Reading Activity Week #10 (due Monday)

4.1

1)The use of new years resolutions, why some work and others don't. Why not change a target behvior now? Thhinking maybe were just so busy in life that putting something small like changing ones behvaior is easier to put off. 2)Figuring out if the behavior can be changed using a punishment or a reinforcement; as said though we think punishment because of wanting to reduce/remove the frequency of the behavior. 3) The reintroduction of a behavior class as opposed to the target behavior. The example was 'quit drinking'=class. Alcohol=target.

The use of New Years Resolutions as an example to introduce self-directed...
I didn't care for the listing of three alternative behaviors for a target behavior.

4.2
The introduction of the required steps in self direction.
1) Set goal, 2) define the goals as a set of specific
target behaviors, 3) Keep a record, 4) Graph a baseline, 5) Determine the
contingencies, 6) Determine the antecedents, and 7) Implement and adjust the contingencies. 2) defining the goal is vital in the realization of what context you want to change the target behavior. If you don't know the specific behavior or the context in which you wnat to change it, the success rate, in my mind, would decrease. 3) that changing a behavior doesn't have to be punishment based. Increasing a behavior can also be a focus, for me, calling my grandmother more often, it removes an aversive, being 'chewd out" for not calling, it makes her happier, and keeps me more informed on her condition.

As stated above, I really like the thought of self-directed modifications as being a positive and not just changing an aversive, increasing a behavior can be just as rewarding as decreasing one.

There was nothing I disliked. I found it informative and vital in understanding ones interpersonal struggles with their own behaviors. I think it can help me understand others behaviors, and/or help me recognize in others something that I may exhibit myeslf.

Calling my grandmother on a more frequent basis(once a week), studying more when at home, patience in all aspects of my life.

4.1 Self-Directed Behavior
I will remember to make specific resolutions, rather than vague ones;
To express resolutions in positive rather than negative terms;
Self-directed behavior modification probably feels righteous and not manipulative.
I like the idea of making resolutions that will include target behavior that I can easily schedule within the time frames I already follow rather than requiring an entire re-design of my life.
I disliked the differential reinforcement section because the incompatibility should not be with the target behavior (reduced), but with the behavior to be reduced.
Terms: ethical responsibilities, social engineering, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, stimulus, response, self-directed behavior, target behavior, differential reinforcement.

4.2 Self-directed behavior steps
Three things I will remember are:
Professor Maclin uses doughnuts as a reinforcer;
Goals must be specific and measurable;
Goals should be to increase a desirable behavior, not decrease an undesirable behavior.
I liked the six steps for changing self-directed behavior, although I am not certain about contingencies unless this means acceptable excuses for changing the routine?
Terms: , self-directed behavior, target behavior, differential reinforcement, contingencies, reinforcer, goals

sec 4.1
Something I will take away from this section and not forget. is that it's easier to obtain a desired target behavior by using reinforcement. When you use reinforcement it is thus reinforcing a good behavior instead of using punishment to punish a bad behavior. No one likes to be punished, but everyone likes to be reinforced. The reason I will remember reading this is because we had previously talked about it. When we talked about it, it made me reconsider punishing my children I will have some day, or not.

Another thing I will take away from this section is that you have to be certain that your target behavior is very specific. If it is not specific other people and yourself can take it different ways. If they are taken different ways, how would you ever know if you accomplished your desired goal or not. It may be very adversive to make sure to be very specific, but you need to be. By being specific this means that everyone would be able to understand the target behavior, and do the same behavior as well. A reason I will remember this is because I think manipulating peoples behavior to get a desired behavior is very interesting. And this is just something that helps me better at manipulating.

Finally, after reading this section, I will remember that there can be multiple target behaviors from the same behavior. If there are multiple target behaviors, it makes it harder to accomplish them. You have got to make sure you can accomplish the target behavior, and if you can't, make an easier goal to accomplish this. I will remember this as well because it ties in with manipulating behavior.

I really liked how easy this chapter was to read. This chapter had really good flow and length to it, and it was very easy to understand. Being that it was all of those things, it made me enjoy reading it a lot more. I loved learning about how I can manipulate behavior as well.

Something I found adversive about this chapter was the first part of the reading. The very first page didn't seem like it tied in very much with the rest of the information. It seemed to me that that first page wasn't even supposed to be there, so that confused me. I also didn't really understand the information that was in it. Reading that first page made me think that the entire chapter would be confusing like that, but it wasn't.

Sec 4.2
One thing I will remember after reading this section are the seven steps for self-directed behavior. I will remember how very important each of them really are. The steps are, 1) Set goal, 2) define the goals as a set of specific target behaviors, 3) Keep a record, 4) Graph a baseline, 5) Determine the contingencies, 6) Determine the antecedents, and 7) Implement and adjust
the contingencies. All of these steps need to be followed in order to change or manipulate a behavior. The reason I will remember all of these is because I want to start being able to manipulate some of my current behaviors.

Another thing I will remember after reading this section is that when you are defining a goal you need to make sure it is specific, able to be measured, and easily obtained. If it is not even one of these it will be very hard to accomplish it. You need it to be all of these so you can later reinforce it. I will remember this because I always knew how important it is to be specific with a goal, but never also that it had to be measurable.

Finally, I will remember that you need to make sure to write down everything. When you write things down it helps to better predict the behavior. When you know when the behavior occurs, this makes it easier to change that. You also need to make sure to write it down right away, this way you make sure it is completely accurate. This was very important for me to remember, so that is why it is something I won't forget.

Something I really liked about this section was how specific you were when talking about the steps. I liked how you gave examples along with every step. This really helped me to better understand just what you meant.

I really didn't find anything I didn't like about this section. I thought it was a rather easy read, and very easy to follow and understand. Plus, all of the information was important.

General things I would like to change
Work out more.
Eat less junk food.
Spend more time with my family.
Spend more time doing my homework assignments.

Specific things I would like to change.
Run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for at least 40 min.
Only have something that is considered "junk food" 3 times a week.
Call my mom and talk to her for at least 10 min every day.
Don't wait till the last day to do homework, start working on it at least a week in advance.

4.1

1) When behaviors occur they are often directed, either internally or externally. Sometimes it is the world around us; the inanimate and animated objects, as well as the people. Other times we direct our own behaviors, initiating personal reinforcement schedules and setting realistic goals.

2) As children we grow up in environments in which we are slowly weaned off of other-directed behaviors. Initially we do not know how or what we should do in a day. Our parents invest a lot of time training us how to behave the way they want us to behave (or parents don't invest much time in how kids behave, and the children behave as they want). You could say that our parents direct our behaviors when we are children, with individual differences of course. Once we are in high school, we are starting adulthood. At this point our parents are still helping us function, but we are beginning to make decisions for ourselves. We are beginning to self-direct our own behaviors.

3) College is the scary time when parents are no longer (usually) present to direct the behaviors of their children. This is the time when kids begin to mature into functioning adults. They are starting to direct their own behavior, which is often through a process of trial and error. During college we begin to develop habits that could likely persist throughout adulthood. Therefore, it is important to be aware that we can manipulate our environments to aid in eliciting types of responses that we desire from ourselves.

