Topical Blog Week #12 (due Thursday)

#1.) Set Goal:
I would like to emit the behavior of losing 5 pounds in one month.

#2.) Define/Specify Goal as a set of Target Behaviors
I would like to emit the behavior of eating 1200-1400 calories per day.

#3.) Keep a Record:
After each time I consume anything with calories, (a meal, snack, beverage other than water, etc.) I will write down what it is that I ate and how many calories were in that item. In order to do this, I will use an application on my phone that allows you to type in what you eat throughout the day and it records the calories for you. Since I always have my cell phone, this will be much easier than carrying around a notebook and writing down each food item.

#4.) Graph a Baseline:
The y-axis for this graph would be calories. The x-axis would be days of the week. The purpose of the graph would be to track the amount of calories consumed and emit the behavior of comparing it from day to day.

#5.) Determine Contingencies:
If I eat 1200-1400 calories per day for one week, I will reinforce myself with a new item of clothing. A week would be defined as 7 consecutive days.

#6.) Determine Antecedents:
I would change my environment by emitting the behavior of buying healthy snacks rather than junk food. Since junk food is high in calories, consuming these snacks would make it very difficult to stay in my set range of calories for that day.

#7.) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies:
In the future, I might need to find a different reinforcer because buying a clothing item each week could get expensive, depending on what the item is. If this happens, I will instead reinforce myself with having a candy bar of my choice at the end of the week if I reach my goal.

Step #1--Set Goal
I would like to emit a behavior of increasing the amount of water I consume per day to 64 ounces.

Step #2--Define/Specify the Goal as a Set of Target Behaviors

1.I will emit a behavior of drinking 8 oz of water every morning when I wake up.
2. I will emit a behavior of drinking 8 oz of water every night before I go to sleep.
3. I will emit a behavior of drinking 16 oz of water after every workout, and on days that I don’t work out I will drink 16 oz of water between 11 am and 2 pm.
4. I will emit a behavior of drinking 16 oz of water during every shift at my job, and on days I don’t work I will drink 16 oz of water between 5 pm and 10 pm.
5. I will emit a behavior of drinking 8 oz of water with every lunch and dinner I eat.
I will emit a behavior of following this time schedule to the best of my ability because I have found that by specifying the times I need to drink the amount of water specified, I am more likely to actually drink my goal amount in ounces. I need to spread out the number of ounces I drink per day, because I am not able to drink a large amount (21 ounces 3x per day, or 32 ounces twice a day).

Step #3--Keep a Record

I will emit a behavior of using water bottles that are either pre-measured, or have measured lines on the side so I can keep track of the amount of water I have consumed each day. I will also emit a behavior of carrying a piece of paper and pen with me at all times so I can write down the number of ounces I emit a behavior of consuming as I go throughout my day. Using bottles that are pre-measured or labeled, will elicit a behavior of recording the number of ounces more frequently, and with greater ease.

Step #4--Graph a Baseline

Emitting a behavior of graphing a baseline will be beneficial because it will allow me to compare my progress to my starting point. It will also allow me to emit a behavior of seeing my progress in a format that is easier to interpret at a quick glance, and longitudinally, than a written record of the progress. I will emit a behavior of labeling the y-axis 'ounces of water consumed,' and the x-axis 'day of the week.' I will emit a behavior of using a line graph so I can see the changes in the days of the week for consumption. A line graph elicits a greater likelihood that I will refer to the graph, because I prefer to view the 'ups-and-downs' correlated to days, rather than a pie chart or a bar graph, which would emit a behavior of showing larger sections for the amount of water consumed corresponding to the day of the week.

Step #5--Determine Contingencies

I will emit a behavior of reinforcing my target behavior of drinking 64 ounces of water per day with allowing myself to emit a behavior of consuming an 8 ounce glass of chocolate milk at the end of each day I emit the target behavior. This will elicit an increase in the frequency of emitting the target behavior because chocolate milk is a favorite beverage, therefore it is reinforcing to me. And after drinking mostly water all day, I will want to emit a behavior of drinking something that I enjoy.

Step #6--Determine Antecedents

I will emit a behavior of changing my environment to better elicit my performance of the target behavior. I would emit a behavior of removing unhealthy beverages like pop or sugar-loaded juices from my apartment, so water will be a more prominent option to drink. I would also emit a behavior of using water bottles with measured lines on the side to keep track of how many ounces I had emitted a behavior of drinking that day. I would emit a behavior of keeping bottled water on hand, and even carrying it with me, to elicit a behavior of consuming more water per day.

Step #7--Implement and Adjust the Contingencies

I may have to emit a behavior of adjusting the reinforcer I have chosen because I may become satiated with chocolate milk over time. I may also not want to emit a behavior of purchasing chocolate milk every week because it is expensive, and being a college student I try to emit a behavior of living a frugal lifestyle.

News Years Resolution Example: Get Good Grades: Get at least a 3.75 at the end of semester

#1) Set Goal:
I would like to emit the behavior of working on school work and studying more.

#2) Define/Specify Goal as a set of Target Behaviors:
-1. Read all assigned pages in each class’s textbooks thoroughly
-2. Outline the pages in a separate notebook for each class before class
-3. Plan at the beginning of the week at least 3 hours a day, at least 5 days a week (can be split up) to do school work in a quiet area

#3) Keep a Record:
I would emit the behavior of keeping an amount of the hours I spend working in my planner.

#4.) Graph a Baseline:
The y-axis for this graph would be hours. The x-axis would be the days (day 1, day 2, day 3..etc). This graph would show how I am coming along with studying and hopefully be positive reinforcement.

#5.) Determine Contingencies:
I would reinforce my studying with a time of relaxing each night after studying by watching TV or being on the computer for at least an hour. This would definitely be positive reinforcement. For the final goal- getting a 3.75 at the end of the semester—I would buy myself a new outfit.

#6.) Determine Antecedents:
I could make some changes to the antecedents which would make it easier to emit my target behaviors. I could turn my computer off so I don’t get on Facebook, or I could go to the library with no distractions. I would not be able to study by the TV either.

