TB1 - By now you should have been able to log in and comment on the blog site. What we would like you to do now is to go to the following page and read some of the blog posts left from the students in the class before you.
http://www.psychologicalscience.com/bmod/2012/12/week-16-final-assignment-1.html
and
http://www.psychologicalscience.com/bmod/2012/10/att11-in-the-news---due-friday.html
After reading the posts please answer the following:
Which posts did you like the best? Why?
Has reading these posts changed your idea of what behavior modification is? Why
or why not?
Based on these posts are there any specific topics you are interested in
learning?
Thanks,
--Dr. M
P.F.W
For the first url link I found the post by Allison Durflinger most interesting. After briefly going over the ABCS of behavior modification reading myself, I found her report to be a very simple yet clear example of what to expect upon implementing the ABC's of behaviour modification throughout the semester. Her report is a clear explanation of how the ABC's can be put to simple yet effective use for things even like lip biting.
A post by Erica Stevens from the second url link was a good indication of the different terms we will be learning throughout the semester and how to dissect an article and identify certain behavioural changes related to punishment.
Reading these posts has changed my idea of behavior modification as a difficult and detailed process to a much simpler and clear process. The posts showed that behaviour modification follows a specific set of rules and if each implemented, behavior modification can occur successfully in simple situations.
After reading posts from the second link I am interested in further analzying how behavior modification occurs on a public level.
ECS
In general I found the blog posts about their personal behavioral modification experiments. After reading through a couple of posts I read a post by koffekaa. I think post people would be able to relate to the strive for more exercise in their lives and finding the motivation to do it. Using the different reinforcement techniques a person is able to change their behaviors.
A post by Brendan also explained in more details how one should pick things to modify. It's important that you pick a goal that is attainable and not something that extreme that one wouldn't be able to accomplish. He also touched on the fact that there are detailed steps when analyzing behavior modification.
Both posts were very clear and gave detailed explanations of definitions of different things they've learned that helped them to create their behavioral modification project.
I've taken a Learning Psychology class while I was abroad and for the majority of the class I was lost. Reading through the different posts has changed how I think about behavioral modification. In my class our professor focused on more traditional forms of behavior modifications used on animals which first set the stage for behavioral modification. We never really applied it to real life situations which made it hard to understand and grasp the concepts.
I'm interested in learning about how behavioral modification could be used on children and families. I'm planning on mastering in Social Work so this focus would be the most beneficial for me in the future.
M.A.N.
I especially enjoyed reading about the behavioral change projects. The post by Stephanie Kibby was very detailed and easy to follow for someone who was unfamiliar with the subject, including myself. I appreciated that she included some of the definitions of uncommon words. The 7 steps of self-directed behavior were clear and distinct. I think it was a smart move for her to not cut out TV completely, to reduce the likelihood of a relapse. I also appreciated that she conveyed what exactly she was including as watching TV. For example, if it was for a class, it wouldn’t count. I think it is important to always define your terms when doing any kind of research or project so it may be clearly understood by the interpreter or reader.
I wasn’t quite as fond of the news postings. I was confused about how the target behavior was determined. However, I’m sure that I will understand by the end of the semester!
Reading these posts has definitely changed my idea of behavior modification. In my head, I always thought of behavior modification as something that occurs in a research setting where everything is controlled and a rat is the subject. Now I realize that I will be able to use the knowledge I acquire in this class to influence my own behavior. Maybe I can even influence my boyfriend’s behavior or that of my future children. I am looking forward to actually USING what I learn in this class.
I hope that we will also be completing behavioral change projects. I am interested in learning how to influence behavior, especially my own. It would be a great tool for self-improvement.
ANS
In the first link, I like the post from bmgreer the best. I liked this one because I felt that I could relate to wanting to slim down for big events and having the issue of stress eating. I also was glad that she didn't have to punish herself when she didn't do as well as she thought she could, she would just know she would do better the next day.
The second link, I found the post from koffeka that I liked the best. In this post they were very clear on what they were writing about and describing the terms.
After reading these posts, I have found that behavior modification is a lot more simple that I imagined. I also found that it is used in every day life which I never noticed before.