4.2

1) When directing yourself to learn to emit a behavior, it is important to be specific. Initially you can start by figuring out the general idea of what you want to accomplish. I want to read a book for fun when I have free time. In order to insure that I actually read like I want to, I have to set a specific goal.

2) Therefore, my target behavior will be to read for 30 minutes or one chapter (which ever occurs first) prior to allowing myself access to playing my XBOX 360. Currently, playing XBOX 360 is really reinforcing for me. By depriving myself access to my XBOX 360, I am making my XBOX 360 more reinforcing. Also, the deprivation will elicit motivation to emit a reading behavior for 30 minutes/one chapter.

3) After clearly defining the target behavior, it is important to remember that we are beings that forget. Therefore, it is helpful to keep a daily log, examining the occurrence of the target behavior, and what precedes it. By doing this, we can clearly see which types of stimuli are setting the occasion for the target behavior. In my example, by manipulating my environment (placing my book on my coffee table where I sit every day), I increased my target behavior.

Generally speaking, what are some behaviors (think behavioral classes) you might want to change in yourself? Specifically what are some behaviors (think target behaviors) you might want to change in yourself?

I would like to be more healthy and less lazy.

In order to do this I could:

Health
-eat half size portions at meals
-eat small snacks throughout the day (unsalted nuts, dried fruit, yogurt, etc.)
-walk for 30 minutes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1:00pm
-lift 10lb dumbbells 10 times for 10 reps on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00pm

Lazy
-read a book for 30 minutes prior to playing video games
-limit XBOX 360 time to 1 hour

4.1
Three things from this chapter that elicited to emit a remembering behavior were how we can use self-directed behavior, why most resolutions don’t work, and how we need a clear concise measurable target behavior. Self-directed behaviors are behaviors that are directed by ourselves. With this, we have free will to choose a behavior that we want to increase or decrease. We can make our own goals, and structure our own behavior interventions to fit our specific needs. An example of a self-directed behavior would be choosing to lose weight or to choose to wake up earlier in the morning to do yoga. Most resolutions don’t work, because most people’s resolutions tend to be broad representing a behavioral class rather than a specific goal. There needs to be a specific target behavior, and this target behavior needs to be clear, concise, and measurable. By saying that you want to wake up early to do yoga isn’t specific enough. It may help to set a goal of waking up a specific time, and also set a duration of time spent emitting a yoga behavior.
One thing that I really liked in this chapter was how New Year’s resolutions were used as an example. I like this, because most everyone makes these resolutions every New Years, and almost of them fail. It is relatable to this section, because most people’s resolutions aren’t specific. One thing that I found aversive in this section was how different you have to think a different way to come up with specific target behaviors. It doesn’t seem like it would be all that difficult to emit a thinking behavior for this, but our brains are used to identifying things as behavioral classes.

4.2
Three that that elicited a liking response from me after reading this section were the steps involved in self-directed behavior, how to follow these steps, and how to make them work for myself. The steps that are involved in self-directed behavior are 1) Set a goal, 2) Define the goals as a set of specific target behaviors, 3) Keep a record, 4) Graph a baseline, 5) Determine the contingencies, 6) Determine the antecedents, and 7) Implement and adjust the contingencies. This section really helped me get the concept of self-directed behavior, because of how I got to relate some of my own personal goals. I chose a target behavior of “running more”, but then had to come up with specific target behavior to help me elicit this frequent running behavior. This section helped me learn how I can make my goals work for myself by keeping my goals realistic and to think of discriminative stimuli to reinforce my target behavior.
What I really found reinforcing in this chapter was step three on how you need to keep a record on your target behavior and baseline performance. The section gave an example of keeping a behavioral diary, and I feel like this could help many people. For example, many find it helpful in the process of losing weight to keep a food diary of all the food that they eat during the day. I didn’t really find anything aversive in this section. I think that these steps can greatly help people to implement self-directed behaviors, and can be easily followed.

Behavioral classes I want to change:
-Eat less junk food
-Work out more
-Take time to relax

Specific Behaviors:
-Only eat one serving of ice cream per week
-Go to the WRC and manipulate the elliptical machine for 30minutes
-Take a 40 minute nap before I go to work every Thursday

Three things that I will remember from this chapter
1) Self-directed behavior relys on ourselves to manage behaviors and administer consequences. Self-directed behavior is used to develop desirable behaviors in ourselves.

2) In order for self-directed behavior modification to work there needs to be a clear measurable target behavior. As I have previously learned, in order for other-directed behavior modification to be effective it is important to have a clear and specific target behavior.

3) New years resolutions fail because they are too broad or they involved punishment rather than reinforcement. It has also seemed kind of weird to me that many people make goals that they want to complete after new years. I have seen first hand people say they are going to do something differently after new years but nothing changes. If those people were to read this chapter it would be very helpful in their process of emitting desirable behaviors.

I really liked that this chapter wasn't too long. I do better work when the chapters aren't as long. I also like the main topic of this chapter, from early on in this class we mentioned self-directed behavior modification and it sounded interesting to me.

4.2

Three things that I will remember from this chapter
1) It is important to keep a record of the behavior that you want to emit. What the behavior was, what happened before and what happened after needs to be recorded so the ABC's of behavior can be used. It is best to make note of the behavior right after it was emitted that way it is not forgotten to be recorded.

2) Determining antecedents that will elicit the desirable behaviors is a crucial step in the self-directed behavior process. Small changes to the environment can help you emit the desirable behavior.

3) Adjustments can always be made to self-directed behavior. If things aren't working there are many factors in the process that can be tweeked in order to reach your goal. For example the reinforcer can be changed or possibly there needs to be more specific target behaviors.

I liked how this chapter got really detailed in the steps that need to be taken for self-directed behavior. This chapter could be very helpful to someone who really wants to complete a goal but is struggling with it.
Behavioral classes I want to change in myself: get in better shape
Target behaviors: go to the WRC Monday through Friday and lift weights for an hour.

4.1
One of the three things that I liked in this section was the new years resolution and by identifying the target behavior will result in a better outcome by holding the individual accountable and are able to track the improvements made in reaching the target behavior that is desired. Self-directed behavior I found interesting because it only involves the person and what behaviors they emit that requires for a change or not. Understanding the impact of how specific we are with our target behavior with the behavior we are trying to change, it relates and makes since in my own life and I’m sure to a lot of other peoples lives, it changes the way I will emit my own behaviors I want to change by making them more specific.

What I liked the most out of this was described a little above, I realized that when setting goals, or resolutions on behaviors we want to change they need to be specific target behaviors and not broad categories that don’t allow us to evaluate and track the progress or lack of progress made.

Something that I found aversive in this section was making sure I was coming up with right examples for the boxes, I’m sure I there isn’t a wrong answer but I want to make sure I am getting it.