#7.) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
Some things could elicit problems in the schedule-for example:
1) Sickness
2) An or unexpectedly busy day in which I wouldn’t have 3 hours to set aside
In these cases, I could lower my amount of reinforcement to catch up on work the next week.

I have emitted the behavior of studying more often-especially for tests. It has been difficult to study in a quiet place because I get bored. However, when I study in the union I get distracted. But the good grades elicit a pleasurable response, so it is worth it.

If I were to do another self-directed change project I would make sure that the reinforcement would be something tangible. I would have to think of something that would be a positive reinforcer, but make sure the intervals are good.

1. Set Goal
I wish to emit a volunteering (community service) behavior throughout the year of 2012.

2.Define target behavior based on goal
I will emit in volunteering around 36 hours throughout the year, having at least 3 hours of volunteering a month by helping out in anyway I can. This could be through helping out with salvation army, christmas wrapping in stores, cleaning up the community, volunteering at nursing homes, helping at the humane society etc.

3.Keep a record
In a journal, I will write down volunteer events that I have attended each month and the amount of hours I have volunteered as well as how many hours (or more) I would like to attend in meeting my goal. This will help me keep track of my hours throughout the year to help achieve my goal.

4.Graph baseline
The x-axis of my graph would be the months of the year and the y-axis would be the number of hours volunteered.

5.Determine contingencies
After emitting a volunteer behavior after each month (If meeting my required hours),I will reward myself by going out with friends at the end of the month as a celebration of my good deeds. I will hopefully feel better about myself and if I do meet my goal of emitting a volunteer behavior for a whole year with the required hours I wish to exceed, I will reward myself with a new car (since I've been wanting to get one anyway for a while). I already have some money saved up for one along with some help of my parents (whom I will repay once I earn enough down the road). I will not allow myself to buy the car until I have accomplished my goal.

6.Antecedents helpful in eliciting the desired behaviors
I like being around people, so I would like to volunteer at the nursing home, or anything to do with helping out other people. It also makes me feel like I was useful and makes me feel better knowing I've helped someone out.

7.Although buying a new car at the end is a great reinforcer, there could be limitations to that. My car right now could break down or be damaged which would elicit me in emitting a buying behavior of a new car before my goal is met. I would also have to check out volunteer opportunities ahead of time to know that I can get enough hours in throughout the year. As for meeting my sub-goals each month and rewarding myself for going out, I might go out more than once during that month because of certain events (birthdays, holidays, employee parties) that could decrease my behavior.

#1 – Set Goal:
I would like to emit the behavior of not watching TV while doing homework.

#2 – Define/Specify the Goal as a set of Target Behaviors:
• Turn TV off when doing homework
• Listen to music instead of watching TV while doing homework
• Sit at the kitchen table or go to the library, where there is no TV, when doing homework

#3 – Keep a Record:
I will emit the behavior of keeping a journal. Since I usually have my backpack with me when I’m doing homework it will be easy to keep my journal with me when I am elicited to record my behavior. In this journal I will record how much time I spend emitting a homework doing behavior. Next I’ll record how much time I spent doing homework with the TV on and how much time I spent doing homework without the TV on. In order to determine the antecedents, which elicit me to emit a wrong behavior, I will also keep track where I am when I’m doing homework. Keeping a journal elicits me to learn about my tendencies when it comes to emitting the behavior of doing homework and/or watching TV.

#4 – Graph a Baseline:
The x-axis would be the days of the week. The y-axis would be how many hours I spend doing homework with the TV on. The purpose of this graph is to show me whether or not my unwanted behavior is decreasing in frequency. So hopefully over time I will see a decrease in this behavior, which will be represented by the graph.

#5 – Determine Contingencies:
For every two hours that I emit the behavior of doing homework without the TV on, I will reinforce myself with a half-hour of free time where I can do whatever I want (besides watching TV).

#6 - Determine Antecedents:
I will emit the behavior of doing homework at the kitchen table where there is no TV, or I will stay on campus after classes instead of going to straight home so that I can study/do homework in the library. I will listen to music instead of watching TV because it is less distracting.

#7- Implement and adjust the contingencies:
I might need to change how often I reinforce my behaviors depending on how much homework I actually have. I will also need to change the reinforcer eventually because I don’t want to experience satiation.

I have had a lot of homework lately so I have found that I am more motivated to do my homework in the library so that I actually get stuff done! Feeling accomplished after a long day seems to be my biggest motivational tool so I always try to keep that in mind. I have found that whenever I am home doing homework it is extremely tempting for me to keep the TV off. All in all I really think utilizing the library is my best option.

For New Year's Resolution, I would like to emit a behavior of making more money.

1) Set Goal: I would like to emit the behavior of making more money.

2) Define Goal as a Target Behavior: I would like to emit the behavior of working 15 hours a week (3 hours a day to keep it spread out) instead of 10 so I can make more money.

3) Keep a Record
I will keep a running record of how many hours I work per week and how many I have left to work. I will keep this record of how much I work on my notes in my phone since that is the most accessible to me. I will remember to do so every time I get done with work and am walking to my class since I have more time and always have my phone.

4) Create a Graph
On my x axis I would have the days of the week; Monday through Friday. On the Y axis I would have the hours worked ranging from 1 hour to 5 hours. The points on the graph should be all on 3 hours, but if the graph wavers, then I know that I'm not fully completing my goal. If they are all above 3 hours I will know that I am working too much and may have a harder time getting other things such as homework done.

5) Determine Contingencies
I will positively reinforce myself by leaving weekends open to relax if possible. I will allow myself to go out to eat once a week instead of once or twice a month (since I will have more money, which is also a positive reinforcement). More positive reinforcements could include being able to afford more tangible things such as clothes and shoes which I enjoy. The more hours I work, theoretically the more reinforcements I could receive.

6) Determine Antecedents
An antecedent for wanting to emit a working behavior more often could maybe be that I don't like it at my apartment. Since I don't like the atmosphere here, it would elicit the behavior of wanting to work more. Another antecedent for wanting to work more could be just the situation that I need more money for school and tuition is increasing. There could be many antecedents for me wanting to work more. Another example is that my parents are now wanting me to pay for more of my cell phone and car bills. I am also moving to an apartment next semester that is more expensive, so making more is a necessity.

