What I would like you to do is to find a topic from what we have covered so far in class that you are interested in and search the internet for material on that topic. You might, for example, find people who are doing research on the topic, you might find web pages that discuss the topic, you might find youtube clips that demonstrate something related to the topic, etc. What you find and use is pretty much up to you at this point. But use at least 3 sources.
Once
you have completed your search and explorations, I would like you to
say what your topic is, how exactly it fits into the chapter, and why
you are interested in it. Next, I would like you to take the information
you found related to your topic, integrate/synthesize it, and then
write about it. At the end, please include working URLs for the three
websites.
Once you are done with your post make list of the terms and terminology you used in your post.
By integrating/synthesizing I mean to take what your read/experienced from the internet search (and from chapter 1 if you like) organize the information into the main themes, issues, info, examples, etc. about your topic and then write about the topic in your own words using that information. This is hard for some people to do - many students write what we refer to as "serial abstracts." They are tempted to talk about the websites rather than the topic proper. They will talk all about website #1, start a new paragraph and talk all about web site #2, start a new paragraph and talk all about web site #3, and then write some kind of conclusion. Serial means one after the other...This what you DON'T want to do!
At first it is a real challenge to get out of the habit of writing "serial abstracts," but I assure you once you get the hang of it it is much easier to write using the integration method. And besides this is the way researchers and scientists write their technical reports and findings - many of you will have to be able to do this for other classes and for jobs that you may eventually be hired for so now is a good time to learn this skill. At this point don't worry about a grade, worry about doing your best to have fun with the topic and then integrate it into your own words to share what you found and now know. We will work on citing the sources later....
Let me know if you have any questions.
The topic i chose to work on is Dieting because it involves changing a behavior to alter ones self. Generally, diets consist of people working out more often and eating healthier; reinforcement is done by losing weight or getting tone and punishment can be applied if the person slacks off and doesn't do the amount of work they initially intended and therefore fail to see the desired results. I chose this topic because it can so easily be incorporated into our class discussion. Diet can have many different meanings to it, but the most commonly used definition is the sum of the food consumed by an organism or a group. Dieting, to a certain extent, is a very healthy way to become a healthier person although there are struggles that comes can be both physical and psychological. The physical is obvious, fatigue, hunger, dislike for the healthy foods, etc. But, the psychological struggles only cause more diet failure and excessive weight gain. Psychological struggles arent rocket science, many people make the mistake of realizing they are losing weight and decide to do MORE by counting the caloric intake and focus so much on what/how much they eat as well as losing weight that it only puts more stress on a person, and when the body is stressed, it makes it harder to lose the calories. Although it has some struggles along the way, it is overall a very beneficial way to lose weight, get more tone, or just to live healthier because it teaches the organism self control and reinforces them with these positive aspects listed above only proving that if they work hard enough, they can achieve it.
Terms: Organism, Target Behavior, Emit, Reinforce, Punish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet
http://www.weightlossprogramiri.com/psychological_struggle.html
http://www.lowelabs.com/publications/2004_British_Journal_of_Nutrition.pdf
One thing that really caught my attention in our last section of reading was the fact that most people will not completely stop at a stop sign if there is no traffic or it is at a time in the day when police officers are not out and about looking for traffic violations. As a rule governed behavior, we are taught that we should emit a stopping behavior at the word “stop”, but because this rule emerges from the contingencies we are under, we learn that if we don't see cops around a certain area, or there is no traffic, that we can blow through the stop sign with out a punishment.
According to Auburn Journal (E-edition), most people do not make a complete stop at any stop signs. These “stops” range from a complete blow by to a quick check for other traffic. Even when there are pedestrians or other traffic around, study shows that only twenty five percent of people actually stop completely. Even bikers do not stop at stop signs unless other traffic elicits them to.
In the video posted by“Camerasdon'tlie” on YouTube, it shows how a hidden camera catches dozens of vehicles just coming to a sudden halt and then speeding right off again. Some vehicles didn't even make the stop before the stop sign. Most vehicles looked for on coming traffic and then just blew right through the stop sign with out a care in the world. I would not trust my own children to ride their bikes or play around this area, it is not safe at all, vehicles moving this quickly would never be able to see a small child on a bicycle with one quick glance.
On a survey that was conducted in April of 2008, studies showed that during a one hour time period and two hundred and seventy six cars passing through a stop sign; three percent made a complete stop, six percent made a stop...sort of, and a whopping ninety one percent didn't stop at all. I for one, think that this is unbelievable, how hard is it to make a complete stop? If it is that hard, just think of the children, you could not only get into an accident with another on coming vehicle but you could also injure or even kill a pedestrian and that pedestrian could be an innocent child.
There are stop signs for a reason and if you can not emit a simple behavior of pushing your foot down on the brakes, you deserve a punishment of a ticket. Personally, I have been involved in a car crash because the other party decided not to come to a complete stop at the sign. To fix this problem I would say to increase the likelihood of the person stopping at the stop sign by adding a reinforcement. Although, that makes no sense because you should just know to stop at the stop sign with out being rewarded for it.
Make complete stops at stop signs!!!!
URL For the Websites I used:
1. http://auburnjournal.com/detail/189972.html
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COucvpr9Ceo
3. http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2008/04/does-anybody-really-stop-at-stop-signs.html
Terminology that I used in my blog: Rule Governed Behavior, Emerges, Contingencies, Punishment, Emit, Behavior, Elicits, Reinforcement, Adding, Increase.
I decided to take a look at quitting smoking. Smoking tobacco products is not good for the body and this fact has been known for quite some time, since the 1960’s. Even though people are aware of how bad smoking is they still continue to do it and new smokers are being developed every day. According to the World Health Organization about one third of males smoke and one in ten deaths globally come from smoking related sources. If this trend continues it could reach as high as one in every six people will die from smoking related sources. With all this death that is being caused by smoking one would think that people would want to immediately stop smoking all together. The problem is that smoking is an incredibly addicting habit, which makes it difficult to quit. All aspects of smoking can lead to addiction, such as the chemicals within the tobacco, the actual act of smoking, or the routine of smoking in certain situations. These factors make it very difficult to quit which leads to only about seven percent of people being able to quit on their first try. Also only three to four percent will be able to quit by going cold turkey. With the high difficulty in quitting I think that it would be beneficial to create self-directed behavior plan to help individuals stop smoking. This plan would allow them to quit smoking by changing behaviors, which I feel would make it much more effective. First let’s set a goal: Being tobacco free after one year. Now let’s set some target behaviors first in month number one we want to cut tobacco input per day by 25 percent. For the second month we want to cut tobacco input per day by another 25 percent. This will continue this process until we have reached about 10 percent of original daily tobacco input. So let’s say the individual smoked a pack a day and that a pack has 25 cigarettes, so that would leave us at 2.5 cigarettes a day. Much easier to quit smoking two cigarettes a day than 25. So when we reach this point we would spend one final month slowly weaning the individual down to no cigarettes. The participant would be required to record every time they smoke a cigarette, they would be required to note the time place and date. They would develop a baseline by recording how much they smoke on an average week. We would also have to look at would the cause of the smoking is. Is it from boredom, nervousness, habit, or addiction? This will help us understand the best way to change the behavior. Finally we have to look at any adjustments that need to be made. Adjustments that might need to be made are behavioral changes, if certain situations are making it impossible for the individual to reduce smoking, than changes might need to be made to those behaviors prior to reducing smoking. Finally, the reinforcement that is tied to this behavior change is the benefits from quitting smoking such as prolonged life, if this reinforcement is not enough additional reinforcers might need to be added.
http://quitsmoking.about.com/cs/antismoking/a/statistics.htm
http://quitsmoking.pharmacydiscountrx.com/stats.html
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/cessation
I chose to elicit more research on rule governed behavior. Rule governed behavior to me means when your behaviors are controlled by stimuli. I have chosen three different examples that are examples of rule governed behavior.
My first example is that in most family traditions it is a given that turkey will be served for the main course of your Thanksgiving dinner. Why? Because a turkey is a large bird, Thanksgiving is to feast and share. It has been a custom in most family traditions, even within most cultures. Generation to generation as this had been custom, it will continue to be shared with most families going forward because it is a rule governed behavior through culture and family tradition.
My second rule governed behavior is women shaving in America. This actually started back with “The Great Underarm Campaign of 1915”! Who would have thought? Companies would use humiliating terms within ads to try to emit women to shave. The first ad was said to have been a woman wearing a slip with one arm up and it was clear, the ad read “Summer Dress and Modern Dancing combine to make necessary the removal of objectionable hair.” After the rising of the length in dresses came in the 1920s, this is about when women started shaving their legs. Something that started out with one ad not so many years ago seems to be set in stone. I mean if you see a woman with hairy armpits, what do you think? This is a rule governed behavior by society, peers, and maybe ourselves.
My last example of rule governed behavior is running stop signs or speeding. This is a rule governed behavior set by the government. We the people are to elicit the correct given speed limit as well as come to a complete stop at stop signs prior to emitting going forward. If you are not “caught”, there is no punishment given. Although it is easy to elicit speeding or running a stop sign, they are there to protect yourself as well as others and it would be best to emit the rule governed behavior given.
Terms: Elicit, rule governed behavior, behavior, stimuli, emit, punishment
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/recycled/2009/11/wherefore_turkey.html
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/625/who-decided-women-should-shave-their-legs-and-underarms
http://gradworks.umi.com/3452997.pdf
Something I became really interested in while reading the chapter was New Year’s Resolutions, why they don’t work out most of the time, and how we can modify behavior to fix that. I believe that this fits well into class because we’re currently working on changing our own behaviors and analyzing why other people’s target behaviors are not being reached, I believe will fully help me to understand how I can reach my own, and better understand behavior modification. I also am very interested in why New Year’s Resolutions typically fail and would like able to better understand the process of failing resolutions.
The first thing that I wanted to better understand was why New Year’s Resolutions fail. Approximately 50% of American’s will make a New Year’s Resolution. The most popular resolutions being to exercise more, quite smoking, and be more fiscally responsible. People do this to try and reinvent themselves and create a better life. They use New Years as a way to motivate them to emit the behaviors they desire. However, most people aren’t ready to change a bad habit. This is the major cause of why the resolutions never last; you can’t change something that you truly don’t want to have fixed.
Another reason why New Year’s Resolutions never last is due to people’s unrealistic goals about what their target behavior should be. People believe that they can do more than they know they will, and when they find themselves lacking, they quite, which can also lead to discouragement as well. People also become very discouraged when they don’t see the immediate change of life they have been looking for.
After reading these articles, I realized how important the steps to Self-Directed Behavior are. In order to be successful we have to be extremely careful in selecting the different steps and even the target behavior. People need to understand that it’s extremely important to select reasonable and very specific goals. They truly need to focus and understand that if they have the right steps, they don’t need New Years to be their motivation. They can change their behavior anytime.
Terms: Modify, analyze, target behavior, emit, self-directed behavior
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201012/why-new-years-resolutions-fail
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/12/20/5-reasons-why-your-new-years-resolution-will-fail/
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1824-years-resolutions.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/01/03/why-your-new-years-resolution-will-fail-by-february-1/
Once you have completed your search and explorations, I would like you to say what your topic is, how exactly it fits into the chapter, and why you are interested in it. Next, I would like you to take the information you found related to your topic, integrate/synthesize it, and then write about it. At the end, please include working URLs for the three websites.