4.2

The three things I will remember from this section were the steps involves in self-direct behavior modification, they are 1) set a goal which is important because this is the behavior that you want to change. 2) Define and specify the target behavior we want to emit to modify our behavior. 3) Keeping a record to see how much we are emitting the behavior that is our goal. 4) Graph a baseline 5) Determine contingencies 6) Determine Antecedents 7) Implement and adjust the contingencies.
The second thing I will remember in the section is the importance of graphing the baseline performance to see what behaviors are being emitted. Finally the third thing I will take from this section is behavioral intervention, because it is part of the behavior modification process in evaluating what changes are being done, along with the behaviors being emitted with having some type of reinforcer to reinforce the behavior.

What I liked most about this section was the flow of understanding self-direct behavior and the steps in changing the behavior. I think it makes sense when implementing it to my goals and how I want to achieve them that will help me change my behavior.

What I did not like in this section was the example, it was easy to understand but I wish that another one was in available also to help me better understand the steps better.

Behavioral I would like to change:
Behavioral Class:
- Talk to my family members more
- Eat healthy
- Use my time wisely

Target behaviors
- Talk to my mom, grandparents, sisters for at least 10 min, 5 out of the 7 days in the week (on the phone not texting)
- Have two fruits and vegitables with my 3 big meals
- Spend only 60 min in front on my computer a day

Section 4.1

Previous to reading section 4.1 and 4.2, my thoughts about behavior modification surrounded observing others’ behaviors and interactions. Although I tried a few times to apply behavior modification principles to myself, I never thought a lot about it extensively. Now, after reading the beginning of Chapter 4, my ideas about behavior modification have expanded more onto myself, rather than simply observing and analyzing others’ behavior.

Three things I will remember from Section 4.1 are as follows:
1. “Other-directed” behaviors are directed by others and “Self-directed” behaviors are directed by yourself. Other-directed behaviors are useful and necessary in class room settings, work place settings, or marketing type things, etc. Self-directed behaviors are necessary when we want to increase or decrease behaviors of our own choice.
2. Target behaviors, rather than broad behaviors or total acts, are more useful and critical to recognize when constructing something like a New Year’s Resolution. Often times, people make resolutions that are too broad. It is important to break things down to smaller, target behaviors. Along with this, some resolutions are not as successful as others because they implement punishment, rather than reinforcement.
3. Differential Reinforcement of Other, DRO, is when one redefines an alternate behavior that can be reinforced, but will still work in decreasing, or reducing, the original target behavior.

One thing I liked, in general, about Section 4.1 was the refreshing discussion of behaviors related to ourselves rather than others. What I have learned in Behavior Modification so far has been interesting, but learning about myself and my behaviors will be a lot more interesting, I feel.

One thing I did not like about section 4.1 was the section regarding differential reinforcement of other (DRO). I think I understand the concept but it was overall a little confusing and un-enjoyable.

Section 4.2

Three things I will remember from this section are as follows:
1. There are seven steps involved in changing a behavior: 1) Set a goal, 2) Define the goals via target behaviors, 3) Keep record, 4) Graph a baseline, 5) Determine the contingencies, 6) Determine the antecedents, and 7) Implement and adjust the contingencies.

2. In regards for step #3, keeping record of your behaviors needs to be manageable and easy. For example, carrying a notepad around with you that can fit in your bag or pocket, makes this more convenient.
3. In regards for step #2, target behaviors need to be: 1) precise, 2) manageable, 3) measurable, 4) fit within the practical scope of our daily lives.

One thing I liked about section 4.2 was the set up of the chapter, in general. It was very, very easy to follow. Breaking down the process, like breaking down your goals into target behaviors, made understanding the process of changing behavior much easier for me.

There was truly nothing I did not like about this section. I really enjoyed reading it, specifically because I love to think about how I can change my behaviors. I could relate a lot to this section and the steps involved, as anyone could. And I am truly and advocate for recording things, or keeping track of things. I really think this helps people realize what is truly going on versus what they think is going on.

Terms Used: other-directed behaviors, self-directed behaviors, target behaviors, undesirable, DRO, contingencies, antecedents, consequences

So section 4.1 deals with self directed behavior. Behavior modification can be used in a number of circumstances to change behavior and for the first part of the class we have focused mainly on behavior modification exercised by others. Other-directed behavior can be used in a setting with people who are incapable of managing their own behaviors such as with small children or mentally handicapped individuals. It can also be used when there is a motive behind the behavior modification that the target is unaware of. This chapter focuses mainly on self-directed behavior though, where we need to punish or reward ourselves for behavior. An example of self-directed behavior is when we set a goal for ourselves whether it be to quit a nasty habit or start a new one. For example, if I wanted to gain 40 lbs I would need to reward myself every time I eat in order to reinforce that behavior. Its all up to me to administer the behavior modification procedures. In order for self-directed behavior to be effective, there has to be a clear goal to strive for. Simply having a goal of "gaining weight" is not going to get the job done. In order to know how to effectively modify the behavior, the goal must be clear like "gain 10 lbs". That way the number of calories consumed can be calculated, the amount of time it will take can be more easily hypothesized, and progress can be tracked. In order to achieve this goal we could modify behavior using either punishers or reinforcers. I could punish myself everytime I skip a meal or a snack. This may be effective to a degree, but we've learned that reinforcers are far more effective. In order to use reinforcement, we have to come up with alternate behaviors that we can emit instead of the undesirable behavior. This way we can reinforce ourselves for emitting the alternate behaviors and feel good instead of punishing ourselves for bad behaviors and feel down.
This chapter really explained self directed behavior well I couldn't imagine a better example to use then new years resolutions.
There wasn't a lot I didn't like about this chapter. It was well organized, easily understandable, and not too long.

There's not a lot to say about chapter 4.2. This chapter was basically a guideline for goal setting using behavior modification. It broke down goal setting into six steps. The first is setting of the goal. The chapter encourages designing a goal that increases a behavior instead of decreasing one. This way, reinforcement can be more easily administered. The next step involves breaking the goal down into very specific target behaviors. These behaviors have to be very carefully selected and they must be reasonable. You can't expect to go from eating 2000 calories a day to 8000 immediately. Step 3 is keeping a record of the target behaviors. This is kept so that you can see how often you emit the desired target behaviors and you can more easily implement behavioral procedures based on this. This is also done so that step four can be more easily done which is the creation of a baseline graph. Step 5 is determining contingencies surrounding the behavior modification procedures. This step involves carefully modifying reinforcers or punishers so that they are most effective for you. This includes making sure they happen at the right time and place as well as making sure they are the right intensity and duration. Step 6 involves antecedents and the text suggests that antecedents can be very helpful in eliciting target behaviors. For example, if my target behavior was to eat 300 calories at 10:00 am 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm I would make plans with people in an area near food. That way when the time comes, I am already thinking about eating and the food is available. Step 7 puts it all together by implementing the contingencies determined earlier. The book warns that it might take some time before they become maximally effective, but its all part of the goal-achieving process.
This chapter could have been the back-end of the last chapter so I thought it was kinda lame that it got its own chapter. But on the other hand, this chapter connected so well with the chapter before that I didn't need to change gears when I transitioned to reading it.
As far as goals for myself go, I would like to stop abusing substances, I would like to start making more music and I would like to spend more time on homework.
I would like to stop playing nba 2k12 after midnight on school nights. I would like to spend a half hour before each class studying the subject at hand. I would like to eat 300-400 calories at 10:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 9:00 pm.
There are a lot of things that I would change but not everything can be done so easily.