7) Implement and Adjust Contingencies
I might go back and emit an adjusting behavior to fix my target behavior. I might state that I would want to work 3 hours a day for only 5 days out of the week, without working weekends so that I can have a break. This would allow for the contingency to be that I will be able to reinforce myself by having these two days off.

I have not been doing very well with this goal. I had to make the change of keeping better records for my work hours because sometimes I go to submit my timecard and can't even remember the hours I worked that week. I could learn how to reinforce myself more since I don't seem to be working more hours. For example, the more hours I work the more I could buy from clothing stores or shoe stores. I would have to put a limit on this, however, because I am working to afford school, not tangible reinforcements. I also discovered that there are many more antecedents to wanting/needing to work than I had previously assumed. They are all listed above. Overall, I really have still been working only 10 hours a week. However, I do plan to emit the behavior of working at least 15 hours a week next semester because I will find a job that will allow me to work more hours on the weekends. This will end up creating a problem for my reinforcement of free weekends, so I will have to eventually go back and adjust these steps in the future.

Step 1- Set a goal

I would like to emit a behavior of increasing the number of hours I work out a week.

Step 2- Define/Specify the goal as a set of target behaviors
1. I will emit a behavior of running on a treadmill 3 times a week for 20 minutes
2. I will attend my kickboxing class three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
3. I will do strength training for an hour after kickboxing practice on Mondays
Step 3- Keep a record
I will emit a watching wearing behavior to help track my times. This will allow me to record in my phone how long I worked out and what I did accurately. This will let me look back and make sure I’ve done what I needed to do for each day. I will also carry with me my phone, so I can emit a note taking behavior on it and record my workouts. Before going to sleep I will write down from my phone onto a white board how well I did and my workout times.
Step 4 - Graph a baseline
Emitting a baseline reading of my abilities and amount of time I naturally spend working out will give me a great starting point. The best way to measure my targeted behavior would be to graph the amount of time working out compared to the amount I originally worked out. The Y axis would be the amount of time spent working out and the x axis would have the days. It would best be done as a bar graph and have three bars for each kind of workout I did. An example of this being a red bar for strength training, a blue bar for running, and a black bar for kick boxing on each day of the graph.
Step 5 - Determine the Contingencies
The contingencies for this self-directed behavior modification will be positive reinforcement for every time I work out on my schedule. I will reinforce myself with cooking a food I am craving at the time. I love cooking and this is a high frequency behavior that I believe is a great reinforcer since im not trying to lose weight but simply become fit.
Step 6 – Determine the Antecedent
I will emit a spending money behavior and rejoin my kick boxing class. I will also find the hours out that the Wellness and Recreation Center is open so I can perform a working out behavior to fulfill my goal. On days that I will work out I will carry with me my workout clothes so I can go directly to the gym and not be tempted to simply nap instead.

Step 7 – Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
I may have to adjust for working or class schedules as well as the difficultly and length of time working out. I can see my reinforcer not being strong enough as well. When I am beginning to resent going to work out I will reevaluate what I find to be a good reinforcer and use that instead. Being allowed to have a cigarette after working may be a bad choice health wise but it would be a powerful enough reinforcer if I was allowed only one after every workout and the supply of cigarettes was controlled by a friend and not myself, this would be a good alternative to cooking if I find cooking not strong enough of a reinforcer.

1.) Setting the goal –
I would like to emit the behavior of losing 20 pounds in four months.
2.) Specify the goal –
I will emit the behavior of running at least four miles nonstop at a starting pace of 6.0 on the treadmill each day. At the start of each week, I will increase the speed .03 mph. Hopefully by 4 months, I will have better endurance. I will also emit the behavior of refraining from snacking between meals. I will stop drinking alcohol.
3.) Keeping a record-
I will record what and how much I eat in my cell phone. I always have my phone with me, so I will be able to record what I eat right away. I will also emit the behavior of recording how many miles and minutes I run each day. I will also record my emotions and any obstacles that may arise. Keeping a record of specific target behaviors will elicit a feeling of control in me. It will make it easier to reach my goal.
4.) Graphing a baseline-
The x axis will display the amount of time. In this instance, it would be the number of months starting from month one and ending at month four. The y-axis will represent the number of pounds lost ranging from zero to twenty. This baseline will show my progress in losing weight.
5.) Determining contingencies-
For every two pounds I lose, I will reward myself by purchasing an article of clothing. Losing weight will also elicit a feeling of confidence. This will reinforce me to continue to lose more weight because I will feel better about myself.
6.) Determining antecedents-
In order to be successful at losing weight, I will throw out all of my food in my dorm room, so I don’t have the temptation to snack between meals. I will wear my workout clothes and running shoes to class, so I can work out right away after my final class. I will have no excuse not to work out because I will be right by the Health Beat in the Union. I will also drink water when I am feeling hungry to elicit a feeling of fullness in myself. Instead of drinking alcohol, I will drink water instead.
7.) Implementing and adjusting contingencies-
The upcoming holiday season will make losing weight difficult for me. I will not have access to a treadmill over Thanksgiving break, so I will either have to run outside (3 miles on the track), or do the Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred workout video. It will also be hard to refrain from snack when I am at home. Whenever I have a craving or feel the urge to snack between meals, I will drink two glasses of water. Hopefully, this will reduce my cravings for junk food. Also, I need to find a cheaper reinforcer. I am low on money these days, so I shouldn’t keep rewarding myself with a new article of clothing every time I lose a couple pounds. I will have a movie night with the girls and allow myself to eat one brownie after I have lost 2 pounds.

REVISED: New Year’s Resolution today: Stop impulse shopping.


Step #1- Setting goal- I want to emit a behavior of decreasing impulse shopping.



Step #2- Define/Specify the Goal as a set of Target behaviors



I will make a list before I go to the store so I no longer buy unnecessary $10 magazines, unnecessary sale items at any grocery/department store.