I am interested in learning about how to help people modify their behaviors. Mostly I am interested in children since that would be who I want to work with in the future.
EMM
I read through several of the posts in the links given above and I really enjoyed reading the post by bloger Koffekaa. They used several terms throughout the entire post and made their topic easy to understand and managable for themself. The blogers post was very explainatory, and seemed well thought out. Overall, I thought it was a great example.
These posts didnt necessarily change my previous beliefs on what I believed behavior modification was, but they did make me understand that the antecedents and consequences to behavior changes play a huge role in determining the beahavior change.
Koffekaa had mentioned how they had used increasing a beahvior instead of decreasing a beahvior. With a beahvior that is being decreased they did not have to use extincition or extinciton bursts. I am curious to learn more about these topics and how they relate to decreasing a behavior.
I read the post by Stephanie Kibby on the 7 steps to self-directed behavior and found it very detailed and interesting. I enjoyed reading on how the plans were made and the things that had to be done to accomplish the behavior change. I would like to try this with other behaviors I would personally like to change. After reading some posts I found that behavior change can be done in my own life and are really excited to learn a lot more this semester. I am interested in how to use this in everyday life and to use it on myself to help some changes i wanna make.
AAF
I enjoyed the blog by StephanieKibby about watching TV. I found it interesting because it is a behavior that I myself should probably try to change as well. I also liked the post by Josh Dickman in the second link. His blog was clear and to the point, and talked about something other than Hurricane Sandy. It made the most sense to me. Reading these posts has made behavior modification a little more clear in my head as to exactly what it really is. I feel now as if I have a little better understanding of what the class is going to be like. I am very interested in learning the steps and what all it really takes to modify a behavior. We all have some behaviors that could probably stand to be changed, so I am looking forward to that.
EMG
I enjoyed reading stephaniekibby's post. They were extremely detailed and easy to follow. I could really relate to her choice of decreasing the amount of time watching TV, which also wouldn't hurt me to do. The 7 steps really seem to apply to everyday life and I now have a better understanding of what to expect in this class. I am excited to learn about behavior modification and look forward to learning the information that the other students have described in their posts!
KHM
I read Stephanie Kibby and Koffeekaa's posts. Both were interesting and broke down the story very well. I definitely thought the process would be much more complicated, and was pretty surprised to find it's actually pretty simple. I was able to connect the positive/negative reinforcement and punishment parts at the end of the posts with what I learned in Intro to Psych. Very excited to apply what I learn in this class to my life and interactions with others.
I enjoyed morganweigel's post about spending less time on social networks and mrcrazyguy007's post on the thickness of food and weightloss. I think I liked these for the topics mainly because they relate to me. I realized two years ago how much time I wasted on social networks. Today I am not a member of any. I went back to the old fashion way of visiting my friends at face value and calling their phone. I enjoyed the other article because I think many people battle with not feeling full when dieting. I particularly liked morganweigel's writing style. The flow was easy to follow. Unfortunately these articles did not change my idea of behavior modification due to another course I took that covered it in painful detail. I play way too many video games and I know there is already plenty of research of the effects they have on behavior. However, I would be interested to know what style of video games is most addictive, and what behavior modification techniques work best for severe video game addiction.
JRG
R.L.S
The posts I liked the best from each of the different assignments was Stephanie Kibby’s. What I admire about her posts is her organization by using a step-by- step procedure. By using this type of procedure, Stephanie’s blogs were easy to follow and understand. What also drew my attention to her posts was her descriptiveness in each step. Her first sentence stated the step such as setting a goal. It was then followed by a definition and a description of what goal she will set and why. Reading through Stephanie’s blog gave me a brief idea of what we will be learning in the class. I am excited to set my own goal and attempt to achieve it by using steps such as the ones mentioned in Stephanie’s post.
Reading through the different posts did not really change my idea of what I thought behavior modification is or would be like. My idea did not change because I inferred that one of the main concepts of the class would be to target a behavior and either alter that behavior or explain it by breaking it down. The posts did however give me a perspective on the content of the class and what I can expect to learn from it.