I guess I am not all that interesting since I want to further elaborate on a rule governed behavior. I realize that it has been covered already but I am so interested in the subject I wanted to do my own research and discover it more.
It turns out low and behold Skinner was the one to coin it to refer to behavior essential to complex human abilities. He viewed it as In contemporary analyses of human behavior, the term rule-governed behavior is used to describe responding mostly to and by instructions; rule-governed behavior is commonly
distinguished from contingency-shaped
behavior that is determined manly by its
direct consequences. The concept of rule-governed behavior was introduced initially as an example of discriminated responding characterized by the three-term relation of discriminative stimulus, response, and consequence. This I figured out to be correlated to the examples we went over in the book such as: to have good pizza you get it out of the oven. Or you stop at the traffic light so as not to have the unpleaseant discrimitave stimulus of a ticket. there are so many that all do without conciously knowing about it is just unreal. I now see that our lives are just about governed on ruled governed principles that we have learned. Think about it. I am doing this assignment because I know that I want to get point for this class and have done it before and got points. It was noted in my reading that rule governed behaivor is often seen and confused with contigency-shaped behavior that is deteremend manly by direct consequences but rule governed behavior is classified as the three prong thing we went over in class as antecedant, behavior, consequence learning style.
So to break it down between contigency and rule governed it is actually really easy.
Rule governed is learned mostly from indirect stimulus such as a stop sign or something you already know is wrong in society such as raping your sister. Contigency, like we all know is a more direct learning way such as cause and effect. Touching a pan to learn it is hot.
I think rule governed behavior is a very important part of any society and in psycholgoy and I plan on looking at it more indef in the future.
After reading all of the articles I did I now realize how imporant these concepts are in our day to day life.
Terms: rule governed behavior, behvior, stimulus, discrimitive stiumuls, contigency shaped behavior, antedcedant, consequences, response,
http://www.ijpsy.com/volumen8/num2/191/rule-governed-behavior-and-psychological-EN.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1338855/pdf/jeabehav00029-0088.pdf
http://positioningsystems.com/blog.php?entryID=124
I chose to pursue the topic we discussed in class of new year's resolutions and why people find so much importance in setting a new behavior to change at the start of every year? Why is it that at the beginning of the year modifying behavior becomes a priority and not every other time of the year? And I wanted to further dig into the effectiveness of people's new year's resolutions and whether people are using aversive or pleasurable reinforcements or punishments in their quest to change.
What I found is that the beginning of the year gives many people an excuse to say "ok so something I've done up until now has not been so great but because it's a new year I have the opportunity to put the past behind and change it all!" A new year seems to be the perfect antecedent! It's a very exciting concept to most people, starting all over, but as we have discussed in class many of what people consider "starting over" fails within the first few months of intervention. The bulk of what I found regarding new years resolution was one of two things; either a "why resolutions don't work" or "How to make resolutions work for you". The section about how to make resolutions work says a lot of the same things we discuss for modifying behavior in class. The articles mention keeping track of your progress and using rewards instead of just punishing yourself all the time. On the other hand the more negative view point of "why resolutions don't work" mention a lot of the faults that we have mentioned in class. People are usually not as specific in their resolutions as they should be or that they don't give themselves ample credit for the things that they have been able to accomplish, instead they just focus on the little slips they have had.
According to a 2007 study done by Richard Wiseman found that about 88% of people who set new years resolutions fail to change their behavior for the entire year. What I have concluded is that the antecedent of the new year is a discriminating stimuli for people to create a resolution (their change in behavior) and thus, even knowing the failure rate, so many people make new years resolutions every year. I have inferred from reading that tradition is a powerful thing and may be just the reinforcement someone needs to get it into their head that they need to make a change. Motivation is always easier if you have people going towards the same goals as you and at the beginning of a new year you have a lot of people making new years resolutions. This means that there may be more people around you pushing you towards your goal and keeping you from quitting when you may have a failure.
Terms: behavior, modify, aversive, pleasurable, reinforcements, punishments, antecedent, discriminative stimuli, motivation, goals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_resolution
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=330
http://articles.boston.com/2012-01-15/magazine/30626762_1_rewards-heroin-addicts-brains
http://theresurgence.com/2011/12/31/why-new-years-resolutions-dont-work
I decided to emit the behavior of learning more about rule-governed behavior. We just read about it and it elicited interest in me.
Rule-governed behavior or instructional control is when a person learns without direct contact with the consequences. This includes reading about something or learning from other people. The opposite of this is contingency shaped behavior; learning from direct contact with the consequences. For example, eating food before it is cool enough to not burn your tongue. Rule-governed is more efficient than the latter because behaviors are manipulated quicker.
Skinner originally coined this term, which I found interesting but not surprising. Rule-governed behavior started being studied when the role of thought in behaviors started to be questioned.
Rules act as verbal discriminative stimuli that signal contingencies. Because of rules behavioral sequences can be emitted and their consequences can be acted upon. A problem with rule-governed behavior is something called insensitivity to contingencies. This means that rules can override direct contingencies. For example, a group of participants was given instructions to press the key when the lamp was on in order to get reinforcement. The other participants were not given any instruction, but they had to figure out how to press the key by trial and error. When the rate of responding is consistent in both groups the contingencies were altered without warning the participants, so that in order to get points, now participants have to press the key in a different way. Participants who were given the rule consistently show greater difficulty than the others to adjust to the new conditions. So while following rules is helpful, it can also have a dark side.
http://www.ijpsy.com/volumen8/num2/191/rule-governed-behavior-and-psychological-EN.pdf
http://positioningsystems.com/blog.php?entryID=124
http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5000575191
Terms: elicit, emit, manipulate, consequences, contingencies, disriminative stimuli, insensitivity to contingencies, trial and error, reinforcement, instructional control
Something that really stood out to me was when the book talked about ways to increase efficiency in the workplace. I choose to research what behaviors are the most anit-productive and how they can be changed to create a more efficient work environment.
One thing that really surprised me was how inefficient the workplace in general seems to be. There were tons of articles stating how much time is wasted online, coming in late, and socializing instead of working while employees are on the clock. It seems like many American’s have made a career of not getting work done. But for every way there is to not do work, there is another way to stay focused and things that employers and co-workers can do to stay on track.
The number one behavior class that puts efficiency on the back burner in procrastination. No matter how employees chose to fill their time, if it’s with something besides work, it is hindering them. In order to avoid this behavior, presenting clear goals and deadlines can be a good reinforcer to help keep employees on track. By having a clear end in sight, it is easier to stay motivated and focused.
Another time-waster is social hour. Even though it is important for employees to know each other and get along, this can sometimes go too far. An easy way to combat this is by making clear group goals. By setting a goal for everyone to work on together, employees gain a sense of being a team and build relationships with one another while still getting work done.
Keeping employees motivated is a fine balance between keeping them busy and drowning them in work. If there is nothing or little to do, workers will not feel motivated to start anything because there will time later. The other extreme is overloading employees with busy work. If the task does not seem important, there is no motivation to do it. It is also very hard to get excited about doing something if it appears that the task will never be finished.
http://www.bayt.com/en/career-article-841/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/06/03/cb.10.worst.work.habits/index.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2005/07/11/wastingtime.TMP&ao=all
I chose to talk about extinction burst. When going through an extinction burst you experience a moment of deprivation because you are not being positively reinforced by someone paying attention to you. You try and adjust the emitted behavior, but it fails. The one way you can truly experience an extinction burst is if you do not give in and emit the behavior they are trying to have you elicit. I have a few video clips that demonstrate an extinction burst quite well. The "Charlie bit me mom" was a really old one that I discovered was an extinction burst. The older boy tries to get Charlie under stimulus control by telling him to stop in multiple different ways. Every time the older boy asks Charlie to stop biting him it serves the same functional. Another one of my videos demonstrates another good example of an extinction burst. From the beginning of this clip to 35 seconds this kitten tries multiple ways of trying to get at the mouse. He starts to feel deprivation towards the mouse. He tries many ways that he thinks will get it out, finally one does, but before that he was going through and extinction burst because he wasn't being reinforced. My favorite example of an extinction burst is the "Simon's Cat" clip. The cat finds it very adversive to have this sticky tape stuck on him, so he tries to manipulate the tap and find other ways to get it off, and he simply cannot!
Extinction burst, deprivation, positively reinforced, emitted, emit, elicit, stimulus control, functional, deprivation, adversive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE4FJL2IDEs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEo8FMIe5rE&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV3SWjrt2rE&feature=relmfu
I decided to emit the behavior of looking into efficiency more. In the chapter this week there were some rules to follow in order to increase one's self-efficiency. There was the example of only checking your e-mail twice a day. I am interested in this because it fits in with my goal to be productive in class. There were some different things I found when I did my search and it was all interesting.
With the websites that I looked at some of the topics did overlap. One had goals of things a person could do to increase their efficiency at the workplace and at home. One of their suggestions was going digital with appointments and other things to make life easy and pleasurable. In one of the other websites it was all about banking, and increasing efficiency by having online banking. It's more convenient and the reinforcement is pretty immediate. These steps to increase efficiency help make better use of our time and enjoy life more.
In the article about having ways to increase one's self efficiency they also touched on spending free time doing hobbies instead of watching TV. This is positive reinforcement, because it's adding hobbies which are pleasurable. You can make small changes to increase the efficiency. By manipulating a temperature change to a refrigerator it can elicit the behavior of increasing the efficiency.
Sometimes some things people do to be organized can be aversive and like a punishment. Such as throwing away all the unnecessary clutter and papers. It's very hard to do, but it's something that will ultimately help meet your goal.
By having better antecedents it can help increase efficiency too. Such as having apps on your phone to help remind you of certain things. It's something that can manipulate the environment in a good way.
http://thefuturebuzz.com/2007/12/06/5-steps-to-increase-efficiency-at-work-and-at-home/
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/energyandutilities/tp/Increase-The-Efficiency-Of-Your-Refrigerator.htm
https://www.firstcitizens.com/business/increase-efficiency/
Terms: emit, elicit, manipulate, aversive, punishment, reinforcement, pleasurable, antecedents, behavior, goal
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm
http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/holidays/tp/resolutions.htm
http://blisstree.com/live/most-popular-new-years-resolutions-2012/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201102/lose-the-weight-you-gotta-change-how-you-relate-food
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-is-bagel-away/201003/why-losing-weight-is-so-hard
I chose to write about the struggles of losing weight and how that can be applied to self directed behavior. When we started talking about self directed behavior, we started talking about New Years Resolutions. The number one New Years Resolution that people make is to lose weight. To break that down even farther, people have goals to either eat healthier (third most popular resolution), work out more (second most popular resolution), or some combination of both. With over 66% of the American public being overweight and/or obese, it is easy to see why this blog topic and resolution is relevant.
Most of what I found when doing research on the psychology of losing weight, we’ve talked about in our class or have read about it in the text. A lot of the websites I found were “dumbed down” for the general public, as they don’t speak behavior modification the way we do. (Just like how in the beginning of the class, my classmates and I didn’t speak bmod either; it is just like the Spanish example Otto used.)