Step #3- Keeping a Record

A way to record my baseline performance would be to construct a behavioral diary that was discussed in section 4.2. I would keep my diary in my phone app “Notes” and tally up each day and give myself 1 point if I did not impulse shop.



Step #4- Graphing a Baseline



My graph would consist of the days of the week on the x-axis Sunday-Saturday, and the Y-axis would consist of the points I received from 0-7. I would have to make 3 different graphs to show when I will receive my goal 21 points.



Step #5- Determine Contingencies

I will use the points I received each week to be a reinforcer to reach 21 points. I will receive 1 point each day of the week I do not impulse shop.The reinforcing of points each week will increase my behavior of buying something I want with a limit of $25 after receiving 21 points.



Step #6- Determine Antecedents



To emit my desirable goal target behavior I will only bring one credit card with limited amount of money in my account.




Step #7- Implement and Adjust the Contingencies


I will have certain urges to buy impulse buying if I feel like I “want or need” it. I also, will think that it is “okay” to buy once in a while instead of striving for those. A way I could adjust the urges would be to print out clothes I want from Forever 21 and remember that I can get a new clothing item after I reach 21 points. I believe that my self-direct behavior would make me extremely happy to buy something new.

My New Year’s Resolution would be:

1) Set Goal:
I would like to emit the behavior of calling my family more often.

2) Define/Specify Goal as a Set of Target Behaviors:
- Call my sister at least once a week
-Call my brother at least once a week
-Call my parents every other day

3) Keep a Record:
Wanting to succeed at this goal would elicit me to keep a record of how often I called my family members. Since I would be using my cell phone, there would be an electronic record of my calls. In order to make myself aware of the antecedents and consequences, I could emit a writing behavior on my phone to tell myself what was going on before and after each time I placed a call to them. Instead of only keeping a record of the total number of family calls I place, I will emit a record keeping behavior of how many I place to each family member, as listed in my specified target behavior.

4) Graph a Baseline:
The y-axis for my graph would be the total number of outgoing family calls. The x-axis would be the days of the week. The purpose of my graph would be to track the amount of outgoing family calls each day over at least the first week. Below my graph, I could also note what the antecedents/consequences of them were, so I have a clear picture of why some days are lower/higher than others. I would also emit separate graphs for each family member, as specified in my target behavior list. This way I can see if one particular member is receiving fewer calls than another.

5) Determine Contingencies:
I will emit reinforcement at the end of each two weeks if I have emitted the outlined number of calls each separate week. For my reinforcer, I would emit a behavior of going to Cold Stone each successful two weeks.

#Revision: Implementing this self-directed behavioral program elicited me to realize this contingency would not work. Emitting reinforcement every 2 weeks is too long of a time frame. For my type of goal, immediate reinforcement is necessary. I also realized that Cold Stone as a reinforcer is not feasible. I do not have the secondary reinforcer necessary (money) to be buying Cold Stone every couple of weeks. I also do not want it very often. I also was not very specific if it was to be every two weeks or every two weeks that I complete my goal. As I mentioned, for this type of goal, reinforcement needs to be immediate and I honestly haven’t found a proper reinforcement.

6) Determine Antecedents:
One way I could change my environment would be to place sticky notes on/around things I use frequently, such as my laptop. The sticky notes could say things like, “How is _____ doing?” This way I would emit calling the family member to see how they are doing, not just if I had a question or needed help with something. I could also set aside a specific time of day to call my family so that the time would become a discriminative stimulus.

7) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies:
A problem that might arise with my contingency is I may become satiated of Cold Stone ice cream. If satiation occurs, this would elicit me to find a new reinforcer. I also may begin to feel bad that I need an extrinsic reward to call my family members and once started, the feeling I receive as a consequence of calling them regularly may serve as its own intrinsic reward and reinforcer. I also may need to go back and change when I am getting reinforced; instead of being reinforced for any outgoing calls to my family, I could be reinforced for only outgoing calls placed for social reasons, not ones for questions or help. I also may need to emit a change of reinforcer for a specified amount of time a call lasts other than the call itself.

# At the beginning of this self-directed behavioral program, I emitted the desired responses quite frequently and followed the program; however, my contingency was not a sufficient one thus my response rate has been extinguished. I was not emitting reinforcement frequently enough or consistently enough therefore my target behavior was no longer reinforced and went through extinction. My target behavior is a difficult one to reinforce properly. Since now I realize that I must be reinforced immediately and consistently, I believe I will have a higher rate of success. I think I am still having a difficulty completely accepting the goal as my own. My mom and dad again reminded me to be calling my sister and brother and I think their reminders make it feel like more of a chore than something I REALLY want to emit.

# If I were to emit a different self-directed behavioral program, I would definitely make sure the goal is one that I accept as my own and have a high striving for. I would also probably choose one that has an end time so that I would have a clear time frame to succeed, such as accomplishing something or acquiring something. My current goal is one that will last my lifetime, so it is difficult to maintain. I would also make sure that my contingency is feasible and emitted frequently and consistently enough. I will also choose a reinforcer that I will not become so easily satiated with. Self-directed behavioral changes are very difficult, way more difficult than I had previously thought.

#1) Set Goal:
I would like to emit the behavior of losing weight.
#2) Define/Specify Goal as a set of Target Behaviors:
To obtain my goal, I will ride the bike six times a week at the WRC. I will ride at level 7 and maintain 100+ RPM for 35 of the 45 minutes. I will also eat 3 fruits and 3 vegetables a day. I will no longer eat at fast food restaurants. My schedule is very unpredictable so I cannot determine when I will ride the bike. After riding, I will stretch my legs for 10-15 minutes to increase flexibility.
#3) Keep a Record:
I will record emit a recording behavior in the notes section of my phone. I will keep track of everything I eat and how long I emit a bike riding behavior for everyday. For the food, I will record how much I ate and what I ate.
#4.) Graph a Baseline:
I will emit the recording of two different graphs. For the first graph, the title will read minutes on the treadmill at level 7 or above at 100+ RPM. The x-axis will read time and will have the days of the week at the bottom. The y-axis will read number of minutes and will go from 20-70. The second graph will read amount of combined fruits and vegetables consumed. The x-axis will have the days of the week and the y-axis will be number of fruits and vegetables. It will be numbered 0-10.
#5.) Determine Contingencies:
If I emit an eating behavior consistent with my initial goals and ride the bike a minimum of 45 minutes a day, I will reinforce myself with allowing myself to go to the casino with $100. I love playing poker and blackjack, so it will be a great motivator for me. It will elicit me to stick with the program.
In order to emit the behavior of losing weight, I will throw away all unhealthy food in my house. This will prevent me from eating unhealthy things. I will also give plasma so I can afford a bike in my house. If I have a bike, I will be more likely to emit the riding behavior because I will not need to leave the house.
#7.) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
I think I will have to alter my amount spent on my reward. With eating healthier, I will have less money for other things. Fresh fruit and vegetables are more expensive, so I will lower the reward to $75. I can still have a good time at the casino with $75.

