtain what they need. If someone wants to become a college athlete, they might have to stop drinking and really focus on being healthy. They also will have to find time in their life to workout more than the average person. These will be hard if the athlete’s friends are not very hard working and party a lot. This leads to another change one may have to make: obtain friends that emit supporting behavior. If they emit supporting behavior, then it is much easier to reach the subgoals and ultimate goal that was initially set.
5.1
After I emitted the behavior of reading section 5.1, I will definitely remember topographies of behaviors more than any other topic. Topography of behavior is most easily described as different ways to accomplish something. There are many ways to drink a beer, for example. You can sip on it, chug it, drink it out of a beer bong, or shotgun it. There are some other creative beer drinking strategies, but those are just a few. All of the previously described beer drinking strategies make up the topography of drinking a beer. I think I remember emitting a learning behavior about topography in another section, so this just solidified the memory. I will also remember the term “serves the function.” This simply means the purpose a specific behavior has. Food serves the function of decreasing hunger.

These sections seemed to review material a lot which I really enjoy. I wish more professors would emit a repetition behavior when covering material. After this second time, I feel like I know more about the topics discussed. Some of the information seems to be common sense, but it is nice to see it in writing to increase my confidence on the topics. One item that will stay with me is making sure one surrounds themselves with people who support the person’s goals. It is very hard to maintain anything if you do not have support of people close to the person attempting to obtain a goal. It also makes a lot of sense to set subgoals. Without subgoals, people may feel despair if they are still far away from their ultimate goal. Taking it one step at a time allows for reinforcement along the way. This was discussed last week and can easily be applied here. Lastly, goal-setters should make sure there is a sure way they can measure their progress. If there is no way to measure progress (or failure), one will not know if they should continue their plan or emit a changing behavior.

I will emit a behavior of remembering from section 4.3 the fact that goals should be manageable to the extent they can fit into your daily life. If you want to elicit a goal setting behavior you need to keep it simple (or better yet not to complex). It seems that most people set lofty goals; they are too broad and not well defined. If you can make a large goal, break it down into sub goals it makes the larger goal appear to be more realistic and achievable. I remember this because I have made some large goals and given up on them. If I would have broken it down into smaller goals, to still achieve the larger goal, I might have had a better chance to achieve the large goal. But I didn’t and gave up on the goal entirely.

After emitting a behavior of reading section 5.1 I will remember that measuring a behavior needs to be precise. “It is important to specify which behaviors you want to increase or decrease and how you will increase or decrease those behaviors.” As well as what was just stated, I will also emit a behavior or remembering the phrase “serves the function”. I want to say that serving the function is the same as a paradigm of another function, or, you do one thing to compliment something else. I am typing my assignment so it will be turned in on time! The typing of my assignment serves the function of completion of the assignment so it will be turned in on time.

After reading both sections it reinforced that we should make our goals manageable, realistic, and achievable. When measuring behavior, you need to dissect what behavior you are measuring---from the function to the topography to how you are going to measure said behavior.

Section 4.3

After emitting a behavior of reading this section, the thing I will most likely remember is the concept of breaking large goals down into smaller goals. This is important because emitting behaviors to achieve smaller goals will increase the likelihood of achieving the larger goal. An example of this is a person wanting to obtain a law degree. It is easier for a person to break that large goal down into smaller goals. A person first achieves small goals like graduating high school, next getting accepted into law school, then emitting a behavior of receiving a bachelor’s degree. Finally, the person emits a behavior of completing three years of law school, and receiving a Juris Doctorate degree; thus, achieving the large goal of obtaining a law degree.

Section 5.1

After emitting a behavior of reading this section, I will most likely remember the concept of setting goals comprised of behaviors that can be measured and recorded. This is important because being able to emit a behavior of recording the results of the behavior will help the individual discover what contexts/antecedents elicit the target behavior being emitted. An example of emitting a behavior that can be measured is drinking water out of a water bottle that is labeled along the side with ounces/milliliters. If a person had a goal behavior of drinking 64 ounces of water each day, a labeled water bottle would assist them in emitting a behavior of recording the number of ounces they drank that day. Emitting a behavior of carrying around a labeled water bottle and a piece of paper or electronic device (cell phone) to record the ounces drank is helpful to the person’s progress in achieving the goal behavior of drinking 64 ounces of water per day. By measuring and recording the target behavior, the person will have a better understanding of how close they are to achieving their goal, and what contexts/antecedents lead to the person emitting the target behavior.