One thing I found in my research is that when it comes to losing weight, almost everyone has at least one specific area they struggle in. Take me as an example. I have no problem emitting the behavior of working out multiple times throughout the week. What I struggle with is eating sugary filled snacks, as you know from reading about my target behavior I would like to modify. This is what everyone trying to lose weight needs to do. They need to discover a target behavior, therefore making it specific, and figure out how to change it into something positive to reinforce or how to punish themselves in order to eliminate the behavior. Though this isn’t the only step people need to make, it is one step I found in a couple of sites that health psychologists believe to be important.
We also talked about in class the importance of goals. At the very beginning of the goal setting chapter (section 4.3) the first thing it mentions is that goals need to be realistic. This is another area where the public fails. Many people fail at their goals to lose weight because they set unrealistic goals for themselves. Losing weight, especially a significant amount to change body appearance, takes time. Though working out and eating healthy will eventually elicit losing inches, many people are not patient enough for the size of results they want. If they could learn to be patient, it would help them to set more realistic goals.
Finally, the biggest downfall that people do not realize is that working out and eating healthy in order to lose weight is not just a temporary solution. I’m sure all of us know at least someone who loses a bunch of weight, then gains it all back, then loses it again, and gains it all back. It is a cycle. What these yoyo dieters do not realize is that this needs to become a lifestyle change. Self directed behavior isn’t about changing something for a short period of time; it is about changing someone for forever. One of our examples in the reading was about what would you consider being a successful treatment result for someone trying to quit smoking. My answer was that they never smoke a cigarette again. Though it seems harsh, it is the truth. Quitting smoking and losing weight should be definitive, because that is what the people desire.
I found B.F. Skinner’s air crib quite interesting so it elicited me to emit a behavior in order to learn more information about it. As a parent, Skinner found child rearing to be time consuming and difficult so he came up with a way to eliminate much of the work it takes to raise a young child. Skinner had high hopes that the air crib would ease parental burdens and contribute positively to his and other children’s development. While thinking of this crib, he kept in mind that warmth was one of the baby’s most crucial needs. Also, he felt that by making the air crib high off the ground with lessen the occurrences that parents would have to stoop over. This air crib was an oversized metal crib with an enclosed ceiling. It had three solid walls and a safety-glass pane at the front that was able to be lowered in order to move the baby in and out of the crib. A piece of canvas was stretched to create a floor, and sheeting was rolled on top of the canvas and easily rolled off when soiled. Parents regulated the temperature and humidity of the crib via a control box on top of the crib and clean air was filtered into the crib from below to keep that air the baby is breathing fresh. You would construct an air crib like this: build a big box with an open front, at about waist level, build a ledge to support the mattress, below the mattress supports, cut holes for two ventilation screens, making sure they face each other for best air flow, add two light bulb sockets at the right and left sides, below the mattress ledge (these provide heat), link the sockets to an external switch on the crib, build a protective shelf (screening or perforated) above the light bulbs (lift-out, if you’re not going to have access through the front) below the light bulbs, build another shelf (also of screening or perforated material),install a thermostat outside the box where adults can reach it, place shallow evaporation pans below this second shelf (these control humidity), install a small fan in the ceiling, make a mattress frame and lace a mesh mattress to the frame, attach door(s), add legs or a cabinet beneath
Skinner discovered the benefits of this crib first hand with his second daughter, Deborah. Deborah spent the first two years of her life in the air crib, and Skinner felt that it really benefitted him and his wife, as well as the child. Even though Deborah was living in the air crib by herself, she got plenty of interaction time. This was due to the fact that the crib was at eye level with adults, and parents are able to double task more and keep their children right next to them at all times.
Although there are many positives about skinner’s air crib, this new invention failed to catch on. Many people were in shock that anyone would even consider raising a child in a “box” and called it inhumane. Also, many got the air crib confused with the Skinner box used for reinforcing animals, and thought that he was proposing to use the same techniques on children.
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2010/september-10/skinner-air-crib.html
http://daddytypes.com/2006/07/25/the_aircrib_bf_skinners_babyinabox.php
http://www.gearability.com/2007/04/22/building-a-skinner-air-crib/
After reading 5.2 about rule governed behavior, I decided to research into laws that are the most commonly broken and even one I emit in breaking also. Most rule governed behaviors are developed from norms, morals, ethical point of views, or rules over time. I chose going over the speed limit as the target behavior to research.
Many people emit in breaking these behaviors because they aren’t always caught to be punished. For me, I’m already known as a bad driver and speeding a big part of that. I have friends that drive the speed limit and sometimes it drives me crazy. I guess for me I’m rather just tack on speeding as part of the reasons I’m a horrible driver than be known as an old lady driver who doesn’t ever go over the speed limit. I guess you could say I’m somewhat reinforced for it because my friends still ride with me regardless of how fast I drive. However, I don’t go crazy when I drive. I only drive five over the limit because I know that’s the safe speed to where I can still be going a little faster than elicited, but not fast enough to be punished with a speeding ticket or warning. With antecedents, I also change my speed depending on where I am. If I’m in a neighborhood where there are always kids I’m very cautious, but if I’m out on an abandoned highway, I will roam free being a little less cautious.
This topic interests me because I feel like many people my age emit this behavior. In a paper at Pierce College, they did a story on rules you’ve probably broken: speeding was the most commonly broken. Twenty-five out of 32 (78.1%) students had sped that year.
Everyone has their reasons or excuses while only one may be the most legitimate: emergency. Other people may want to get to where they are going faster, some don’t even notice how fast they are going until they see the red and blue lights of the police car in their rearview mirror, whereas for me I speed because I can and I’m usually in a hurry. I wouldn’t say I enjoy the thrill of speeding because I don’t go that much over the limit to make it thrilling, but I would say it’s comforting knowing I got to where I was supposed to be on time even though I was running late.
Terminology: emit, elicit, punish, reinforce, antecedent, target behavior, rule governed behavior.
http://www.puyalluppost.com/10-laws-you-may-have-broken.htm/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_reasons_for_speeding
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-02-23-speed2_x.htm
I chose to look up some more information on New Years Resolutions. I thought this section was interesting and wanted to find out exactly why people make them, where it came from, and why they never seem to last. I am not one who usually makes a new years resolution, and not many people that I know make them either, so I just wanted to look it up.
There are about 45% of the population that make at least one new years resolution. People make resolutions because they want turn bad habits into good ones. The number one resolution people make is losing weight. Others include: getting organized, spending less money, enjoying life, quitting smoking, spend time with family, etc. Of the 45% that make these resolutions, only 8% are successful in achieving their resolutions. It’s kind of a cycle. Come January 1st, people make resolutions and are determined to follow through with it. They are excited that this year is finally going to be different than the last, but then about a month later or so, people abandon their goals. People like the feeling of having a new year and starting over with a clean slate though. This is what motivates them in the first place; and they want to better themselves. This all started in kind of an interesting way. It started with a Roman mythical god named Janus. He had two faces that allowed him to look back into the past year and forward to the new year. Julius Caesar is the one that came up with the resolution making though. It was a way to honor Janus. Back then they mainly made morality based resolutions, like seeking forgiveness from their enemies. There are a few tips to make resolutions more achievable. Resolutions are suppose to be intentions; a direction in which you want to go, instead of something that you have to do and having a specific date to achieve it. You really need to know why you want to do it and keep remembering that why. This will make it more meaningful. One tip was to think of a theme. Write down a couple words and put it somewhere where you will see it. This would be an antecedent. It is also very important to chop up your main goal into mini goals that can be assess at the end of every week. That way you can evaluate yourself and celebrate (reinforce). Overall, everyone has good intentions when setting a new years resolution, and they are a good thing to do, you just have to really think about what you want and how you are going to achieve it. And most of all, don’t give up on yourself!
http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/28/why-we-make-new-years-resolutions/
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2010/10-tips-for-setting-successful-resolutions-that-stick/
The course has been pretty focused on goals lately so I decided I'd look into some other strategies for achieving goals. Setting and achieving goals has always been a problem for me. Its not that I'm not committed or that I'm lazy, but my problem is coming up with goals that I am positive that I would like to achieve. In order to do accomplish something great, one has to be very specific about what it is they would like to accomplish and they have to be passionate about it. I have never been sure of what I want from life but accomplishing smaller goals is something I can work towards.
One of the first sources I came across suggested first coming up with lifetime goals. They advise that one should come up with a few large scale goals that will take time to achieve. Examples might be "Graduate College" or "Own my own company." The next step is to break those down into smaller goals like "Pass all of my classes" or "Save Money each Month." Then break those down into specific tasks to accomplish daily. "Complete assignment by due date" "go to work everyday". In our class, we have a set of guidelines of effective goal setting and this source provided some as well. It says to make sure that goals are Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. It emphasizes keeping a positive attitude when engaging in goal-directed behavior.
This positive attitude can be VITAL in the process of setting and attaining goals. If you think you can or you can't, either way you're right! I had to find some keys to staying positive and one source suggested a few things. The first suggestion is to stop scare mongering. Needless worrying will NOT help. They advise you to take the blame for all of your actions instead of trying to blame someone or something else. Assuming full responsibility for your actions is the only way to move forward. Not taking negative things personally and seeing the world as being more grey are two more tips they suggest when trying to stay positive.
Once goals are attained, it has a very strong effect on self confidence. Confidence has a huge effect on daily life. People who accomplish goals suffer less from worry and stress, they tend to be less distractable, they are happier overall and all areas of life are improved! We need goals in order to stay confident, happy and healthy!
http://www.marketing-tools-for-real-estate.com/goal-setting.html
http://l-pawlik-kienlen.suite101.com/twisted-thinking-two-a13551
http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
I chose to right about rule governed behavior. Everyday you have to make decisions and choices based on what you believe. Your religion, country, parents, and peers all play a role in what behaviors you emit. Rule governed behaviors are based on ethics and morals, and you can emit a behavior based on your own values. A rule governed behavior can be based on different aspects of your life, and an example is giving up something for lent if you are catholic. If you emit giving up something lent, you are doing so based on your religious views.
Many different countries have different laws and beliefs, and that elicits different rule governed behaviors. Some behaviors in the US might be desirable to us, but people from different cultures may find them aversive. An example is that in England, if you hit an animal with your car you have to pick it up. That may be aversive to residents of England, but they will emit that behavior because it is the law. People in the US would find this behavior aversive, and when we hit an animal we usually just keep going.