This is much improved from the Week 9 blog. I have made some very important changes. Instead of running, I will ride the bike because my knees are bad and I have gotten shin splints in the past. It will allow me to stay healthy. I also changed my reward to going to the casino instead of buying clothes. I enjoy the casino much more than shopping, so it will elicit more motivation from me. I also will add another graph to record my eating habits. If I were to do another project, I would consider time more carefully. Like most college students, I am very busy studying and working, so it is hard for me to find time 6 days a week. If I were to emit the behavior of doing another project, I would make it less time consuming.

After some time of reviewing my post from week 9 I realized that it was too big of a goal and couldn’t be realistically applied. My initial goal was to get into the grad program at University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse for Occupational Therapy. Though this is an admirable goal and is ultimately still a goal of mine there are several smaller steps that I can take to help with the process. I believe I stated all of this in my week 10 post as well. My more attainable goal is to eliminate my procrastination behavior, which so often inhibits me in reaching my goals.
1) Set Goal: Reduce the frequency that I procrastinate.
2) Define Target Behavior: I will have all my homework, papers, and study preparation due one day before the actual due date.
3) Keep a Record: I will record my behavior frequencies by marking down in my daily planner whether I succeeded or failed in turning it in one day early. I will record this by highlighting the assignment with purple if I succeed and highlighting it in yellow, should I fail to do so.
4) Graph Baseline: In order to graph the baseline I will, by memory, observe this past week’s behavior. Normally, I would probably graph my normal behavior for the next two weeks so as to have a longer, more stable baseline.
5) Determine Contingencies: The contingencies for this behavior will be to reward myself with TV viewing privileges once my homework is done. In this sense it will be like the sections we read for this week. Like when parents say to their child, if you do ‘x’ you can do ‘y’. In this instance homework would be my low frequency behavior and my high frequency behavior would be being able to watch TV and relax with my wife.
6) Determine Antecedent: In order to change my environment I will have my TV unplugged and will inform my wife of my plans to change the behavior so that she can help hold me accountability. This way I will have at least two kinds of line of defense against my wanting to procrastinate.
7) Implement and Adjust Contingencies: I can see many potential problems arising with this. For one thing, there are some days when I will have no homework due at all. On these days I will prepare any homework in advance that I can; whether they be papers or tests I could be studying for. At the very minimum I will work for 30 minutes on some material on these days. I may also overcome my horrible procrastination problem which would be great and I wouldn’t need any reinforcers. Or, on the other hand I may grow to hate TV because I am then forced to do homework in order to gain access to the television, and therefore my once high frequency would lose its appeal. I then, many have to implement a new high frequency behavior, such as hiking on the weekend. These are simply a few of the possible changes that would have to be made.

1) Set Goal:
I am going to emit the behavior of losing seven pounds by January 1, 2012

2) Define/ Specify the Goal as a set of Target Behaviors:
The target behaviors that I would emit in order to achieve this self-directed behavioral goal is to cut junk food from my diet (chips, candy, baked goods, soda), increase my intake of fruit to three servings a day, do not eat after 7:00 pm, use the elliptical or run on the treadmill for thirty minutes five times a week, and lift weights twice a week.

3) Keep a Record
To keep a record, I would write in the behavior modification section of my class notebook (because I take it everywhere). After each workout, I would emit a behavior of writing how long I ran and on which machine, and the weight I was lifting for each weight lifting exercise. I would do this daily, and mark any diet slip-ups I had made as well. I would also take my weight every night at 10:00 pm and write it in my notebook everyday to watch my progress and make it simpler when emitting the behavior of graphing a baseline

4) Graph a Baseline
The graph I will make will be titled “Weight Loss” and will be a line graph following my weight loss progress. The y-axis will mark my weight in pounds and the x-axis will mark each day of the week.

5) Determine Contingencies
I will use a reinforcement procedure, because it is most effective when using self-directed change. The reinforcer will be purchasing a new article of clothing each time I lose 2.5 pounds. I love to buy clothes and do not do this for myself often so I believe that this will be an effective reinforcer. I think that every 2.5 pounds is a perfect amount of time because it is not too large so I get discouraged, and it is not too small in that I’m spending too much money on clothing. I will also reinforce myself with a glass of iced tea, because it is my favorite beverage, after I have completed each workout for the day to maintain my exercising behavior.

6) Determine Antecedents
Ways that I could change the environment to help elicit the desired behavior is to remove all junk food from my apartment, stay away from the candy aisle when grocery shopping. I will also use the Health Beat in Maucker Union to exercise and lift weights, because it is free and on my way home and will cause me to use it much more often.

7) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
If I have a busy work week, it may be difficult to emit the exercise behavior because I do not have time between class and work. To adjust for this I will use a twenty minute workout video at home, each time I am unable to run after class. I may also have to switch to running outside if I am not in Cedar Falls because there is not a free facility in any other town I would be staying at.

I have lost a couple of pounds since implementing the self-directed behavior program. This week though I had a very difficult time exercising. Because I had so many tests and assignments to get done, I found myself much too tired to emit the exercise behavior and found it necessary to nap instead. To hopefully adjust for this, I added a new contingency which rewards my exercise behavior.