After emitting a reading behavior of both sections, I have learned how significant the concept of realistic goal setting and measuring is to achieving a goal/target behavior. If people set unrealistic goals, or goal behaviors that are too large to obtain before emitting smaller goal behaviors, they are much less likely to achieve their goals. I also better understand how helpful it is to emit a behavior of recording behaviors to assist individuals in the understanding of their progress.

4.3
After emitting a behavior of reading section 4.3, I will elicit a memory of the main point- to be realistic in all of my goal setting. The main points will stick with me as I elicit goal setting plans throughout the rest of my life. I will emit a behavior of remembering that all goals must be realistic, that it’s helpful to break it down into sub-goals, be achievable, and be manageable. Further, individuals must have the ability to accomplish their goals.

In reference to the goal attributes-realistic, I will elicit a memory of the fact that the goal must be achievable. That is, one could accomplish it in their life. An example of this idea is that when I was younger, I always wanted to be a professional soccer player. It was my total life goal! Looking at that goal realistically, the odds of me getting to the pros are extremely against me. Further, I would have to train much more and change a lot about my current life style. It just isn’t a realistic way to support myself for the rest of my life. I will emit the behavior of remembering the importance of making a realistic and specific goal.

Sub-goals are another important attribute to emit when goal setting. It’s always good to break down a goal that will take place over a long term so that it becomes more easily accomplished. An example of this could be my break-down of my overall rugby goal. My goal is to be in the best shape and health possible for playing rugby. A sub-goal is to work out every day. Even the sub-goal has sub-goals as “work-out” is more specified to things like run a minimum of a mile, do at least 10 sets of sprints and follow the weight program. Another sub-goal of getting in shape/health for rugby is to drink at least 6 cups of water a day. The many sub-goals make the big goal, of getting in shape for rugby, easier to achieve.

The emitted goal should also be achievable and manageable. Essentially achievable is the same as realistic. If one doesn’t have the resources to support the desired goal it will not be achievable and therefore not realistic. I also think that if it is achievable, it is also manageable and can be combined with the final memorable attribute of goal setting-manageable. One must be willing to adapt or change habits to achieve a desired goal. If someone is not willing to put in the work to manage the new behaviors necessary to achieve a goal it is not realistic and won’t happen. I will remember these two points as they are strongly connected to the overall prospective established in this chapter-realistic goals.

In summary of all of the points, I will remember the importance of setting a goal that follows the attributes that make up a good goal (listed above). I was helpful to think of things in my own life that I would like to change. I also like that I now elicit a behavior of planning my goals more effectively.

5.1

In addition to being reminded of topographical behaviors in this section, I will elicit a long term memory of the idea that all behaviors are functionally related in that every behavior has a specific function. Basically, when the function of a goal is known, it becomes easier to manipulate. A single action could have various functions.

Everything has a different function. If a person is running they could be doing this with the function of:
*trying not to be late to an event
*trying to lose weight
*Being chased

When a person realizes the functions of a behavior, the behavior may be manipulated and replaced with a different behavior that serves the same function. (They match up with the functions listed above in order)
*Leave earlier for an event or take a bus, vehicle, bike or other form of transportation
*Could diet to lose weight instead
*They could hide or fight back

The above examples are a good review of the previously learned concept of topographies. Perhaps that is why it will be easier for me to emit a memory of this new idea with functions. They are topographical ways of doing the same things to an extent.

I further learned that some functions have pleasurable and others have aversive responses (reinforcement and punishment), but goals and behaviors can be easily used to manipulate functions. If someone understands the functions, they are then able to change behaviors if they know specifically what they wish to increase or decrease.

Both Sections:
After emitting the behavior of reading both sections, I have discovered that there are various ways to accomplish the same goal of the same basic function. For example, there are many different was to achieve and manage the same function of studying or exercising or losing weight…Behaviors can be modified based on the desired functions and goals.

4.3
After emitting a behavior of reading the section I believe I will remember most that in setting a goal it is important to take note of the disruptors. A disrupter can be anything that may come in the way of your goal and inhibit further progress. If a person knows his disrupters then they will know how to overcome them when or if they come to be more effective and efficient with there goal.
5.1
After emitting a behavior of reading the section I will remember most about the processes of measuring behavior in more detail. In the reading it talks about how emitting a behavior of recording a function which is what causes the behavior is the key to a frequency. It also talks about the importance of having a baseline to know what exactly you need to measure or how to measure it.
I was very clear already on the readings from section 4.3 as I have gone to a number of leadership meetings through the internship I am involved in and have a lot of notes on being a good goal setter, but I did learn how it relates to behavior modification so well. Emitting a behavior of designing a goal has many consequences and through the right steps it can be successful. The different steps through both sections explain in more detail how goals can be used very effectively in long and short term lengths.