Section 4.1:

Three things I will remember from what I read in the chapter:

1) Behavior modification is just as much about changing our own behavior as changing the behavior of others. It can help us to reach our goals and all people have goals of one sort or another. This is a way for BM to be less controversial.

2) DRO, we can reinforce behavior that is incompatible with a behavior that we want to eliminate or reduce. This is important because it means we can use reinforcement instead of punishment.

3) Target behaviors can be broken down into smaller steps. Goals that seem distance or general can be operationalized in concrete behavior. This is important because than we can more easily apply the principles of behavior change to them.

One thing I really liked in the chapter:

That behavior modification can be applied to me, that it can help me change my life and my behaviors. That it is a means of self-improvement. It gives you something specifically to do rather than just wish or complain. And it has been shown to work.

One thing I disliked in the chapter:

I think more example of DRO would have helped the chapter. I get the idea but more examples might make it stronger.

Section 4.2 :

Three things I will remember from the chapter:

1) Break the target behavior down, if you can, so that each step or part can be reinforced. This will be more effective in changing the overall behavior pattern.

2) Consider several different reinforcers. The first may only work for a short time. Having multiple reinforcers will be more effective in changing the behavior.

3) Collect data, keep a record, so you can see if the behavior(s) is changing, going up or down, see if what you are doing makes a difference.

One thing I really liked in the chapter:

I liked the idea of keeping a record of your behavior, a behavioral diary. Sometimes just keep a record may help you to change a behavior as we are not always aware of how often we are doing something. The record makes us focus on how we are doing.

One thing I disliked in the chapter:

There was not anything in particular that I disliked about this chapter. I do think that it can be hard in some cases to think of how to translate a goal into specific target behaviors. Some goals seem much easier than others. Also with nearly everyone having a cell phone, some with internet connection, recording behavior, even recording the behavior itself, is very easy now. This would be a good point to include in this section.

Generally speaking, what are some behaviors (think behavioral classes) you might want to change in yourself?

1. Consume less caffeine.
2. Spend more time studying and earlier before test or project is due.
3. Improve my diet by eating less junk food.
4. Keep the room neater.

Specifically what are some behaviors (think target behaviors) you might want to change in yourself?

1. Drink no more than one coke a day.
2. Increasing study time 10 minutes each day, start projects day that they are assigned.
3. Eat an apple a day.
4. Put any item away immediately when done using it.

Terms: Target behavior, data collection, reinforcer, multiple reinforcers, behavioral diary, DRO, behavior management program, recording behavior, behavior pattern, behavioral classes, operationalized, concrete behavior, reinforcement, punishment, goals

I will remember from emitting reading the section that a self directed behavior is one where people exert their own free will to decide what behavior they want to reinforce or punish. Also a self directed behavior is one where we rely on ourselves to manage the behavior and also to administer the consequences. I will also remember that most resolutions fail because the behaviors they want to reinforce or punish are too broad. In order to change there needs to be a specific target behavior. I will remember that the target behavior people choose needs to be specific (one that people can actually see) and it needs to fit into the life of the person wanting to change the behavior. The more unreasonable the target behavior the more aversive the outcome will be. I will also remember that it is easier to convert an undesirable behavior into a desirable one because people like to be reinforced more than they like to be punished. There are alternate behaviors people can emit that they will find pleasurable in place of the target behavior they want to change. I really liked the whole section about self directed behavior. I will help me change some of the behaviors that I really want to change. I found the part about coming up with target behaviors on enjoying life a little aversive because that is really a hypothetical construct that needs an operational definition. After reading the section I now realize that behavior modification can not only help you change others behaviors that you find aversive but it can also help you change behaviors you find aversive about yourself.

Terms used: aversive, behavior modification, target behavior, pleasurable, behavior, reinforced, punished, alternate behaviors, emit, self directed behavior, consequence

4.2
The information I will remember from the section is that there are 6 steps in self-directing behavior. Step 1 is to set your goal. It can be broad and not as specific as an actual target behavior and it should focus on increasing the behavior. Step 2 is to define your target behavior based on the goal you set for yourself. These target behaviors need to be manageable, precise, and need to be able to fit in with your lifestyle. Step 3 is to keep a record of you behavior in a diary. I will also remember there needs to be a baseline for the behavior so recording a week before changing the behavior is needed. Also the diary should be set up according to the ABC’s of behavior and noting the antecedent and consequence of the behavior. Step 4 is to graph a baseline with a title, the y axis is what is being measured, the x axis is usually time, and there needs to be increments on the y axis for the behavior. Step 5 is to determine the contingencies by looking at what, how and when the reinforcer will be presented. Step 6 is to determine the behaviors that occur before the target behavior or the antecedents. They should be set up to help you attain you goals. Things will need to be changed and managed as you adapt to your goal and the key is not to give up. I liked the whole section but I found that the diary was the most informative because it is always pleasurable to see your behaviors. One thing I found aversive about the section was trying to figure out what my reinforcer would be because I wasn’t sure what would be best to reinforcer exercise. This section changed how I thought about behavior modification because I never really thought of it as a way to change my own behaviors but rather other peoples. I like that I can use the ABC’s to modify my own behavior and help me obtain my goals.

Terms used: steps for self-directing, behavior, target behavior, pleasurable, aversive, contingencies, baseline, x-axis, y-axis, graph, antecedent, consequence

4.1
After reading section 4.1, I will remember three things such as self-directed behavior. Self-directed behavior occurs when we exert our free will to choose a behavior that we want to increase or decrease. The second item I will remember is that it is easier to obtain a desired target behavior by reinforcement over punishment. The third subject that I took away from this chapter is that is for a target behavior to be successful, target behaviors must be specific and are manageable within someone’s life. Something that I enjoyed learning about was new year’s resolution. I learned that typical new years resolution fail because they are too broad and they lack in specific target behaviors. Another reason why new year’s resolutions fail is because they involve punishment instead of reinforcement. I also enjoyed being able to apply this chapter to my personal life and give examples that I found to be easy to understand. I honestly did not have anything in this chapter that I didn’t like. I really thought this chapter was valuable in my learning of behavior modification.
4.2
Three things I will remember from 4.2 and also enjoyed learning about how to achieve a self-directed behavior that includes 7 steps. The second item I remembered is keeping a behavioral diary. The chapter suggests avoiding writing in the journal at night however that’s the best time for me to journal. Also in order to keep, one should try and make the journal manageable and easy to upkeep. The third thing is when someone is setting a goal, it is best to first think of a behavior class rather than target behavior. You should select a target behavior during step 2. Something I really enjoyed from this chapter was being able to apply this chapter to my personal life and list the goals that I currently have and what I can do now to obtain them. Something I didn’t like about this chapter was thinking about plotting my progress of my goal on a line graph. I initially was tuned out when I saw the graph because I immediately though math but after ready further, I got used to the idea and saw how it would benefit me rather than intimidate me.
Some behavior class that I am wanting to change are: Eat healthier, clean my apartment more frequently, work out more.
Some target behaviors I am wanting to change are: Work out 4 days a week, consume under 1200 calories per day, put my dishes in the dishwasher when I’m finished with them.