Ethics also plays a huge role in rule governed behavior. If you think emitting a certain behavior is against your ethical standards, you will more than likely not do it. Society usually plays a huge role in deciding what is ethical and what is not. In New York City, a man was trying to help a lady who had been attacked. He was stabbed and layed on the sidewalk for several hours, and people just walked by and didn't help him. It is very unethical to not help somebody in need, but I think our soceity is moving to views that say it's ok to only watch our for yourself. One of my videos has a man stepping in on a fight and breaking it up. He didn't want to get involved but he was being ethical and helping the man that was getting hit repeatedly. Rule governed behaviors are always going to make us emit behaviors and we will have to deal with the consequences afterwards, desirable or aversive.
terms:aversive,desirable,target behavior, emit, elicit, rule governed behavior, behavior, consequence
sources
http://www.atus.net/comechk/newsbin/carip_nws/stories12.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFRTgoN5o-c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Q_eABv_QQ
We just talked about rule governed behavior in class. The term Rule Governed Behavior was first coined by B F Skinner. Rule governed behavior is maintaining order where the antecedent is verbal. these can result from norms, morals, or ethical standards which has established through out history. This means that people learned indirectly. the problem with rules governed approach is very little attention is paid to making sure that the stated or implied consequences of following the rules is consistent enough to maintain their integrity. It’s like the speed limit signs. They imply that the rule for driving at speeds above the limit will result in speeding tickets, yet few drivers get tickets so the speeding signs are largely ignored. (http://positioningsystems.com/blog.php?entryID=124)
A good example of this would be the one that was talked about in the section. People in the same families dont have babies with each other. This isnt something that they experienced and found was wrong, it was something that was ruled into their lives that they learned indirectly. another example of this is stop signs. In the middle of the day when you know that the police are out and about you make sure to stop for the full amount of time, but when you are driving around at 4 oclock in the morning and know that there are no cops around, you might barely slow down or blow right pass it.
http://www.ijpsy.com/volumen8/num2/191/rule-governed-behavior-and-psychological-EN.pdf
http://positioningsystems.com/blog.php?entryID=124
http://www.bfsr.org/element5.html
I choose to research the success rate of people who try to quit drinking and analyze why they fail. This relates to our recent topic of goal setting and self-directed behavior steps. A large number of people who want to quit drinking or are told to quit drinking go through Alcoholics Anonymous, a program where a group of people meet and discuss their situations as well as discuss their progress through a 12 step system designed to stop the drinking. The system does work for some but has a failure rate in the 90% tile. Also 5% of any group of alcoholics or drug addicts quit on their own will power. A study found that 80% of people who recover from alcohol for more than a year do so on their own without seeking any help. That is a very interesting stat but is a bit misleading because it could include people who were not regular users and thus it was not a difficult process. The fact that alcohol is an addictive drug makes it different than achieving other goals such as losing weight or watching less TV.
I believe that if someone truly wanted to quit drinking they could be successful at it by using the self-directed behavior steps. This is an example of what it might look like if I wanted to stop drinking.
Goal – Quit Drinking
Target behaviors – No going to bars (this could be difficult when invited to a special celebration)
Emit other sociable behaviors such as golfing, fishing, spending time with family who don’t drink.
Keep a record – When finding my baseline it would be obvious that my drinking occurs on the weekends.
Graph –my graph would have the weekend on the x axis and how many drinks consumed on the y axis.
Contingencies – I would reinforce myself at the end of every weekend by going to a movie with friends.
Antecedents – Being around my friends on a Friday or Saturday would be an antecedent that leads to drinking.
Adjusting would be a big part of this process because it would be too difficult to totally avoid friends that I have always been around but it would be necessary. I would eventually have to be around friends who are drinking but resist their offers of drinks.
Terms – emit, self-directed behavior steps, baseline, antecedents, target behaviors
http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-effectiveness.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=does-alcoholics-anonymous-work&page=2
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/alcohol_abuse_alcoholism_help_treatment_prevention.htm
Reading this weeks topical blog topic illicits the desire for me to learn more about religion governed behaviors. After emitting the behavior of reading more into this topic I have discovered some interesting things. I will be taking an in depth look at the Islamic religion and behaviors allowed, disapproved, and the consequences tied with these behaviors.
To begin with, many behaviors in the Islamic religion are governed by Sharia. Sharia is the moral code and religious law of Islam. The two primary sources of Islamic law are the rules stated in the Quran, the Islamic holy book, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
In the Islamic religion it is forbidden to eat pork, blood , and the meat of already dead animals and animals slaughtered in the name of someone other than God. There are also specific ways in which an animal must be slaughtered. This is so because it is clearly stated many times in the Quran. According to the Quran the consumption of alcohol is also forbidden. Alcohol is seen as the scourge of human society and the root cause of many evils that come from the destructive power of alcohol. Gambling is also very aversive in the Islamic religion. The consequence of emitting some of these target behaviors is flogging. This means getting lashed or whipped with something up to forty or eighty times.
Other behaviors that are governed by their religion is that Islamic women are required to cover their faces and body with the hijaab. All people of Islam are also required to say certain things before they emit specific behaviors, eat and drink things with their right hand, certain hygienic things they need to do, and many other, less important, behaviors.
Terms: Illicit, Emit, aversive, consequence, target behaviors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia#Dietary
http://islamqa.info/en/ref/20037
http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=154&chapter=1
The topic from class that I emitted an interest in learning more about is rule-governed behaviors. I know we have covered this in class, but it just elicited a response from me to see if there was a little more information about it that I have not yet learned. Rule-governed behaviors are behaviors that are according to custom or rule or natural law. This fits into the chapter, because it was the main point of interest in chapter 5. I found this topic to be interesting, because I was intrigued in why we do follow these rules, and how the thought of rule-governed came about.
Rule-governed behavior, according to the International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, was first coined by Skinner to refer to behavior essential to complex human abilities. In rule-governed behaviors certain antecedents may function as rules or instructions and affect the behavior without the apparent intervention of shaping contingencies. An example of a rule-governed is when you’re driving and you see a red light you stop. Nothing is making you stop, but you know if there is a cop you could get a ticket or even in an accident. With the red light we know what to do because it is custom to stop even though there is nothing physically stopping us from blowing through it, and we also know what could happen if we decide to break the rule.
Terms- Emitted, elicited, rule-governed behavior, Skinner, antecedents, and contingencies.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/rule-governed
http://www.ijpsy.com/volumen8/num2/191/rule-governed-behavior-and-psychological-EN.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1338855/pdf/jeabehav00029-0088.pdf
A topic I've recently been very interested in are goals. Since we've been talking about them so much I decided to do a little more research into it. Goals are hard to achieve no matter if they are easy, hard, close, or far. Everyone has a goal and we all try to achieve them because they make us feel better about ourselves. Goals can be very easy or very difficult depending on the person. I know a personal goal for me is to workout more and eat healthier. It is kind of difficult being a college student however, because I am always so busy and stressed out with school. Sometimes I just want to eat junk food or comfort food because it makes me feel better or comforts me. It is also difficult to achieve a goal depending on the time of year. Around holidays it is very difficult to eat healthy because of all the home cooked food around the house and the candy and other unhealthy things are found everywhere. Especially when I'm around my family it causes me to eat junk food or drink alcohol because I need it!
There are many programs to help people achieve their goals. Whether it's weight loss or trying to learn a new sport or hobby. There are tv shows on all the time about people trying new things or wanting more things in their lives. Behaviors can also affect our goals. We have to be willing to emit the different goals and achieve them. It is easier and harder for people depending on the person and the personal goal set.
I found a few articles that talk about goals and how you can achieve them step by step. These websites are very useful and help people do what they want to do. The steps on these sites are very similar to what we've been learning in class. Like, the goal, record, graph, achieve.
Terms: behavior, emit, antecedent, consequence.
http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/motivation
http://topachievement.com/smart.html
I decided to learn more about caffeine and reducing the amount I consume through behavior modification techniques. I selected this target behavior in one of our previous exercises. I am also am interested in drugs and their effect on behavior. Caffeine is more widely consumed than alcohol in our society and it produces clear physiological and behavioral effects (*see URL below ). I learned that it takes about 250 mgs of caffeine to get an increase in physiological measures like heart rate and blood pressure and caffeine is in many of foods, even ones that we might not suspect. The most common source of caffeine (75% of what is consumed) is coffee, but for young people and college students soft drinks and energy drinks are another source. Coke (12oz) has 35 mgs, Pepsi a little more (38 mgs) and my favorite, Mt. Dew, a giant 54 mgs. Energy drinks have about 160 mgs, but Starbucks Coffee Grande beats them all with 320 mgs. (*see URL below). The negative consequences of caffeine include a boost that is followed by a crash in energy level, possible dehydration, and increased tension and anxiety. There are positive consequences: it does improve metal alertness and give energy and some have suggested it can be used to reduce ADHD behaviors in children (*see URL below).
Behavior modification techniques have been used to help people reduce their caffeine consumption. Most often these have been self-control programs. Positive consequences are contingent on daily lowering of caffeine e intake. But more effective programs had many features (*see URL below). For example, the program would provide information about where caffeine is found and its effects, it would use a changing criterion design so that for each time period less caffeine would be consumed, incompatible responses, other sources of liquid, would be reinforced. In addition, there would be a response cost for consuming caffeine above the criterion level. Also, contingency contracting would be used. This is where the person wanting to reduce caffeine consumption signs an agreement with the behavior modifier. In three cases reported, these methods reduced caffeine in one subject from 900 mgs a day to a maintenance level of 300 mgs a day. The others showed reductions as well but their levels were not as high to begin with.
When I searched the web most of the information on reducing caffeine consumption was at health sites. The behavior modification techniques came from a much older article. But the health sites incorporated behavior modification ideas without necessarily calling them that. For example, they suggested daily recording of caffeine consumption, and rewarding yourself for drinking non-caffeinated drinks. So the health field is using behavior modification just may not necessarily call it by that name.
Sites:
http://www.healthtipswebsite.com/signs-you-should-drink-less-caffeine.html
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED286131&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED286131
http://www.ncsf.org/enew/articles/articles-CaffeineConsumptionChildrenAdolescents.aspx
Terms: target behavior, contingency contracting, changing criterion, self-control, positive consequences, alternative behavior, reinforced, incompatible response, response cost
Topic: Dieting and Weight Loss
The topic I have chosen is dieting and weight loss. I have chosen this topic because it relates to behavior modification in several ways. Also, I have a lot of experience with dieting and weight loss recently in my life and I have a lot of information and personal opinions about dieting and the behavior modification it entails.
Dieting can relate to behavior modification in several ways. First of all, and the most obvious, is through deprivation. Deprivation, we know, is taking away something you probably desire. In this case, it would be food. Specific foods need to be removed from ones diet to achieve a weight loss goal. Obvious things like high fat foots, high sugar foods, highly processed foods, etc. Excess of anything when dieting is not good, even fruits. But, maybe not vegetables. Those are almost ALWAYS good for you in ANY quantity. A lot of times when dieting, the people around you will claim things such as, “You should never deprive yourself of anything.” This is simply not true. As we can see through the sources I have provided, and what we have learned in class, deprivation is sometimes necessary to achieve a goal. I mean, let’s look at successful dieting stories…I am sure “cheating” does not play a big role. Deprivation, as a behavioral term, is all or nothing. You must truly deprive yourself from something for it effect to eventually take place. An ideal result of deprivation is the desire for that item or behavior to be gone altogether, or at least suppressed so deeply you do not recognize it is there. It sounds unhealthy, physically and emotionally, but it really is not all negative.