Chapter 4.3 was very informational and helpful. It discusses the importance of goals and elicits skills needed in order to achieve a goal. I will remember to make my goals realistic. If I do not have the skills, timeframe, or support, I will not be able to reach my goal. The text also states that I should break my goal into smaller subgoals. Instead of starting out with an overwhelming goal of losing thirty pounds, I should create smaller subgoals such as working out every day or cutting carbs out of my diet. I should also focus on losing five pounds every two weeks. It’s important that the time frame I set to achieve my goal is realistic as well. Saying I want to lose thirty pounds in a week is unrealistic and overwhelming to think about. Setting small goals elicits a feeling of control and enables individuals to achieve bigger goals. It is also important to have a strong support base or people that encourage and help one achieve his/her goal. I will remember this information because I have learned about it from popular TV shows such as “Biggest Loser” and “I Used to be Fat”. In these TV shows, the participants set a realistic goal, set a timeframe to achieve their goal, and they break their goal down into smaller subgoals so they do not become discouraged.
After emitting the behavior of reading chapter 5.1, I learned that context affects the topography of a behavior. There are behaviors that share the same function, but they are not exactly similar. A context of a situation or antecedent may make a person change the topography of a behavior. For example, if there’s a blizzard outside, instead of running outside, one may have to do a work out video instead. Running and doing a work out video serve the same function of exercising, but they have different topographies. I will also remember this concept because it was mentioned in prior chapters.
Chapters 4.3 and 5.1 didn’t provide me with any information that I didn’t already know. The information in these chapters has already been explained in earlier chapters, and is shown on popular television shows. It was a good review of information, however.

4.3
As I emitted a reading behavior on section 4.3 there were a few things that elicited a stronger remembering behavior in me. Overall I will remember that there are components that go into goals and you need to have a clear, realistic goal in order to achieve it. I found the readings pleasurable as it talked about setting a timeframe for achieving this goal because I find as I often emit goals, I forget to set any timeframe and am often coming in late with the completion of my goals or failing to meet them all together. Emitting sub goals is also a very smart concept. Achieve the smaller battles to win the war. Each sub goal reached is also a reinforcing agent in reaching that end goal. Some of this section that elicited an aversive feeling in me was the talk of realistic goals mainly because I believe you really can do anything if you completely commit to it. I’ve seen major things happen when you immerse yourself in a goal.

5.1
Section 5.1 definitely elicited a feeling in me, but not a great one. The main thing I will take away from this section is confusion. At first, as I emitted a reading behavior, I thought it was going to be a bit of review and then build on prior knowledge, but for some reason I could not wrap me head around this section or its concepts. Prior to this, I thought I knew the concept of functional vs. topographical behaviors well, but now I’m not so certain. My main confusion was elicited by the later part of the section where it started talking about topographies that a behavior may take on because I thought topographical was when the behavior looked alike but had a different function. Now we’re talking about all the different physical approaches to emitting that target behavior? I guess I just need some clarification.

As I stated earlier in my response, what I thought was going to build on my prior knowledge of topographical and functional behaviors that I had emitted a learning behavior on, have now elicited some confusion. Stressing that each behavior has a function and that it is yet again necessary to emit a clear target behavior reinforced what I had already emitted a learning behavior on.

4.3

The part of this section that I will emit a remembering behavior about is where it gets into how goals aren't just a basic thing. They can be broken down into sub goals. There are also different aspects of goals. This includes "is it achievable?" "is it manageable?" "Is it disruptive?" among others.

5.1

I think Ill emit a remembering behavior about the functions of behavior. Getting a bartenders attention is a good example of behavior function. Whether an individual waves, makes eye contact, puts their hand on the bar or whatever other technique they have, they all serve the same function- to let the bartender know that they want something.

The overall idea of these two sections is goal setting. As we learned earlier in the semester, context or antecedent is very important. These sections added to that in getting into how the context can affect the topographical behavior. The example used was approaching a door and the behavior would change based on whether the door has a knob or not etc.

4.3
The thing I will remember most about this section would be the best ways to set goals for one self. The best way to set a goal is to look inside yourself and decide if the goal is realistic for yourself and if the goal is worth causing change for your family.
5.1
The thing that I will remember from this chapter is that all behaviors have a function. Different behaviors can be emitted, but they lead to the same function. I think this is important to remember because we emit these types of behaviors every day we just don’t think about it. I think this will help us to achieve success in our goals and target behaviors we want to change. And being able to set realistic goal will help us also to achieve and emit target behaviors.