For Section 4.1
The first thing I will remember from this chapter is the dual nature of behavior modification, meaning modification of others or ourselves. The chapter talks about differential reinforcement, which is when behaviors that are incompatible with unwanted behaviors are reinforced. I will remember this because it is something we haven't covered extensively so far, so it sticks out.
The second thing I will remember from this chapter is the reintroduction of the four reasons for modifying a behavior. I think these reasons are far more applicable when modifying our own behavior. We can decide if a behavior is worth changing and how to do it. This gives the power and responsibility for that change.
The third thing I will remember is the importance of accurate describing target behaviors. So many of the new year's resolutions are so vague, it's really hard to believe anyone could ever stick to them. It's even kind of weird that people could think such goals are good ones, considering they probably couldn't tell you what they meant other than in equally vague terms.
I liked that this chapter got into material that seems like it will be more practical. Having to think about some of my own behaviors that I want to change helped me to really think about what changing those behaviors would mean. It helped me to see that some things I thought weren't quite so malleable about myself might be after all.
I don't think that this chapter was really long enough to contain anything I didn't like.
For Section 4.2
The first thing I will remember about this chapter is the importance of keeping a record of our goals. By this I mean the part about understanding the context surrounding the behavior we want to modify. The baseline performance looks like a good idea because how can we know if we've improved if we don't know where we started.
The second thing is the four criterion for defining target behaviors. This is helpful because it solidifies some of the things we have been talking about in class. We have discussed what it means to define a target behavior, but having this list of four things to look for is more concrete and accessible. I will remember this because it is obviously invaluable in our quest to modify our own behaviors.
The third thing is remembering to use reinforcement over punishment. I think that for the goal I have in mind for this project, punishment is the problem. I focus on the negative side of not emitting the behavior, rather than reinforcing myself when I do. I believe that using reinforcement is far more likely to work in this situation and I am working on trying to implement it into my modification of this behavior.
The thing I liked about this chapter is the clear-cut set of instructions for modifying our own behaviors. Part of this process seems to breaking things down so we don't become stressed about what we are doing and give up. I think that by breaking down the instructions, we are taking control from the very first and this will hopefully lead to more success.
The thing I didn't like about this chapter is the idea of graphing. I have particularly negative memories about graphing from middle school and high school math classes. I always hated it. I think this technique would be ineffective for me because of its high negative value for me.

4.1
1. The first thing I will remember is the four reasons to change behavior. They are: they bother us, they bother other people, they might lead to trouble later on, and they are illegal. Certain behaviors emitted may elicit an aversive consequence, and if you are a freind that has to deal with the aversive consequence you would want to change that target behavior. Parents would also want to change their children's aversive behavior if it annoys them or it is illegal. Target behaviors can be modified and the four reasons why are all valid reasons.

2. I will remember behavior modification can be used on ourselves. We can use other directed behavior or self directed behavior. Other directed behavior is used in classrooms or work, and it is the other people that control the reinforcers. Self directed behavior is emitted when we choose a target behavior to increase or decrease. We make our own goals to elicit a desirable consequence in self directed behavior.

3. I will remember that when modifying a behavior to elicit a desirable consequence, you need to define a target behavior. If the behavior is too general, you won't know how to change it. Ifyou make a target behavior you will be able to see a desirable consequence.

I really liked how the examples in this section had us define target behaviors. It really showed me how behavior modification can work to elicit desirable consequences. It also proved that reinforcers would work better than punishers because reinforcers are more desirable. I did not like the incompatible behaviors exercise because it was unclear and I wasn't sure what it was asking.

4.2
1. I will remember the steps in changing a behavior for a desirable consequence. You need to set a goal, define specific target behaviors, keep a record, graph a baseline, determine the contingencies, determine the antecedents, and adjust the contingencies.

2. I will remember that you need to define your goals as a set of specific target behaviors. The target behaviors need to be precise, manageable, measurable, and be practical for daily life. The target behavior needs to be achievable and not illegal. I liked the example of how you shouldn't want to write more while driving, because that is dangerous and not very smart.

3. I will remember that you may need to adjust the contingencies. This is the last step after you have tried the modification techniques you have set up. You might have to modify your original plan and define the target behaviors better.

I liked how this section had you go through all the steps in modifying a behavior. It was helpful to establish what behavior you wanted to change, what the target behaviors needed to be, and graphing your results. I did not like adjusting the contingencies because it is hard to do that on a fake example. In a real life situation it would be easier to adjust certain things because you would be able to see if it worked or not.

Behavioral classes: work out more, be more positive, do better in school

Target behaviors: Work out 3x a week for an hour each time, study every night for an hour, read over my notes after every class

Section 4.1 Reading

What are three things that you will remember from this chapter?
Three things that I will definitely remember from this section are:
1. Other-directed and self-directed behaviors. I will remember these because they are kind of self explanatory and easy to remember. Other-directed behaviors are behaviors directed by other and are necessary when we are managing classrooms, low functioning adults, and marketing. Self-directed behaviors are directed by ourselves. Self-directed behaviors occur when we exert our free will to choose a behavior that we want to increase or decrease.
2. Another thing that I will remember from this section of reading is the “New Years Revolutions” examples. I enjoyed reading about this because it is all so true. Every year I will make new years revolution's and never fully succeed in any of them. Maybe because my target behaviors aren't specific enough or maybe laziness had a part in it?!
3. The third thing that I will remember from this section of reading is the fact that it is better to redefine alternative behaviors that can be reinforced, but will still function to reduce the original target behavior. This is referred to as differential reinforcement of other (DRO). This stood out to me because I found it interesting and relatable.

What was one thing that I really liked about this chapter?
One thing I really liked about this chapter was that most of it revolved around New Year's Revolution's. For one new years revolution's are something everyone can relate to and can be interested in. I liked all of the examples I needed to provide and I also found it interesting that the top ten new years revolution's were what they were. They seemed very common and very easily to give up on or quit on their new years revolution.

What was one thing that I really didn't like about this chapter?
One thing that I really didn't like about this chapter was the fact that the whole chapter seemed really repetitive. I usually like when things are repeated because I learn better that way. Although in this case, I understood everything that I was reading and didn't need the repetition at all.

Section 4.2 Reading

What are three things that you will remember from this chapter?
Three things that I will definitely remember from this section of reading are:
1. The six basic steps in self-directed behavior. * set you goal-be specific with your target behavior. *Define your target behaviors based on your goal. *Keep records of the behaviors you are going to change using a behavioral diary. *Graph a baseline using a spread sheet or by hand. *Determine contingencies such as effective reinforcers, how and when will they be delivered? *Determine the antecedents that will help elicit the desired behaviors.
2. The second thing that I will not forget is that target behaviors need to be precise, manageable, and fit within the scope of your daily lives because they typically will be easier to achieve. I will remember this because it was mentioned a lot throughout this semester!
3. The third thing that I will definitely remember from this section of reading is what a dependent measure is (in the example of the chapter, the dependent measure was the number of words). The dependent measure is always the things that we are measuring. For other examples, number of beers, pounds lost, money saved, etc. I will remember this because I've learned about this in math also for many years and it is pretty obvious also.