Secondly, dieting includes the behavioral modification concept of reinforcement. When successfully dieting, you will be reinforced by the shape your body takes, or the weight you have lost. That is typically the goal of dieting, especially these days. When someone observes the changes taking place on their body, they are reinforced for their efforts, and hopefully continue with their diet. It is hard to determine whether this type of reinforcement is positive or negative. In a positive view, you are gaining confidence in yourself most likely. In a negative reinforcement view, you are losing body weight and body fat. Either way, these are both desirable feelings. Unfortunately, just like with deprivation, reinforcement can be taken too far. Especially with behavioral things like dieting and eating. Some people, particularly adolescent girls/women, may take their dieting too far and develop conditions like eating disorders or body dysmorphia. Eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, happen when a behavior that one finds desirable is being emitted too often. Things like media, friends, self-image issues, etc. elicit this type of response from people when dieting.
Thirdly, and finally, dieting in relation to behavior modification can be demonstrated with the concept of self-control of one’s own behavior. It takes A LOT of self-control to stop the behavior of putting food into your body that you ever so desire. There are a lot of things that contribute to the eventual success of eliminating this behavior. How bad you want to reach your weight loss or dieting goal, how happy you are with yourself, how good you feel when you do not emit the eating behavior, and how quickly you are reaping the rewards and reinforcement of your intense efforts to kick the eating behavior.
Overall, dieting and weight loss is a behavioral modification playground. So many concepts we learn in this class apply to dieting and have had some assistance to be and my own ventures in the dieting world.
Terms Used: Deprivation, Reinforcement, Positive, Negative, Elicit, Emit, Desirable, Undesirable, Rewards, Self-Control, Goal, Achievement, Elimination, Extinction.
Sources:
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/uploads/file/toolkits/NEDA-TKP-A03-SignsSymptomsBehaviors.pdf
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/inspiration-deprivation-dieting-binge-eating-guilt-.html
http://wellnesssultana.blogspot.com/2012/02/self-discipline-and-dieting.html
http://www.a-personaldietitian.com/weight_control/weight_control_habits.htm
Topic: Dieting and Weight Loss
The topic I have chosen is dieting and weight loss. I have chosen this topic because it relates to behavior modification in several ways. Also, I have a lot of experience with dieting and weight loss recently in my life and I have a lot of information and personal opinions about dieting and the behavior modification it entails.
Dieting can relate to behavior modification in several ways. First of all, and the most obvious, is through deprivation. Deprivation, we know, is taking away something you probably desire. In this case, it would be food. Specific foods need to be removed from ones diet to achieve a weight loss goal. Obvious things like high fat foots, high sugar foods, highly processed foods, etc. Excess of anything when dieting is not good, even fruits. But, maybe not vegetables. Those are almost ALWAYS good for you in ANY quantity. A lot of times when dieting, the people around you will claim things such as, “You should never deprive yourself of anything.” This is simply not true. As we can see through the sources I have provided, and what we have learned in class, deprivation is sometimes necessary to achieve a goal. I mean, let’s look at successful dieting stories…I am sure “cheating” does not play a big role. Deprivation, as a behavioral term, is all or nothing. You must truly deprive yourself from something for it effect to eventually take place. An ideal result of deprivation is the desire for that item or behavior to be gone altogether, or at least suppressed so deeply you do not recognize it is there. It sounds unhealthy, physically and emotionally, but it really is not all negative.
Secondly, dieting includes the behavioral modification concept of reinforcement. When successfully dieting, you will be reinforced by the shape your body takes, or the weight you have lost. That is typically the goal of dieting, especially these days. When someone observes the changes taking place on their body, they are reinforced for their efforts, and hopefully continue with their diet. It is hard to determine whether this type of reinforcement is positive or negative. In a positive view, you are gaining confidence in yourself most likely. In a negative reinforcement view, you are losing body weight and body fat. Either way, these are both desirable feelings. Unfortunately, just like with deprivation, reinforcement can be taken too far. Especially with behavioral things like dieting and eating. Some people, particularly adolescent girls/women, may take their dieting too far and develop conditions like eating disorders or body dysmorphia. Eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, happen when a behavior that one finds desirable is being emitted too often. Things like media, friends, self-image issues, etc. elicit this type of response from people when dieting.
Thirdly, and finally, dieting in relation to behavior modification can be demonstrated with the concept of self-control of one’s own behavior. It takes A LOT of self-control to stop the behavior of putting food into your body that you ever so desire. There are a lot of things that contribute to the eventual success of eliminating this behavior. How bad you want to reach your weight loss or dieting goal, how happy you are with yourself, how good you feel when you do not emit the eating behavior, and how quickly you are reaping the rewards and reinforcement of your intense efforts to kick the eating behavior.
Overall, dieting and weight loss is a behavioral modification playground. So many concepts we learn in this class apply to dieting and have had some assistance to be and my own ventures in the dieting world.
Terms Used: Deprivation, Reinforcement, Positive, Negative, Elicit, Emit, Desirable, Undesirable, Rewards, Self-Control, Goal, Achievement, Elimination, Extinction.
Sources:
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/uploads/file/toolkits/NEDA-TKP-A03-SignsSymptomsBehaviors.pdf
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/inspiration-deprivation-dieting-binge-eating-guilt-.html
http://wellnesssultana.blogspot.com/2012/02/self-discipline-and-dieting.html
http://www.a-personaldietitian.com/weight_control/weight_control_habits.htm
I chose to do more research on positive punishment. This is the addition of an aversive stimulus, to a situation, that will elicit the behavior to decrease in frequency of occurrence. In the first video, the addition of a slap when one starts to light a cigarette, is positive punishment. The target behavior is to decrease the occurrence of smoking. When the men start to light a cigarette, someone slaps them (aversive stimulus). Over time, this positive punishment will likely result in the decrease of smoking if not a complete extinction of the behavior.
This action on slapping when applied to children (spanking) has raised many issue in the public eye, as well as another "old school" form of punishment, washing the child's mouth out with soap. Personally, I went through both of these forms of positive punishment; I was spanked when I misbehaved and was disrespectful and I had my mouth washed out with soap if I mouthed off to my parents or if I said a bad word. These two forms positive punishment I think are okay to use if applied appropriately and responsibly. Much like training dog or other pets, these punishments are intended to have the child emit submissiveness and respect, again applied appropriately. With the last video I know this kind of attitude is true by some kids who aren't spanked. They are very disrespectful to whoever they choose. "Back in the day" most kids were spanked and very respectful of those older than themselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCCvZfZ5_L4
0:10 to 0:39 and 1:20 to 1:46
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEe3i0VbJXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAHEcYnaAE&feature=related
0:52 to 1:57
Terminology: aversive stimulus, elicit, behavior, frequency, target behavior, decrease, occurrence, aversive, stimulus, decrease, extinction, positive punishment, punishments, emit, submissiveness
The topic I chose to further research is how incentives like money motivate people to recycle. I find this topic interesting because the idea of protecting the environment and reusing materials is extremely crucial in this time. There has been lots of talk about the news about getting people to recycle and I believe that looking at how programs actually get people to do so is best done through the basics of behavior modification that we’ve learned in class. Some of the articles I found actually discussed how behavior of people is reinforced when they recycle.
One example that used negative punishment came from San Jose, California where residents were charged money if their waste container was a certain size however, they were not charged for having a recycle bin or land waste bin of any size (source 3). Taking money from people who do not recycle their waste and rather add it to the waste bin is their way of getting people to recycle. It seems to work for them however, there are other ways to get people to emit a particular behavior, and this one being recycling.
Using positive reinforcement also seems to work well. In New Jersey and Delaware there are recycle banks where residents can donate their plastic, paper, metal and so forth and receive rewards for recycling. (source 1). A study in Kentucky found that if people have a positive attitude towards recycling and protecting the environment, they are more inclined to recycle. Because they are saving money as well as protecting the environment they feel good about what they are doing (Source 2).
It is believed that behavior modification models like reinforcing people for recycling work better because they give people an incentive to elicit the target behavior however, education on the topic is also vital (source 1). It is also important to make recycling easier for people to do. If it is too complicated or inconvenient for people they won’t even bother with it. That is why states like Delaware offer recyclebank pick up right on the curb (Source 1). People can then redeem their rewards for recycling online; another easy way to do so.
URLs:
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/incentive-based-recycling-by-recyclebank.html
http://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?hl=en&q=http://www.secat.net/docs/resources/Recycling_Behavior_in_Ky.pdf&sa=X&scisig=AAGBfm2tLNAAn74dO68sDMj5c1URjWfK1A&oi=scholarr
http://www.cbsm.com/pages/guide/incentives:-enhancing-motivation-to-act/
Terms: Reinforcement, positive reinforcement, negative punishment, behavior, emit, elicit, target behavior.
The topic I chose to research more in depth was New Year's Resolutions, why people do them, how successful they are, and how people can use simple self directed behavior to accomplish the resolution. I am really interested in this because resolutions are something I have taken part in every year, and I really have never accomplished them. I find myself making the same one almost every year, and after learning how to modify my behavior with the 7 self directed behavior steps, it seems more easily accomplishable! It fits into the chapter because it was discussed thoroughly in the chapter.
New Year's resolutions are behaviors that people usually want to change, or to add into their lives. It isn't always ending something aversive, it can be doing more of a desirable behavior. Over 50% of Americans participate in making resolutions, and sadly, about 22% fail in the first two weeks, 40% after a month, 50% after three months, and about 80% when heading into the new year, according to a source I found. These statistics seem pretty depressing to those who are really trying to commit to a resolution, but what it really is, is people not knowing the right way to go at modifying a behavior. The main reasons people fail is because they have unclear goals, failure to track progress, and weak self-control and self-regulation when facing the challenges. This can all be taken care of.
In another source I found, it discusses the research of BJ Fogg, who is working on a new technique called "Tiny Habits." He believes that the main reason people have problems with sticking with a resolution is because they aren't even starting off the right way. “What a mistake – the whole idea around New Year’s resolutions. People aren’t picking specific behaviors, they’re picking abstractions,” Fogg states. If you don't have specific target behaviors, how can you even gauge if you're accomplishing your resolution or not? A tiny habit is a very little thing that you sequence into your life in a place that makes sense and you work to make it automatic. This is an interesting idea, and it makes complete sense to me. If something isn't a habit for you, it's almost ridiculous to just expect yourself to compeltely integrate it into your life right away. If you go little by little, eventually you become used to it and it becomes more of a behavior you are accustomed to.
One of the most important aspects of self directed behavior is the step of journaling and recording your progress. You start with a baseline, and track your normal behavior. Along with that, you track what behaviors need modifying, and what actions (antecedents) contribute to the problem. After you pick your certain target behaviors of your resolution, you have to track down every single time you emit that behavior, and every antecedent that led to the behavior also. One of the articles I found states that the real true key of this is to realize it's going to be a slow process to start, but that if you stick with it, it's going to all work out. I myself have found that with any time of workout program or weight loss program that I have tried to stick with, I had the most success when I wrote down what I did every day, and kept a detailed journal. It really does make the difference.
terms used: emit, behavior, antecedent, modification, self directed behavior, target behavior, aversive, desirable,
http://science.kqed.org/quest/audio/think-tiny-the-science-of-new-years-resolutions/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/200912/miscellaneous-facts-about-new-year-s-resolutions
http://www.mhhe.com/cls/psy/ch14/behmod.mhtml
I am personally highly interested in rule governed behavior. In all reality, almost every component of our society is focused on rules and conforming to someone else’s ideals. I personally decided to look into cults and the link to rule governed behavior. The particular group I’d like to look at has had a lot of press lately, Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. WBC makes no secret of their opinions and recently they have put in a bid to become a sponsor for Rush Limbaugh. They’ve created two advertisements which I’ve included just for reference. Commercial 1 goes like this- “If you wear a dress that is strapless with a brassiere that isn’t, you might be a slut,” an announcer says. “If you are an anchor bimbo for Fox News and your name is Kelly or Julie, you might be a slut.” “If you think it’s OK to have sex with men outside the marriage bed, you might be a slut,” the commercial continues. “And if you fornicate your brains out and you think the government ought to pay to kill your baby, well, sounds like a slut to me — and God hates sluts.”