#1 Set A Goal
My goal is to eat healthier. I want to have at least one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables with lunch and dinner. I also want to drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day. I want to reduce the amount of sweets a day to only 1 serving. I will emit of behavior of following the FDA's portion count chart is how I will define the sizes of the food I eat. I will also emit the behavior of recording all my eating habits per week not only can I see my progress but this will make me face the reality of what I actually do eat.

#2 Define Specify Goals as a Target Behavior
I will emit the behavior of changing my eating habits by,
a. Eating 2 servings of vegtables a day
b. Eating 2 servings of fruit a day
c. Drinking 8 8oz of water a day
d. Eating only between 0-1 serving of sweets a day.
e. Keeping a detailed record and graph in my notebook every day and week.

#3 Keep a Record
I am keeping a written record complete with graphs, notes, what I ate that day and any other things that I feel are necessary to my success in achieving the goal of eating healthier. I will write things down as they happen and I will carry my journal everywhere and be on my person at all times. I will be writing in my notebook and I will look back to hope to be able to get a sense about what I actually eat and emit the behavior of changing my eating habits due to this.

#4 Graph A Baseline
I emitted the behavior of graphing my baseline and what I saw surprised me. I would sometimes go days without drinking a decent amount of water and I would eat too many sweets and sometimes that would be all I would eat that day. I graphed me base line on a line graph with three lines, one representing water, one representing sweets eaten (portions), and the final line containing portions of health food eaten as defined by my other steps.

#5 Determine Contingencies
I have tokens and when I achieve 7 tokens I will treat myself to a chocolate milkshake. Each token is awarded after one day where I drank all my water and ate all my servings and had no sweets. After each month of completing my regime I will buy myself a new book. I originally had once a week I would allow myself to have something sweet but since it has been not effective as of late I am hoping that the prospect of emitting a milkshake buying behavior will kick start my motivation.

#6 Determine the Antecedent
I believe the antecedent to my unhealthy eating is a lack of knowledge and experience eating healthy. I also feel better emotionally when I eat unhealthy. Sweets for me can help me emit a behavior or doing homework or studying as well as providing a brief emotional stability. I will also remove any temptations in my living space because it the sweets are available I will emit the behavior or eating them.

#7 Implement/Adjust the Contingencies
I emitted the behavior of starting on my, for lack of a better word, diet of healthy foods two weeks ago. So far I have not had much success due to extreme stressful situations that have cropped up in the past few weeks. I have had good days and bad days. I recently adjusted my reward in the hopes that this will elicit me to work harder to emit my goal behavior.

I hate to say I am not doing very well because some emotional and stressful situations have recently arisen and I have eaten badly. I am doing fairly good this week, I have had a least 1 serving of fruits and vegetables this week but my water consumption is down and my sweet consumption is up. I plan to keep a more strict regime with myself and allow myself to rely more on my support system of friends and family.

1. Set goal
- My goal is to study more.
2. Define/specify Goal as a set of Target Behaviors
- I will emit a behavior of carrying around my books when I'm on campus every day that I have class.
- I will emit the behavior of not being on facebook at all during time that I have work to do.
- I will emit the behavior of setting up a schedule of when to do work and what work to do at a given time.
3. Keep a record
- I will keep track of how much I have read per day by writing in down in a notebook.
4. Graph a Baseline
- One axis will be the day of the week. The other axis would be the amount of time spent studying/reading. It would be measured in minutes.
5. Determine contingencies
- My contingencies would involve a possible weekly reward. This is due to the fact that weekly workloads vary based on the instructors plans. I could set an amount of time to spend and each time I reach that goal, at the end of the week I could treat myself to something small, like taking myself out to eat, something that I dont normally do already.
6. Determine antecedents
- The location and time in which I do my reading is important because if I am too distracted or tired or have anything else occupying my thoughts, not much is going to be accomplished. So finding a suitable place where distractions are few and a good time that I can focus and stay focused are important. The stacks in the Rod Library in the mid afternoon would be a good example of this.
7. Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
- One target behavior that I may need to emit a changing behavior to is the weekly reward system. That could cause me to become lazy because I expect a reward every week. So I could either change it to bi weekly or maybe be more specific with the weekly study plan so it doesn't become so standardized to the point that I stop taking it seriously.

I went through and made each step more detailed and specific because when creating a plan, vague directions can cause the whole plan to fail or to just avoid those steps. Or I could use the non specific points to skate through it without actually accomplishing what its designed to accomplish.

If I were to emit the behavior of choosing a New Year's resolution, it would be to stop biting my nails.

#1: Set a Goal
I would like to stop emitting the behavior of biting my nails.

#2: Define/Specify the Goal as a set of Target Behaviors.
To try and stop biting my nails, I would make sure that my nails are ALWAYS painted. If I bite my nails at any time, I will remove the paint and put on a fresh coat at the soonest moment I am able to. My nails will never be without nail polish. When your nails are painted, biting them becomes aversive because of the bitter taste nail polish gives off. This will continue until I am no longer biting my nails at all.

#3: Keep a Record
I will keep a behavioral diary in the form of a little pocket book (this will be easy to carry around compared to a large notebook) of how many times I bite my nails. I will carry the diary with me at all times and record right every time I bite my nails. At the end of the week I will add it up and keep a record per week of how many times I bit my nails.

#4: Graph a Baseline
I would choose to use a bar graph. The x-axis would be the week (would range from Week 1-Week 8 for example) and the y-axis would be the number of times I bit my nails. This kind of graph would easily be able to show me my progress by the week, and hopefully each week I would be emitting less and less biting of the nails behavior.

#5: Determine Contingencies
In order to stop biting my nails and to keep resisting the urge as time goes on, I will use a form of reinforcement. I will reinforce myself at the end of each week (on Sunday) if I do not bite my nails AT ALL with ice cream from my favorite place, Four Queens. Keeping my behavioral diary up to date and making sure I update it as soon as I bite my nails will become very important for this step because it will be hard to remember for sure after a whole week goes by if I bit my nails or not. If I do not have things recorded correctly then the process will not work the way it is supposed to because I may be getting rewarded when I should not be and vice versa.