What is one thing that you really liked about this chapter?
One thing that I really liked about this chapter is the fact that it ran through the whole six step process in what seemed to be one really big real life example. I really enjoyed giving my own examples and learning how to do each step on my own, but also along with the examples of Otto!

What is one thing that you really didn't like about this chapter?
One thing I really didn't like about this section of reading was the fact that I really didn't learn that much new information. I learned what I already knew in greater depth and detail. I'm not saying it was a bad thing but that was the only thing that I could come up with that I didn't like this section!

Behavioral Classes:
1. Get in shape.
2. Get good grades.
3. Be productive.
4. Do something fun.
5. Stop taking naps.
Target Behaviors:
1. Go to the WRC every other day at 6 pm and do fat burning exercises on my stomach.
2. Receive all A's in all of my classes.
3. If I'm not working or doing school work, find volunteer work to do or activities to get involved in.
4. Get involved with clubs and organization's, hang out with friends every day and find new and exciting things to do.
5. Do not go to my dorm room after classes because I will be tempted to lie down and fall asleep. Go and do things throughout my day.

Terminology That I Used In My Blog!
Target Behavior, Behaviors, Differential Reinforcement of Other, Other-directed Behaviors, Self-directed Behaviors, Increase, Decrease Behaviors, Dependent Measures, Desired Behaviors, Behavioral Diary, Antecedents, Emitted, Elicit, Contingencies, Baseline, Reinforcers, Behavioral Classes.

Section 4.1

Three things that I will remember from this chapter are:
1. Around New Year’s is a big time for people to make resolutions to use self-directed behavior and make a change in their life. However, many times people do not succeed in these goals and a big cause of this is because the goals are too broad. Many times, when coming up with resolutions, people tend to be talking about a behavioral class rather than a specific target behavior. When making a resolution, you need to have a target behavior in order for the goal to be more manageable. The behaviors not only need to be specific, they need to be manageable within the person’s life in that they take into account available time and other things that the person may be doing.

2. Self-directed behavior is when we are using behavior modification on ourselves. This means that we exert our free will to choose a behavior that we wish to either increase or decrease. With self-directed behavior we are free to make our own goals and structure our own behavioral interventions and contingencies.

3. Many times, when creating goals for ourselves, they fall into the category of punishment rather than reinforcement, because most of the time we want to reduce the frequency of the behavior.

Something that I really liked about this chapter was the introduction to self-directed behavior. It is not a hard concept to understand, but I did like that not a whole lot of information was being thrown at us in the first section.

For this particular chapter there was nothing that I particularly did not like.

Section 4.2

Three things that I will remember from this chapter are:
1. When defining a set of target behaviors for a behavioral goal, there are four criteria that need to be met. The goals need to be precise, manageable, measureable, and fit within the scope of your daily life. Goals need to be precise in order for them to be better accomplished. The more specific, the better. Goals also need to be manageable in order for you to be able to accomplish them. Next, you must be able to quantify the behavior so you can measure it and ultimately plot it on a graph. Finally, it needs to be able to fit into your life. It the behavior is incompatible with what you are currently doing, it will be difficult to accomplish and even more difficult to maintain.

2. When attempting to increase a behavior, you need to know your baseline performance, and an easy way to do that is by keeping record. One way to start recording a baseline is to keep a behavioral diary. Keeping a diary of what the behavior was, what happened before and what happened after will allow you to go back and use the ABCs of behavior. If it is a daily behavior and you are in a fairly stable routine, it should only take about a week to get enough information to better understand the behavior and build a baseline. Also, when keeping a diary, it is best to make notes as things occur because the information will be fresh in your mind. Finally, make sure you diary is manageable and easy.

3. If your target behaviors are not specific it will be harder to keep a diary of when the behaviors occur. Sometimes, different behaviors occur under different contexts. Also, if is it difficult to graph the frequency of your behavior, it could be a result of the way you measure it.

Something that I liked about this chapter was using our own behavioral goals as a base for our examples. This helped me understand how to reach my own personal goal from a behavioral modification perspective.

Something that I disliked about this chapter was the section on graphing. I got really confused and found it hard to graph my own goal.

Behavioral classes I want to change in myself: exercise more, eat healthier, stop smoking
Target behaviors I want to change in myself: run 3 miles every day

I thought it was very interesting to see that people make so many resolutions. why do people feel it is neccesary to do so and not just do it on there own. I also feel that the point made that self directed behavior is hard to administer since the control of the reinforer lies completely with you. I also thought that other directed control was intesting because it is something we all experience everyday in the classroom and at work from our bosses.
I fully enjoyed the step by step procegure of how to set a self directed goal and stick with it. You can always change your reinforcer later.
I disliked nothing in this chapter since it was stright forward and easy to understand.

After reading section 4.1, please respond to the following questions.

I learned that it is imporant to set your goal and not be to broad. If you are to broad it is less likely you will follow it. Secondly I thought it was interesting that after your goal is set you need to decide on target behavior you should follow. I realized this is the most imporant part one which I have never done before. Lastley I learned that keeping a record is key to becoming a smart observour of oneself and how to master the self directed behaviros. Once you develop record keeping skills you can go back and see how to improve and what you have done not so well at.
I enjoyed the step by step activitey of using a personal goal and making it work with the activities in the chapter. this made you think about how it applies to yourself. I dislike the required graph that was asked in the questions. I do not think anyone would have the time to actually be able to do it and complete the assignment of the chapter for real.

Terms: self-directed behavior, other directed behavior, target behavior, reinforcement, reinforcer, goals

4.1
After emitting the behavior of reading section 4.1 the first thing I will remember is what a self directed behavior is. A self directed behavior is using behavior techniques to reinforce or punish a target behavior of our own. The second thing I will remember is that some New Years resolutions fail because they are too broad and involve punishment instead of reinforcement. The third thing I will rememberis what differential reinforcement of other(DRO). DRO is finding alternative behavior that can be reinforced, but will still function to reduce the original behavior.
One thing I really liked about this section was being able to target specific behaviors of my own that can eventually be reinforced or punished. One thing I didn't like about this section was that it was pretty basic stuff.

4.2
Reading this section illicits my memory of three things. The first thing I will remember is the seven basic steps of in self directed behavior . Step 1 is to set your goal. Step 2 is to define your target behaviors based on that goal. Step 3 is to keep records of the behaviors your going to change. Step 4 is to graph a baseline. Step 5 is to determine contigencies of reinforcers/punishments and how and when they will be delivered. Step 6 is determine the antecedents that will help elicit the desired behavior. Step 7 is implement and adjust the contingencies. The second thing I will remember is that it is better to increase a desired behavior rather than to punish an undesired one. The third thing I will remember is that antecedents are a very powerful way to elicit behavior consistent with your goal.
The one thing that I liked about this section was actually learning the steps in self directed behavior. There really wasn't anything that I didn't like about this section.