In commercial 2 the announcer screams things like “America is doomed!” and “Your pastors are whores!” (Mediaite, 2012) Westboro is against pretty much anything that is different from themselves and the website for their church is godhatesfags.com. Although composed of less than 15 people, they have a wide reaching influence in the US and despite the general disgust with this cult, they still are making money and gathering attention because they stir people up and cause them to focus on fighting back. This relates to rule governed behavior because the entire premise of this cult is to follow the rules set forth by the figure head Phelps and show the world the “right way” to live. The family follows rules that include protesting gay weddings, soldier funerals, or against any other religious movement. The cult like atmosphere of the WBC correlates directly with rule governed behavior because everything they do is governed by a set of rules.
In order for a cult to form it is important that there is someone at the helm, someone who is capable of manipulating the behavior of the followers. The leader must find ways to draw in followers and then subsequently hold them using both punishment and reinforcement. Followers are reinforced because they are told they are doing the right thing and that it’s the divine beings will but they also fear the punishment that could come from disobeying or being cast out of the group or something equally scary. This causes the followers to modify their behavior and emit the behaviors manipulated by the leader.
Terms: rule governed behavior, reinforcement, punishment, emit, behavior, maniuplate
http://www.mediaite.com/online/westboro-baptist-church-releases-you-might-be-a-slut-ad-hopes-to-get-it-on-limbaughs-show/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church
http://in2uract.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/cult-behavior-explotation-of-power-relationships/
The concept that I decided to research further for this assignment is the topic of systematic desensitization. After emitting the behavior of reading section 3.4 sometime ago, I became very interested in classical conditioning and especially systematic desensitization.
As we learned in section 3.4, systematic desensitization is a behavioral method used today in helping people overcome phobias. When an individual has a phobia, psychologists may attempt to desensitize the individual by teaching them relaxation techniques such as biofeedback or meditation to reduce the physiological reactions such as fear and anxiety. Next using visualization techniques, the individual may be asked to visualize the feared object or situation while practicing the relaxation technique. For example, if the patient has a fear of flying, they may be asked to visualize approaching the plane, visualize walking around the plane, visualize touching the plane, finally visualize getting on the plane sitting in their seat and relaxing.
This fits into what we have been talking about because we had a section on John B. Watson which covered the Little Albert study and classical conditioning. In the Little Albert study, Albert was conditioned to fear white rats and this fear soon generalized to all white fluffy objects. Watson had conditioned fear in Little Albert but was never able to desensitize, or reduce the fear, because the infant’s mother pulled him out of the study.
Systematic desensitization is a technique that could have helped to reduce Albert’s fear and was talked about in some detail at the end of the section. The websites that I found gave me more information and examples of this topic so that I could better understand exactly what systematic desensitization is. Also, reading the websites of interest elicited a remembering response for me because I was able to gain a better understanding of the topic and learn something new and interesting about it.
I am interested in this topic because I have a really good friend that is terrified of heights. I am not sure that it qualifies as a phobia but by learning more about systematic desensitization, I hope to learn some techniques that I could use to help him overcome this fear.
Systematic desensitization was developed by Joseph Wolpe, a pioneer of behavioral therapy, for use as a treatment of anxiety-related disorders and phobias. This technique is based on the principles of classical conditioning and the premise that what has been learned, or conditioned, can be unlearned. Research shows that systematic desensitization is effective in reducing anxiety and panic attacks associated with fearful situations.
Systematic desensitization usually starts with imagining yourself in a progression of fearful situations and using relaxation strategies that compete with anxiety. Once you can successfully manage your anxiety while imagining fearful events, you can use the technique in real life situations. The goal of the process is to become gradually desensitized to the triggers that are causing your distress.
But before you can begin to gradually expose yourself to aversive situations that you fear, you must first learn and practice some relaxation techniques. Some techniques commonly used in relaxation training include: deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization.
Before beginning systematic desensitization, you need to have mastered relaxation training and developed a hierarchy, from least feared to most feared, list of your feared situations and antecedents. Then you can begin on the three steps involved in desensitization. They are; (1) training the patient to physically relax, (2) establishing an anxiety hierarchy of the stimuli involved, and (3) counter-conditioning relaxation as a response to each feared stimulus beginning with the least anxiety-provoking stimulus and moving then to the next feared stimulus until all of the items listed in the anxiety hierarchy have been dealt with successfully.
Systematic desensitization can also be paired with modeling. In modeling the individual observes others in the presence of the phobic stimulus who is responding with relaxation rather than fear. In this way, the individual is encouraged to imitate the models and thereby relieve their phobia. Combining live modeling with personal imitation is sometimes called participant modeling.
Systematic desensitization was originally developed to be administered by a psychotherapist but has also been shown to be effective when self-administered. Evidence has also shown that the greatest gains actually come from a person’s own regular practice.
When going through the steps of systematic desensitization you may encounter either of two major problems. First, you may experience no anxiety at the presence of an item. This means that you may not be visualizing the situation vividly enough. This can be solved by imaging the situation for a longer period of time or describing the situation in greater detail. And the second problem that may occur is that you may be unable to decrease the high level of anxiety even after numerous cycles. This may be due to the fact the situation has not been placed in the correct order in your hierarchy. This second problem can be solved by placing the item later in your hierarchy.
Terms: Systematic Desensitization, Emitting, Behavior, Classical Conditioning, Desensitize, Relaxation Techniques, Progressive Relaxation Techniques, Visualization, John Watson, Little Albert Study, Generalized, Conditioned, Modeling, Stimuli, Antecedents, Aversive
http://panicdisorder.about.com/od/treatments/a/SystemDesen.htm
http://phobialist.com/treat.html
http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm
The topic that I found interesting throughout the course of the semester was the benefits of reinforcement to punishment. There are still situations that I feel need punishment rather than reinforcement but my opinion on some topics is starting to change. For this blog, I decided to look up the importance of positive reinforcement in the workplace. This is an interesting topic to me because some day I want to be the boss of wherever I’m working and its good to know the importance of reinforcement.
All of the websites that I came across included suggestions for ways to reinforce workers and the importance of doing such a thing. The main concept that I took from the websites and the book was that when you reinforce your workers, they perform better. We discussed this in class in great depth but didn’t discuss real life examples of the benefits that reinforcement brings.
Providing a sense of worth to the employees was a benefit of reinforcement that really made the most logical sense to me. What it means to provide a sense of worth is to make them feel good about their performance. Who wants to work at a place where you get yelled at for doing something wrong but never told good job for doing something right? The simple act of rewarding the employee with a compliment goes a long way in making the employee know they are making progress and their effort is being recognized.
One of the more known benefits of reinforcement is to improve morale. Employees like to know that they are doing a good job (I can personally confirm this). When you reinforce your workers, you are making a more positive environment, which leads to greater productivity and worker happiness.
These benefits may be pretty easy to recognize but actually getting results is a little more complicated. Pulling out a successful reinforcement schedule is very difficult for many managers and bosses to do and I like to think it’s because they are not fully trained. They know the basics like employee of the month, extra vacation days for improving output, and compliments but don’t know things like proper communication, playing fair, and to have a little humility. For example: playing fair is important to an effective reinforcement schedule because if you go bowling with a worker and let a decrease in productivity slide, it will go noticed. Your workers will notice that you are giving them a little more wiggle room than the rest and that will decrease their morale and make them feel like they are inferior to your bowling buddy.
http://www.zeromillion.com/business/management-skills-positive-reinforcement.html
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/positive-reinforcement-important-workplace-11566.html
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-using-behavior-modification-workplace-25848.html
The topic I chose to look into more was New Year Resolutions. New Year Resolutions were covered in chapter 4.1 when discussing self-directed behaviors. I find this particularly interesting to learn about because I used to be the type of person that set goals for the new year, but after years and years of failure to achieve them, I have given up on the concept of a new year resolution and did not make one for 2012 at all. I wanted to further look into why people make resolutions, what the statistics are for success, and how to make more realistic resolutions.
Goal-setting is a very positive and productive characteristic for a person to have. One of the hottest goal-setting times of the year is on new year day! But why do so many people set goals on the first day of January every year? According to an article on psychcentral.com the reason that people are so apt to commit to a goal on the first of the year is because it's a "clean slate." It brings about about the idea that starting from scratch or having a fresh starts means the likelihood that things are actually going to be different this time. So many people set up target behaviors that they would like to achieve, however do not plan out their resolution well enough to achieve it.
The statistics on new years resolutions are very interesting as well. According to statisticbrain.com, only about 45% of americans make resolutions in the new year and 38% of americans never make resolutions. And of that 45% who set goals, only 8% of them actually achieve their goal. Only about 64% of people that set goals for the new year maintain their goals for the first month. The top five goals listed on the website are 1. Loose wight, 2. Get organized, 3. Spend less, save more, 4. Enjoy life to the fullest, and 5. Staying fit and healthy. All of these goals are based on self-directed ideas and focus on inner happiness and change.
According to CNN there are several things that people can do to make their goals more obtainable. The article says it's all about making realistic goals. This includes developing a specific action plan, establish confidence, and publicly declare your resolution. I felt this tired in nicely with the self-directed behavior steps listed in the chapter. For example, setting realistic goals is important and the chapter says that goals must be precise, manageable, measurable, and fit into our daily lives. This fits is what the article says in a nut shell. Also this article mentioned making an action plans, I would think that would include the items we read about in the chapter such as keeping a record, determining contingencies, and graphing your data. Overall, I think this topic fit in really well with the information that we are covering right now in class.
URLs: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/28/why-we-make-new-years-resolutions/
http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/30/living/achieving-new-years-resolutions/index.html
Terms: self-directed behaviors, goals, goal-setting, target behaviors, achieve, set-directed behavior steps, precise, manageable, measurable, record, contingencies, and graphing.
I chose to do my research on why exactly new year’s resolutions fail, I became interested in this topic after years upon years of failed new year’s resolutions. There are multiple reasoning’s why individuals are not able to achieve their new year’s resolutions from selecting a behavioral class instead of a target behavior to lack of motivation. New year’s resolutions can something from big as “I’m going to the gym every day until I lose 50 pounds” to “I’m never drinking regular pop again”. Regardless of the goal, according to youngupstarts.com roughly 88% of new year’s resolutions fail. The three main things according to youngupstarts.com there are three main items individuals do that will extinct their resolution. Individuals rely on motivation, they think big and they don’t realize that even positive change is uncomfortable.