#6: Determine Antecedents
To continuously elicit my target behavior, I will make sure that my behavioral diary is with me at all times. As stated above, keeping an accurate record is a very important piece to making all of this work, and not having it will me may cause me to miss recording something. I will also make sure that I am writing things down as soon as they happen. We are only human, and we can easily forget something when we think it won't be a huge deal to just wait to record it.

#7: Implement and adjust the contingencies
Something that may cause problems is heavy amounts of stress. I would always resort to biting my nails when stressed out because it was my personal way of dealing with it. One thing that I could adjust during personal stressful times would be to reward myself more often. Instead of at the end of every week, I could make it every 3 days. This would allow me to know the reinforcement is closer and would hopefully keep me motivated to finish out the 3 days strong.

An example of a New Year’s Resolution would be to study more for tests.
1. Set Goal:
I would like to emit a behavior of studying 6 to 7 hours a week.
2. Define/Specify goal as a set of target behaviors.
Study on Tuesdays and Thursdays study from 8:30 to 9:00
Instead of going home after last class on MWF go to library for an hour and study
3. Keep a Record:
For this I will emit a behavior of writing in a daily scheduler the exact times I will study and all assignment and tests that are coming up in each class.
4. Graphing a Baseline:
For this part I will design a graph to calculate hours I’ve studied and the days of the week I Study them Y being the days of the week and X being the hours.
5. Determine Contingencies:
I will then emit a reinforcing behavior at the end of the week if studied for more than target hours which can move up as well by treating myself with a meal of my choice at a restaurant.
6. Determine Antecedents:
I would unplug the TV and wake up every morning at 8 regardless of class time. I would also emit a behavior of using my schedule as a fixed lifeline and put sticky notes on my door.
7. Implement and Adjust the Contingencies:
I believe a big problem will be going off schedule or procrastinating and in order to stick to my goal I will have to make mini goals to achieve the main goal such as if I go study I can have a frappechino.

After emitting a reevaluating behavior of my self-directed behavior program, I decided that I bit off more than I can chew. Instead of losing weight as a goal, I will focus on eating less calories per day.
Step 1: Set Goal
I would like to emit a behavior of eating less calories per day.
Step 2: Specify Goal as a Set of Target Behaviors
- Eat 1500 calories per day, most calories consisting of vegetables (at least 2 servings per day) and fruits (at least 2 servings per day). Fats will be limited to 200 calories per day.
Step 3: Keep a Record
- I will emit a behavior of keeping a record of my daily calorie intake.
Step 4: Graph a Baseline
- I will emit a behavior of creating a "Calories Per Day" graph. The y-axis will track how many calories I ate. The x-axis will have the days of the weeks.
Step 5: Determine Contingencies
- I will reinforce my behavior every week that I successfully eat only 1500 calories every consecutive day for that week. Reinforcement will be on a fixed weekly schedule and the reinforcer will be one Dove milk chocolate bar.
Step 6: Determine Antecedents
- I will emit a behavior of changing my antecedents by purging my living space of empty calories and snack foods.
Step 7: Implement and Adjust Contingencies
- The problem with my selected reinforcer is that it is counter-productive to my goal. Therefore, I will reinforce my behavior by alternating between a reinforcer of chocolate and a reinforcer of buying new clothes.

Resolution: Lose weight
1) Set Goal:
I want to emit the behavior of getting healthy.
2) Define/Specify Goal as a set of Target Behaviors:
- I will emit the behavior of drinking 8oz of water with each meal. I will have a water bottle ready for each meal so that it is easy to grab.
- I will emit the behavior of walking for at least an hour everyday. I will walk with my kids at work and I will walk to and from campus instead of driving.
- I will not emit the behavior of eating any fast food during the weekdays. I will make food at home that is healthier for me as well as cheaper in the long run. That way I use up the groceries I have and they don’t go to waste.
3) Keep a Record:
I will emit the behavior of keeping a chart and marking off every meal that I drink 8 oz of water with, every day that I walk for an hour, and every week day that I do not eat fast food. I will put the chart up in my kitchen so that my roommates can see it as well and this will increase the frequency that I follow the rules because I won’t want my roommates to know if I don’t follow them. I will also keep track on my phone when I am not home that way I can mark down the correct information when I get home.
4) Graph a Baseline:
Since my goals are not similar at all I would have to have three different lines on my graph. My x-axis would be the day of the week and the y-axis would be the number of 8oz. glasses of water I drink in a day. On the second line the y-axis would be hours of walking. On the third line the y-axis would be the number of times I eat fast food. The graph would be next to my chart so that I can keep up on that as I go. Also that way I can see my progress in a more visual way. This could also be a good reinforcer.
5) Determine Contingencies:
I will reinforce myself with a new outfit every two weeks that I follow the specific goals that I chose in step 2 in order to increase the frequency of me following the goals. I could also use the idea of high and low frequencies to reinforce myself. For example if I don’t like drinking water with every meal I could reinforce myself with a pop every week that I follow the rule in order to increase the water drinking behavior.
6) Determine Antecedents:
I will not the emit the behavior of buying other drinks so that I increase the frequency of drinking water. I will also walk to places such as school instead of driving to increase my walking behavior. I will avoid fast food places during the weekdays so that I am not tempted to break one of my goals. I might also ask a friend to participate in the goal as well for a couple of different reasons. The reason being: sometimes some healthy competition is a good reinforcer, it’s easier to emit a behavior if you have someone else emitting it with you, and also it is more difficult to break the rules when you are emitting the behavior with a friend.
7) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
My goals do not really have anything to do with each other so it may be difficult for me to stick to them. Another thing that I might want to alternate would be the schedule of reinforcement because two weeks may be too long of a gap to start out with for the reinforcement. I could change the reinforcement by making a list of things that I would like to get and every week that I follow the rules I am allowed to buy one thing off the list. That way it is a little more controlled and I am working for a more specific thing.
I have had done well with the walking behavior, but I have not done real well with the water and fast food behavior. I should have made my target behaviors more suitable with my life style right now. Just because I am really busy with work and school so fast food sometimes is the easiest thing for me and I am also not getting enough sleep so I find myself drinking more pop for the caffeine to keep me going throughout the day. Now that I understand how to do a functional analysis hopefully I will be able to better understand how to emit my target behaviors or maybe reevaluate the ones that I have now.