Behavioral Classes
Get in better shape.
Get better grades.
Spend more time with family

Target Behaviors
Lift weights for an hour 3 times a week.
Study for 30 minutes every night.
Eat dinner with family at least once a week.

Terms: Emit, Self directed behavior, target behavior, reinforce, punish, differential reinforcement of other, illicit, baseline, contingencies, antecedents

Section 4.1:

Three things I will remember from this chapter:

1. Self-Directed Behavior: I remember that we can manipulate our own behaviors elicited in very simplistic ways. By doing so we are able to easier meet our goals.

2. New Years Resolution re-evaulation: I remember that most goals are set with punishment in mind and the goals that work best are those when reinforcement is used to manipulate the target behavior.

3. Alternative Behaviors: That it is very easy to take a behavior and turn it around into something different by differentially reinforcing it.

One thing I liked from this chapter was that we could take behaviors that we emit and find ways to manipulate them ourselves, this is known as self-directing. It does seem that they are best manipulated when we are able to use reinforcement to get our goals met. Even re-evaluating the New Year's resolutions seems to be a good way to figure out how to use reinforcement rather than more common choice of using punishment in the goal setting process.

One thing I disliked was that there weren't many examples showing the DROs however, I do feel like the previous chapters have set us up to be more confident and able to come up with our own examples in this section.

Section 4.2:

Three things I learned from this section are:

1. That there are indeed seven steps to self-directed behavior: I liked how they section laid out that there are steps to follow in order to elicit a certain behavior that we want.

2. Target behavior based on goal: There are different target behaviors based on goals; some goals are problematic in the sense that they are too broad and are behavioral classes. It is easier to look at specific behaviors and use those to direct the goal.

3. Reinforcing it: That you can change things in the environment that could help you elicit a behavior. Changing small things like what, when and how often reinforcement is administered.

I really liked how the steps were laid out and easy to follow. That there are certain things that you have to do to succeed in emitting a certain behavior via self-directed behavior.

I didn't feel like I was able to use all seven steps in a given example after reading this section, and this is probably the only thing I 'disliked' from this section.

I would like to drink less caffeine I never drink pop, but I do drink a lot of coffee, tea and the occasional Red Bull. Caffeine drinking is my behavioral class. Specifically I would like to drink no more than one cup of coffee a day and this is my target behavior.

Terms: Self-directed behavior, target behavior, manipulate, emit, elicit, reinforcement, punishment, DROs, behavioral classes, alternative behaviors

4.1

1) target behaviors have to be specific
2) how we measure a target behavior can be in different ways
3) behaviors can be directed by us or others

I really like this chapter when talking about self-directed behaviors and how we can reinforce ourselves rather than resulting to punishment. I always make New Year’s Resolutions but they are always very broad and I usually don’t stick to them for that reason.
I disliked when talking about how losing weight is a punishment because we are removing weight, but in a way it’s reinforcement because we want to keep losing weight thus increasing that behavior.

Terminology: target behavior, reinforce, punishment, reinforcement, self-directed behavior

4.2

1) there are six steps to accomplish a goal
2) target behaviors have to be precise, manageable, measureable, and fit within the practical scope of our daily lives
3) Keeping a diary of your goal makes it more manageable

I liked how it showed there are specific steps you have to take to increase or decrease a self-direct target behavior. This chapter really made me think about my goal to read a book before the movie comes out and now I know how to accomplish it now that all the steps are laid out. I didn’t like the graphing a baseline goal because I like to measure my progress with a book mark rather than making a silly chart. As long as you do grant some kind of reinforcement you are more likely to achieve your goal.

Terminology: reinforcement, target behavior, self-direct behavior

Generally speaking
Reading more
-finish one book a month’
-read an extra 30 minutes on the weekend

Get healthier
-eat less junk food
-substitute water for pop

4.1
I will remember from emitting reading this section is:
1) Self-directed behavior. This is when you use behavioral techniques to either punish or reinforce a target desirable target behavior.
2) The second thing that I will remember is why New Year’s resolutions fail while others succeed. It correlates with either using reinforcement or punishment procedure. As well as whether it is a behavior class or a specific target behavior.
3) I will remember how to define a target behavior. I know what a target behavior is but to define it is more in depth and helps to acquire the target behavior that is positive. For example the text discussed “to quit drinking.” That is a very broad target behavior. It would be easier to accomplish if you knew what to quit drinking entailed entirely. Like cutting back on all alcohol, on drinking at the bars, etc.
I like that this chapter focused on one topic, mostly, and discussed it in depth and made it very clear. To elaborate on self-directed behavior.
I did not like the section on alternative behaviors. This topic was averse for me because I was unable to distinguish what it meant.
4.2
I will remember from emitting reading this section is:
1) The self-directed behavior steps. There are six of them and I like them because changing a behavior is difficult when it’s a habit of yours or a personality trait that you were formally unaware of. These steps help break down such an averse task and make it less stressful.
2) Step #4, graphing a baseline. I liked this step because I am more of a visual learner as opposed to simply reading about the material. This would help in changing a behavior with people like me to show us how things are changing and at what pace.
3) I mostly learned in this section that when setting a goal it would be more positive experience is you were to base by choosing to increase a desirable behavior than decreasing an undesirable behavior. This way you would be avoiding the need for punishment.
I liked that this section because it ran off of the last chapters. It was very clear and had good examples to help understand the concept of each step.
I disliked the section on behavior intervention. For me, this section was not clear and didn’t explain exactly what behavioral intervention was. I still don’t understand it and would like it to be discussed in class.

Behavioral class
1) being more productive.
2)Getting in shape
Targer behavior
1)Studying for tests more, not doing my homework the night of, being more focused on my school work.
2) Running it least twice a week, lifting weights three times a week, doing an ab work out daily.

Terms: Emitting, self-directed behaviors, punish, reinforce, target behavior, behavior class, positive, alternative behaviors, averse, self-directed behavior steps, graphing a baseline, and behavioral intervention.

4.1-

Three things. . .

First, I will be able to recall the need for specific target behaviors. It made me think of SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound).

Second, it never occurred to me how broad some peoples New Year’s resolutions were and how much this lack of necessary information effected reaching these goals.

Lastly, that self-directed behavior cannot occur without a target behavior because we can’t try to meet a goal that is not specific.

One thing I liked is how it related to my life, even though I know about SMART goals I sometimes forget to apply it to everything, ex. New Year’s resolutions.

One thing I disliked was trying to find alternate behaviors that did not go with the original behavior, it was difficult to do and I did not see a lot of good coming from it.

4.2-

Three things. . .

First, I had heard of people using a ‘food diary’ to keep track of what they consumed and encourage them to eat less. However I had never thought of using a behavioral diary to establish a baseline performance in order to change other behaviors.

Second; specific, manageable, measurable, and practical look a lot like the SMART goals I learned in ROTC and I am excited to see that they can successfully be applied to other aspects of my life.