The solution to all of these countless failed attempts? Try aiming for a goal that is smaller instead of such a large goal that will lead to a larger change that will ultimately result in someone’s goal. It is also that the resolution is carried out at a minimum of 21 days, the reasoning for this is the brain makes new connections and sets up new habits that eventually turn into habits which takes around 21 days minimum to set up these connections. The resolutions should also be classified as a target behavior so the individual is able to emit the behavior of the goal. For example if a girl made a resolution to lose weight, this would ultimately not be sufficient enough information because this would be classified as a behavioral class. She should choose either certain measurements or a certain weight within a time frame which is considered a target behavior. Another reason why new year’s resolutions fail is because they rely on punishment rather than reinforcement. For example if someone were to fail their resolution they would first elicit negative punishment to themselves by not eating for the rest of the day whereas they should have used either positive or negative reinforcement. Overall though new year’s resolutions may fail they are positive in the fact that they do push our society to better themselves.
Terms: behavioral class, target behavior, extinction, emit, punishment, reinforcement, negative punishment, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement.
http://www.youngupstarts.com/2012/01/04/why-88-of-new-years-resolution-fail-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-right-now/
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1824-years-resolutions.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201012/why-new-years-resolutions-fail
After talking in class about goals, I decided to elicit to do research on motivations for goal keeping. I found the topic of goals to be reinforcing and I feel that learning more how to motivate yourself to complete your goal is a desirable thing.
When you first set a goal like quit smoking cigarettes or stop drinking alcohol, you are at first very enthusiastic. However, as time progresses, you start to loose your enthusiasm. This could be because of external factors such as you get sick, or there is bad weather or you are on vacation.
To maintain a goal, whether short or long term, the first thing needed is to set the right goal in the beginning. Setting the right goal will help with the achievement of that particular goal. The next step in maintaining your goal is to take small, concrete steps towards it. Big, giant steps will eventually exhaust you, where smaller steps had less of a chance to do that.
The third step in maintaining motivation for you goal is to reward yourself along the way. Reinforcing yourself with something is always a good thing. It keeps you in good spirits. You just have to make sure that what you use as a reinforcer doesn't conflict with your goal. If your goal is trying to loose weight, then don't use a piece of chocolate cake as a reinforcer.
The final step in maintaining your goal is to consider slip-ups to be a part of the process. In life we make mistakes. When trying to maintain a goal, we might have slip ups. Nothing can be perfect because no one person can account for external factors. If your goal is to run a mile everyday, you can't write in your calender what days you are going to be sick, because you don't know.
Goals are important, as we learned in class. When setting the right goal, you need to be specific. When you are specific, then you can have a good reinforcer for when you complete the smalls steps in your process of achieving your goal. Motivation is a key factor in maintaining a set goal. When you have motivation for something, you are more likely to find achieving that goal more desirable and less aversive.
http://www.time-to-run.com/women/maintain.htm
http://www.goalsuccess.com/focus
http://stress.about.com/od/resolutionsandchanges/a/goals.htm
After looking over the past couple of sections I found rule governed behavior the most interesting to me. I think that it is interesting and seems to make the most sense that our behaviors are adopted and passed down through time and experience in relation to how much we emit the same behavior over and over again based on if it was reinforced or became aversive to us by being punished. Our behaviors are emitted by antecedents, which allow those behaviors to be elicited, by our environment, culture and religion.
I found an example of ruled governed behavior through a religious cult that did not end so well, it’s the Jonestown massacre. The Jonestown massacre was a religious cult that turned that started off as a Peoples Temple that was racially integrated church that focused its attention of helping people in need. It was established in 1956 by a man names Jim Jones. He wanted everyone to live in a community that everyone would like together in harmony and worked for the common good. He manipulated people to live in a concentrated camp and in very bad conditions, to those people those behaviors were all that they knew and considering the antecedents that caused the people to elicit certain behaviors that caused many people to die. There are many other religious traditions that don’t end badly at all; I just thought that relates to how much our behavior can be manipulated by our culture and religion through learned behaviors. Another example would anyone who is Jewish (so their religion is Judaism) they have a certain dietary laws to follow and have to prepare there food in a certain way, this behavior is a rule governed behavior because it was developed through there religion which is also can be considered an antecedent.
Our environment, culture and religion effects our behavior and we are conditioned into a rule governed behavior, I think it can seem pretty self-explanatory but when you sit down and think about the behaviors I emit and why I do it makes me think back to what I was taught or conditioned to do, and that because of certain religious beliefs and culture you are committed into doing those behaviors.
Terms: emit, elicit, rule governed behavior, punishment, reinforcement, behavior, aversive, antecedent , manipulate,
Sorry here are my URL's
http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWr45bKWpE
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/jonestown3.html
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1970s/p/jonestown.htm
The in class video clip of My strange addiction elicited me to search it out. Although the show is interesting and shows a variety of strange and often gross or dangerous personal behavior, I was more interested in the motivation behind the people appearing on the show. This goes along with identifying the motivation behind children’s ‘problem behavior.’
To put it in terms of the Abc’s I wanted to know what was reinforcing to the people on the show, that would have a high enough intrinsic value to them , to elicit them appearing on the show, and over power the averse feellings of shame most of them say they have over their addiction. A few pleasurable things, would be teh attention, maybe they were ready for help, they are proud of their addiction, attention, attention.
I watched a number of clips from the show and combined it with episodes I have watched in the past. It didn’t take me long to realize that all, or almost all of the contestants were female. This elicited me to wonder if Males were less likely to have a strange addiction. I don’t think so, rather I think, Females were more likely to tell about their addiction. It could also be that whatever reinforces women to go on the show is less reinforcing to men, so they are less likely to emit the behavior.
It could play into rule governed behaviors, in that men feel the invisible pressure to appear strong, and not admit their weaknesses, those here being their strange addiction. Their imagined aversive consequences would out way the not yet obtained reinforcement.
Also, going along with rule governed behavior, is that the show is about breaking rule governed behaviors. That is why the addictions are strange. That also seems to be why people find watching it pleasurable.
The The show is less like an informative documentary and more like reality tv. It sensationalizes the Addictions and creates a sense of drama. This is reinforcing to the viewers, and elicits a watching response, which in turn is reinforcing to the tv show, because it makes money, and therefore keeps making the show like that., but besides that, it could be that more women are likely to find it plsearubale to watch ,which would reinforce them to appear on it.
Lastly the show gives a lot of attention to the guest on it. Attention is usually a powerful reinforce to most people (depending on the type, but even bad attention can be reinforcing, example of a child acting out to get noticed.)
Intrinsic value, aversive, reinforcing, elicit, reinforce, emit, rule governed behavior, consequences, pleasurable,
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/my-strange-addiction
http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/my-strange-addiction-videos/
http://jezebel.com/5715782/strange-addictions-not-that-strange
I am going to talk about systematic desensitization for this week's blog. I am very interested in this, having heard about it several times before this class. Systematic desensitization is the gradual exposure of a person to something they fear in order to reduce their anxiety and fear about that something.
I couldn't find a clip of it on Youtube, but I once watched a show called Criminal Minds, fairly decent and I'm pretty sure they're more accurate on the psychological stuff, where the killer was a psychiatrist who systematically desensitized his patients. When they responded well, he killed them because they made better progress than he had. He was trying to punish his fear of the dark. I thought this applied because it covers both systematic desensitization, and self-directed behavior modification.
I have actually been using systematic desensitization on myself. I have difficulty interacting with people. This usually ends up with me avoiding talking to people because I don't know what to say or do. I decided that I wanted to change this and set about using systematic desensitization to do so. I have been trying to force myself to start conversations with people I don't know and reinforcing this behavior when I successfully emitted it. I also used an opportunity to volunteer as an usher at the Strayer-Wood Theatre to force myself to interact with a group of people i didn't know. This has so fair been working only moderately.
Terms: Punishment, systematic desensitization, self-directed behavior modification, reinforcement, and emit.
Self Directed behavior is a topic I have found to be of interest. I am currently trying to change my dieting habits and this is a great self-directed behavior. The discipline it take to not deviate from my diet is one that i have endured for two days so far. i do have wither a pudding snack of mini easter egg at night, usually after arriving home after work. I use the treat as my reinforcer for following the dietary standards i have set for myself, such as, my caloric intake limit of 2000.
I discovered a man named David L. Watson who has done research on self-directed behavior.David L. Watson is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a Charter Fellow of the American Psychological Society. Watson is well known for his work in social anxiety, having developed the original scale to measure it. He has written textbooks in introductory psychology, social psychology and learning skills.
Gallup is a researecher that re-performed a test called the "Mirror" test, this test was intitally performed by Darwin. Is observations was reagrding self-conciousness, when an animal recognizes themselves, which doesn't correlatee to behavior, but I felt that one must have a sense of self-conciousness to recognize, and analyze a behavior that sef-direction could help change.
I found this article on self-directed behvior, but viewing the human system as self-directed. I thought it fit because it discusses on not a person doing self-control, but that the body does self-directing as well. Physiologiaclly the body changes temperature, you sweat, when blood-sugar level changes, resperation changes. I think could be self-directed as well. We don't always need to knowingly reinforce or punish a behavior, the body does it for us.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/904212.Self_Directed_Behavior
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_test
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=e7505933-d21e-4e2d-8eb7-674ad665e1b0%40sessionmgr115&vid=7&hid=119
Terms: behavior, self-directed, punish, reinforcement, reinforcer
I will be expanding upon the good ole topic of reinforcement, although in application to the armed forces. It is something I have recently been having aversive feelings about the shortage of in the ROTC program. The lack of reinforcement elicited the behavior of unhappiness and I had planned on researching on my own how to implement it into my daily interactions with other cadets and cadre. First thing everyone begins with, I emitted the behavior of Googling my topic, I did so in an attempt to see just how much visibility it has and if any research is currently being done. What I found what several definitions of reinforcement in the military sense of additional personnel or equipment. Not quite what I was looking for . . .
I decided to focus on training at basic, since a recruit’s view of the military is shaped there. I narrowed my search a bit and found several articles right off the bat praising positive reinforcement and its outcomes, some even talk about it being applied to the training of military canines. Because of this application it is clear that the armed forces recognizes the benefits of PR, yelling and screaming at a dog obviously wouldn’t train it, yet when I attended basic drill sergeants were still using that method. They use the simple process of yelling in order to condition the recruits to do push ups when instructed. Although they have made alterations I am not sure the new policies will be enough. On occasion I had a drill sergeant or two come up to me and quietly help me with a particular target behavior. These drill sergeants were the ones I really respected and felt more comfortable with their leadership because I believed they really cared if I made it to graduation or not.
While I understand the concept of PR alone, applying it to the military by using my own experiences may help people to see the effectiveness it could introduce. I will identify a few different types of reinforcement and how the military could use it. First, drill sergeant could place more value on natural reinforcement; they could use social reinforcement to point out an increase in physical training scores. They could allow the recruits tangible reinforcement, such as a call home, knowing how much intrinsic value they place on communication while at basic. Also using activity reinforcement, like letting them play a game of soccer in place of a tough workout is a good way to motivate.