1) The behavior I’ve chosen to emit less is my behavior of eating of snack food.

2) I will not emit the behavior of eating between meals. I will eat appropriate sized meals so that I will not have the urge to eat outside of meals. I will not emit the behavior of snacking while at work. I will not eat candy.

3) I will emit the behavior of keeping a food diary of everything I eat in a day. This will elicit a response of me always knowing what I ate and when I ate it which will help me to lose weight and not snack.

4) I emitted a behavior of creating a graph which helped me to see what times of the day that I snacked most and the time lapse in between my meals. This helped me to adjust my eating schedule so that I will not be as hungry because I will not space out my meals as much as I have been.

5) I will reinforce my behavior of not snacking by if I make it a week without snacking, I will make one of my favorite meals and a very delicious desert on Sunday. If I do snack I will punish myself by making a very healthy meal without desert on Sunday.

6) I will emit the behavior of staying out of the Union while I am at UNI because I tend to snack when I hang out in there. I will also avoid going into gas stations, I will rather emit the behavior of paying at the pump.

7) I may have to adjust my contingencies while I am at work seeing as I work nine hour shifts and will have to eat while at work. Also, I may increase the number of times I reinforce/punish myself in a week to two or three times.

My Resolution is to elicit a behavior of exercising to get in better shape.

#1) Set a Goal
*I would like to emit the behavior of getting in better shape by eliciting a behavior of exercise. Exercise meaning that I will do a work out consisting of running 1 mile per day (in under 8 minutes), complete 100 crunches/day for the first week and increase by 50 crunches/day in each progressive week, and to do 20 push-ups/day.

#2) Define or Specify the Goal as a set of Target Behaviors
Time-*I will perform the behavior every day from 4-6pm. The behavior will be preceded by a personal desire to get into shape and emitting an act of getting ready in my work out clothes plus stretching.
*I will emit the behavior of working out (as specified above) a minimum of 5 days a week, every week.
*I will elicit a multi-fitness work-out twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) with the Women’s Rugby team by attending practice in addition to my other workouts.
*I will emit the behavior of playing a game of rugby every Saturday during the months of August through September and March through May to have an extra day of fitness.
*I will stretch every day before and after I elicit the specific exercise behavior for that day.
-Stretching meaning that I will spend 25 seconds in each stretch position. (arms, quads, neck, ham strings, ankles, and a hurdler stretch)
*I will emit the behavior of completing the 8 minute abs workout every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon.
*I will pace my miles in my running to an 8 minute average

#3) Keep a Record
*I will emit the behavior of writing down my daily work out after completing it. I will elicit a record of the specific physical activity, the food/caloric intake I have, and the amount of water I drink. I will fill out the record every day after I work out. I will finalize my caloric intake report directly before bed.

#4) Graph a Baseline
* since I have emitted multiple target behaviors, I will focus my graph specifically on my overall exercise behavior which is my primary goal. The y-axis would elicit time in the number of minutes exercised. The x-axis would elicit the day of the week. The graph would display the amount of time exercised daily (despite the type/style of exercise). The graph’s purpose would be to help me track the amount of time spent exercising daily throughout the week.

#5) Determine Contingencies
*I will reinforce this behavior by feeling good about my body image, being able to live longer, being healthier, fitting into trendy clothing, and I will most specifically reward myself on Sundays. On Sunday afternoon I will enjoy the time and delegate at least 4 hours to enjoyable, work-free, fun activities such as taking a nap of watching tv. This time will include whatever leisure behavior I choose, however if will not in any way include the eliciting of homework, housework, or obligatory behavior.

This week after re-analyzing my goal and reinforcing behavior I decided that I would be more specific with my target behavior. I will spend a MINIMUM of 1 hour homework and all other un-enjoyable activities. I will spend it with people that mean the most to me including my family, friends, and fiancé. I will devote this time to whatever fun and enjoyable event I may choose.

* Mood-*I will work out regardless of my mood. When I’m feeling down, working out will help to raise my mood. I will also work out when I am angry in order to release tension. (No matter what my mood I will work out for and during the same time everyday)Meetings and illness may be something that could decrease my exercise behavior
*Self-confidence issues where I might feel out of shape could increase my exercise behavior as I start to desire to get in better shape and exercise will help me feel better.
*The potential of having my family or fiancé visit may be people who edit my behavior when they are around-as I may want to spend more time with them then working out.

#6) Determine Antecedents
*My immediate environment would be changed in the elicited exercise habits that I hope to form as a part of my routine. I plan to work out between 4pm and 6pm. The triggers that will be established will be the time of day and the clothes I am wearing. These times would become a part of my schedule and my environment would accommodate the specific exercise activity. Another change would be in the clothes I purchase. I will probably switch my wardrobe to include more sportswear. I will also carry a water bottle with me more. Additionally, I may plan my meals in advance and edit my grocery shopping to fit my diet. I may be more likely to go to the grocery store with a list and stick to buying only what is on the list.

#7) Implement and Adjust the Contingencies
*The rewards are that I become a better athlete-specific to rugby, receive more playing time, feel better about myself, and am in general a healthier, more productive person. A problem that could occur is that I don’t reward myself enough. For example, many of what I view to be rewards are not tangible but rather mental. Also, my playing time could be effected by injury or a coaching decision. I may get discouraged if I feel that I am not getting the results in playing time or the happiness I feel I deserve. I could adjust to this by editing the purpose of my work out to be purely for my own well-being, I could reward my success with a cheat day every Sunday for more than just a specific hourly allotment. Changes in schedule could also hinder my elicited exercise behavior. Weather could be another contingency. I will have to adjust to indoor work outs as the weather changes and alter my times of work out if my schedule does not permit for the normal activity to occur.

So far I would not change anything about my self-directed behavioral change as it has thus far been a success. If I were to do another self-directed project I would pay the closest attention to the reinforcing behavior that follows the meeting of my goal. I think that the reinforcement is one of the most important part of behavioral change.