Lastly, I liked the question ‘what are some ways you could change your environment to help elicit your desired behavior?’ It made me think of the New Year’s Eve resolution failure rate discussed in the previous section. I recalled how people set these goals and have the idea in their mind that they can accomplish them, but do little environmentally to help themselves.

One thing I liked was the idea of graphing the behavior, but. . .

One thing I disliked is that I will probably never do it.

Behavioral classes: stop procrastinating, drink less pop

Specific target behaviors: work ahead in Behavioral Modification when I have time because we know what the assignments are going to consist of, go to bed before 0100 in the morning so I don’t have to rely on pop to stay awake

Terms: specific target behavior, self-directed behavior, target behavior, behavioral diary, baseline performance, behavior, specific, manageable, measurable, practical, and elicit.

4.1
I found chapter 4.1 to be especially interesting because this is what everyone wants. The catch all, end all way to become whatever way you want to be. I think I will remember the concept of Self-Directed behavior. As with much of behavior modification, the name seems like it should make common sense but there are so many pieces and nuances to this field of study that we can’t rely on namesake alone. Self-directed behavior means that we make the conscious choice to manipulate our behavior. I always poke fun of a good friend of mine, calling her the most resolute, un-resolute person I know. Every week she has a new diet or plan or way she is going to improve her life and every time it lasts for a day at the most. I refuse to make a New Year’s resolution because I feel like I’m just asking for failure. Maybe, with the behavior diary I can really keep myself on task and focused. Although I did try one of those calories/diet tracking websites and kept up with it for a month and then got bored and now I check it less than twice a month. The third thing I hope to remember for future use is making sure that I am using specific behaviors. That is definitely not one of my strong points as I tend to generalize a bit too much. I hope that I can remember that a specific behavior is focused and pointed and leaves no room for interpretation.
I really liked the section on New Year’s Resolutions solely because my friends are big on that and I am not. I hate that concept because my gym is always much busier during January and it’s hard to get an elliptical. Also, if I do make a resolution, I keep it private so that when I do fail (which I probably will) I don’t have to be like my friend who is on a new diet every other day and never sticks to it and just makes excuses. Although this blog makes it sound like I don’t love the girl to death, I do, she just can’t stick with a plan.
There was nothing I disliked. I felt that the length was appropriate and covered just enough information to be informative and interesting.
4.2
I wrote down the 7 steps and compared them to a problem solving plan of action that was given to me in my business class. Wouldn’t you know, they were the same except in the language of a business professional rather than a psychologist? This really cements the fact for me that BMOD has a true and relevant place in everyday life and is not just an abstract experience like some other parts of psychology. I don’t know that there are specifically three things I will remember, I just hope that I will be able to take these 7 steps and use them to apply to everyday life and situations.
As I said above, I really liked the 7 step plan. I am a planner and I love to sit down and plan out what I want to do and how I will go about it. I will definitely add this chapter to my personal file although I don’t know what I feel about the graphing thing.
Other that the graphing concept, there was nothing I specifically disliked. These two chapters overall were very interesting and informative.
As I mentioned in my reading exercises, I really want to be able to speak my mind a bit more and not be so afraid to give my opinion. I am the worst eater, I’m so busy that I often forget that I’ve already eaten so I was thinking it might be a good idea to write down or add a checkmark to a chart that says I’ve already eaten during that meal period. Overall, I have lifestyle changes that I need to make and I’m hoping to use BMOD to expedite those changes.

4.1
One thing that I will remember from this chapter is the concept of self-directed behavior. Most people struggle with issues involving self control and a lack thereof, but self-directed behavior serves to benefit the individual by allowing himself to control his own behavior for the better; this is a concept that has significant real world applications. Another thing that i will remember from this section is that in self-directed behavior, the individual needs to control their own reinforcers and punishers in order to effectively change their behavior. This stands out to me because it seems like a very good exercise in self discipline. If anyone can get you to stop a negative behavior, it should be yourself first and foremost. A third thing that I will remember from this section is that some new years resolutions fail as a result of their being too broad of goals without focusing on specific target behaviors. This makes sense because anyone who has decided to make a new years resolution knows how difficult it can be to follow through with it; it's nice to get clarification from a psychological perspective as to why many new years resolutions fail. One thing that I disliked from the chapter was the fill in boxes; I just really didn't want to do them. One thing that I liked from the chapter was that it gave me a reason to look over some of my own behaviors and realize that it might very well benefit me to modify them.

4.2
One thing that I will remember from this section is that there are six steps to successful self-directed behavior; this is interesting to me because whenever I try to alter my own behavior (like start an exercise regimen) i often don't know where to begin and the six steps really help to clarify the process. Another thing that I will remember from this section is that it is more effective to base your goal on increasing a desirable behavior rather than decreasing a an undesirable behavior to avoid the need for punishment. This makes sense because it allows you to focus on the benefits of the self-directed behavior rather than just the negative aspects. A third thing that I will remember from this section is the importance of making a record of the behavior(s) that you are trying to change. This technique allows you to see your progress over time and in this way you can see just how beneficial your changes have been. One thing that I both liked and did not like at the same time from this section is that it made me realize that I have many undesirable behaviors in my everyday life and that I would probably be better off without them. Everyone likes their vices but they can be very unhealthy.

terms: self-directed behavior, reinforcers, punishers, target behavior, behavior modification, punishment

Generally speaking, what are some behaviors (think behavioral classes) you might want to change in yourself? Specifically what are some behaviors (think target behaviors) you might want to change in yourself?

4.1
Three things I remember from this chapter are: other-directed behaviors,self-directed behaviors and listing New Year's resolutions and their reinforcements. I remember reading about the other and self-directed behaviors because they were new terms. These terms mean that behaviors are functioned by others, or ourselves.
One thing I liked in this chapter was describing the target behaviors and specifics of behavior classes like 'losing weight' and 'get fit'.
One thing that was aversive was lisitng alternative behaviors that were incompatible with drinking. First you had to think of places that elicted drinking or that a person would emit drinking and how to avoid those places. Next you had to list behaviors you could do to prevent the drinking and running into the previous places listed.
4.2
Three things I remember from this chapter are step #2 specifiy the goal as a set of target behaviors, step #4 graph a baseline, and step #5 determine contingencies. Usually when someone would make a goal, you only think of the goal and not the three steps listed above. You have to be very specific with your goal, know where you started to improve from there and think of obstacles that might come up.
One thing I liked about this chapter was going into depth of how to acheive a goal the right way. If you want success, you have to do things right preferably the first time.
One thing I didn't like about this chapter was seeing how much extra work it is to reach a highly set goal. This includes planning, graphing, diaries, records ect. If you want to lose weight, it is more than exercise more, eat less.

terms: other-directed behaviors, self-deirected behavior, reinforcement, behavior, target behavior, behavior classes, aversive, alternative behaviors, elicted, emit, baseline, contingencies

Behavior classes: work harder in school, change my life style, make more money, lose weight, be more motivated, be more energetic, participate more.

Target behaviors: drop 3 jean sizes, put in more hours at my job on campus, budget money for cell phone bill better than I have been, change my sleep cycle so I am awake during the day and sleep at night.