There is no doubt about the effectiveness of positive reinforcement, the only thing holding the military back from making this policy is tradition. If that is overcome the U.S. can look forward to having a more effective and cohesive military.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reinforcement
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/14_2/features/Reward-Based-Training-and-Police-Dogs_20185-1.html
http://hamptonroads.com/node/166241
http://www.emstac.org/registered/topics/posbehavior/schoolwide/positive.htm
Terms: reinforcement, aversive, elicited, behavior, emit, target behavior, condition, positive reinforcement, intrinsic value.
The topic I chose to research more is superstitious behaviors. When you have a superstitious behavior, you perform a behavior over and over because you're afraid that if you don't perform it, something bad will happen.
The first website I found just talked about what superstitious behavior is. It also goes on in the article to talk about an example of what a superstitious behavior would be. It says that a person starts to emit a superstitious behavior usually because society reinforces it, but we also have to go through our own personal experiences to really reinforce it in our brains.
The second site I found talks about how if a superstitious behavior is just that: a superstitious behavior, or if it's the same thing as a ritual or anxiety or not. It then goes on to say that most superstitious behaviors are a result of wanting more control.
The third thing I found was a study done on American and Japanese professional baseball players. It talks about how baseball players are known to be some of the most superstitious people; it then talks about the differences in superstitions in different cultures and how they are similar and different.
http://www.psychology.uiowa.edu/faculty/wasserman/glossary/superstitious%20behavior.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=46749
http://www.scu.edu/cas/psychology/faculty/upload/Superstition-and-Baseball-2.pdf
terms: superstitious behavior, emit, reinforces
I was interested in children with problem behaviors, especially at school. I found this interesting because I have children and I believe it will be important to work with their teachers to modify any problem behaviors they may have. I have watched a movie that makes me think of several problem behaviors and I find it pleasurable that the teacher uses reinforcement to modify her students’ behavior. The movie is dangerous minds and a teacher is put into a classroom with a lot of students that emit problem behaviors. Some of these problem behaviors include cussing, dancing, sitting on the desk, and just generally not listening to her. The first step in the 5 steps to Jane Nelsons positive discipline program is to be kind but firm. The teacher in the movie is kind to these students at first but not firm. She does not emit the appropriate behaviors to modify the classroom and the consequence is they do not change. Nelsons positive discipline does not have punishment but instead focuses on the reinforcement and solutions to problems. During the movie a student has a problem with gang members and he goes to the teacher for help. She sits down with him and reasons out what the best solution for the problem would be and he is reinforced by coming up with what he believes is a solution. Nelson believes students will be more motivated to continue with the solution if they are the ones that chose it. The teacher in the movie sets a goal for the students to do well on their test and she reinforces them by giving them candy bars when they get the right answer. She also uses a field trip as a reinforcer if they do well. The second step in Nelsons positive discipline program is to make the child or children feel like they belong and are significant. The teacher got on the same level as these children and realized they have antecedents like they came from hard neighborhoods and families that had a lot of behavioral problems. She elicited a feeling of acceptance and understanding for the students and she forged a relationship with them. This relationship reinforced the idea that they do not need to act out to get her attention and they also do not need to give up if the situation got too hard. Nelson believes that these changes will be long term and she recommends them compared to punishment. These guidelines will modify the behavior rather than just stopping it for the time. An advantage to positive discipline is that it helps children create a sense of their own capabilities. The teacher in the movie was not only trying to modify the students’ behaviors to just get them through the class. She wanted these students to realize they had greater potential then they were given credit for and that they could modify their behaviors to show it. The movie does very well in showing that even students that have aversive backgrounds and histories can become better people if they set goals and sub goals that they have the capability to reach.
Terms used: Problem behaviors, modify, pleasurable, reinforcement, emit, positive, consequences, punishment, reinforced, motivated, goals, reinforces, antecedents, aversive, sub goals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f e4H2rsEww&feature=endscreen&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw5GBYjH_v8&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G6ey1Vdj_Q&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvEtX38Ik9k&feature=relmfu
Topic: Goal Setting
Goal setting and the guidelines that go along with it fit into the chapters that we have been reading and discussing in class through its integral part in planning the process for a successful outcome of mine as well as the class’s goals that we have set.
I am interested in goal setting, because I have always wondered what myself as well as others have been doing wrong in order for the goals we have set to consistently fail. It is interesting to research and learn more about the importance of how to set up goals and the steps you must take in order to even begin the process of pursuing the goals in order to ensure a more successful outcome.
In 1968, Dr. Edwin Locke’s work on motivation and the setting of goals was published. Dr. Edwin Locke’s theory of motivation and goal setting came to just a few conclusions as follows:
1)Specific and challenging goals are more motivating.
2)When people are given positive feedback both during and after acting on their goals, this motivates them to achieve more.
3)Having goals leads to an overall improvement in individual performance.
Dr. Locke as well as another researcher on this same topic by the name of Dr. Gary Latham, decided upon five major principles for effective goal setting.
1)Clarity
- Should be clearly specified, able to be measured by quantity which will help in viewing progress, and should be placed on a timeline as to when completion should be expected.
2)Challenge
- Making the goal reasonably challenging for yourself will help boost your confidence when the goal is actually completed.
3)Complexity
- Dr. Locke and Dr. Latham’s theory states that complex goals can also be achieved by allowing ample time for the individual to complete the goal as well as training in the content area of the goal if needed. Although, if a goal seems to be too complex, it may make the individual overwhelmed, frustrated, demoralized, and may produce disinterest in the goal and lack of motivation to continue.
4)Commitment
5)Feedback
The principles that Dr. Locke and Dr. Latham explained in their theory seem to be supported by many when it comes to the effectiveness of goal setting. Your goal should be something that you can see yourself achieving, but also within realistic boundaries. Due to the fact that goals are a form of self-directed behavior, it is best to find a desirable reinforcement that will help in motivating yourself to stay strong on the track to the goal’s completion. Reinforcement is better than punishment in that it is a positive form of motivation and will be something that you look forward to instead of dread; although, the schedule of reinforcement should be well thought out in order to avoid satiation to the point where you no longer have a motivator which may create less motivation and disinterest.
A great way to prove your commitment to reaching your goal is to write down the progress you have made. This visual will help to show you the progress you have made as well as serve as a reminder as to why you have set this goal in the first place. Recording your progress will help to make you actually sit and think about the goal and your path to success.
As an individual is reaching the completion of the goal, it is a good idea to begin formulating another goal that they would like to complete. This continuation of setting and completing goals provides the individual with building blocks to a more positive attitude and confidence when approaching other challenges or opportunities.
As you can see, there are multiple considerations to think about when setting a goal. The principles are very important in ensuring completion. If these principles are closely followed, your next New Year’s Resolution may be on the fast track to success!!
URL’s:
http://www.bluinc.com/news/theimportance.html
http://www.smart-goals-guide.com/goal-setting-theory.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goal_setting
Terms: Reinforcement, Reinforcer, Punishment, Schedules of Reinforcement, and Satiation.
For this assignment I began thinking about one rule governed behavior, one of our more recent topics.A program on netflix that I recently saw was a national geographic special on solitary confinement, and it was shocking to me some of the consequences that can result from not adhering to a rule governed pattern of behavior. I was very interested to learn that most of the inmates (who spend years and years locked up alone with virtually no human interaction) were placed in solitary confinement for a violation of a pre-existing prison sentence. This made me wonder why it is that convicts are often more likely to lash out and break more rules rather than 'adapt to society' and emit a pattern of behavior that is acceptable to the penal system as well as the public. After more research, I found recent statistics concerning the 'revolving door' of the prison system. Currently, one in 32 adults in the United States is in jail, on probation, or on parole. "A record 2.3 million Americans crowd the nation’s prisons...Most of them will someday be released and of those, two-thirds are likely to be rearrested within three years." (campusprogress.org) I think that it is really important that steps be taken to rehabilitate these individuals so that they have a better chance at productive life on the outside. "...three-quarters of prisoners struggle with substance abuse, while two-thirds lack a high school diploma. State and federal laws banning former prisoners from certain jobs and forms of public assistance make the transition to work and stable living still more precarious. In 12 states, for example, people with felony convictions are ineligible for food stamps. In New York, they are barred from public housing for six years." (campusprogress.org).
The current system is setting these people up to fail. Rather than to be so set on negative punishment for aversive behavior(i.e. taking away freedoms), they need to provide positive reinforcement for desirable behavior (i.e. earning a high school diploma, kicking drugs, following the rules, etc). I believe that if the system was more productive in this way, the turnover rate would drop off sharply. Nobody wants to be locked up. They need better odds when it comes to re-adapting to society and the current system has the ability to provide those better odds.
Terms: rule governed behavior, emit, pattern of behavior, negative punishment, aversive, positive reinforcement
http://www.campusprogress.org/articles/closing_prisons_revolving_door
http://kalw.org/post/unexpected-stats-about-revolving-door-prison
http://www.lawteacher.net/criminology/essays/prison's-revolving-door.php
I chose to research New Year’s resolutions. I find it so interesting that in our society, we tend to pick a single point in time to modify our behavior. According to a study I researched, the most popular New Year’s resolutions are, 37% – Starting to exercise, 13% – Eating better, 7% – Reducing the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and other drugs, or quitting smoking. According to the same survey, most people (75 percent ) who make a resolution end up failing on their first attempt and most people (67 percent) make more than one resolution.
So, from a psychological perspective, it might be interesting to ask what exactly determines how many goals people set and how successful they are. Researchers Mukhopadhyay and Johar (2005) did this research. Their research found that people who believe that self-control is something dynamic, changing and tend to set more resolutions.
People who believe that we all are born with a limited, set amount of self-control that we don’t have control over and who also have little belief in their own capabilities to carry out their own goals (“low self-efficacy”) did worse on obtaining their New Year’s resolution goals.
As the researchers summarized, individuals with high self-efficacy attribute failure to insufficient effort, while individuals with low self-efficacy attribute failure to deficient ability. Higher self-efficacy generally is correlated with a greater likelihood of achieving one’s goals.
The researchers also found that if you are made to believe that self-control is a fixed or limited resource that you are unable to change, you will also set fewer goals and will give up on them sooner, regardless of your level of self-efficacy.
http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=3552
http://www.washington.edu/newsroom/news/1997archive/12-97archive/k122397.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-is-he-thinking/201101/why-new-years-resolutions-dont-work
For this week, I decided to do some research on the importance of goal setting and some strategies to create achievable goals. I've always been horrible at setting goals and then following through with them so I thought this topic would be a great one for me to do some research on and get some information.
One of the first things I found was that you need to be specific when setting your goals. Almost every website had this statement in the first couple paragraphs. This was probably my number one problem. I need to learn to set specific goals in order for me to be successful in achieving them.
Almost everyone had something about the steps used to set the goals as well. I specifically liked the fact that the goals can be used to achieve a variety of different task. I, personally, looked at a couple websites that talk about career planning and how to set goals within that and I very much enjoyed it. I like to see that I'm not the only one that's not good at goal setting and knowing that I can follow steps to improve that. I stated that it is important to set goals regularly and I think that is what I need to start doing in order to get the hang of the whole thing. Once I do this, I know that it will get easier to be able to set goals and also achieve them.
Forgot the websites.
http://www.uni.edu/~maclino/bm/book/sec4.3.pdf
http://careerplanning.about.com/od/settinggoals/a/goal_setting.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html