One specific topic I am interested in learning about is how to change or teach behavior in animals. I've seen people train dogs and other animals before although I have never had a dog. What I do have however is cat, a cat that I would love to try to train. From previous experience I know cats are fairly independent and have typically been harder to train, but I know that it isn't impossible. The main behavior I would like to change in my cat is to keep him from knocking over cups. If I were to fill up a glass of water and set it on the counter, there is no doubt that my cat will come over and knock it over. I don’t know why he does it, I just hope to learn how to alter his behavior so that I don’t have to hold my cup or clean up after him.
M.L.B.
I enjoyed Brendan’s final assignment introductory overview. The points mentioned were very specific and direct without sounding like they were being taken directly from a text. The overall tone of the piece was conversational.
I enjoyed reading kaylaw’s ‘In the News’ assignment. It seemed the most clear and straightforward of the articles I had skimmed through up to that point, which grabbed my attention, and it was about a humanitarian and political issue, which made me want to keep reading.
As a student with a personal interest in psychology for the sake of enjoyment, these articles confirmed my original expectations of what behavior modification is.
I am interested in learning how to modify behavior in others without direct contact – such as through correspondence, especially if they are considered an authority through public contract.
J.H.
I really liked the posts where students discussed how they applied the behavior modification skills they learned in class to change a personal target behavior of their own because I feel like that is both the best use of these skills and also because we learn by doing. One of the first posts in this section really appealed to me, and that was about study habits. I have frequently tried to change habits like this but it is very difficult. The posts that I read would suggest that one of my main problems was that the goals I set were not specific enough so I couldn't keep track of my progress. I think the skills we learn in this class will help me more successfully change my desired target behaviors. Reading these blogs have given me a better idea of what behavior modification is because they gave examples of what they wanted to change and how they changed it. My specific area of interest for this class is learning how to target and change some of my personal behaviors.
K.C.
After reading some of the blog posts from other students my ideas of what I thought behavior modification is, hasn't really changed much. However after reading just a few of the blogs I felt I am already am learning just what goes into changing a behavior. Many of the posts I liked talked about the 7 steps to self-directed behavior change. I liked these blog posts because they were easy to follow. It was also seemed easy to make plans for change when you have steps to follow.
I am interesting in learning more about reinforcement as a way to help change a behavior. I think a lot of the time punishment is used, but I don't always think punishment is the best way to change a behavior.
The second grouping of blog posts about the news were interesting because it sounded like many students had ideas for how to change behaviors in society to make it a better and safer place. Many of the blogs were about hurricane Sandy and making sure people affected by the storm were aware of the dangers or hazards left by the storm. If the government can use these ideas to protect its citizens I think that's a great way to use behavior modification. Not just for us or people we know but also for the public as well.
I found reading people's behavioral change projects to be quite enjoyable. There is something very cool about the final project of a class being quite literally "take what I taught to you and apply it to the real world."
Chantelle L. chose to modify her study habits to increase the amount of time she studied for each class. She employed what she learned about reinforcements and punishments by allowing herself to have downtime if she met her goal of studying, as well as disallowing herself to have downtime if she did not meet her goal.
It seems as though most of the assignments about the news had something to do with Hurricane Sandy. I find news assignments retrospectively interesting- that is, I like going back and reading news-based assignments of huge events that happened years ago. That is because if we were to watch a news report today about remembering 9/11 it would be much different from what people were thinking immediately after 9/11.
Hollirenaud wrote a post on getting people to avoid drinking tainted water after Hurricane Sandy. This particular assignment was based on the ABCs of behavior, which I recall to be the Activating event, Belief systems, and Consequences. I would like to learn more about how to fit real-world events into that model
reading about the behavioral change project has really sparked some ideas as to what my own project will be. This may not be good in the long run since I am full of ideas but am very indecisive. The blog post I found interesting was Jesse James. The reason is that he picked to change his online playing time of Chess. At first I thought "its just an online one game, just stop doing it." After reading the article, I began to think about my own online addictions (if you will.) Quitting those seems harder than you you'd think!
I also read Erica Stevens post on Hurricane Sandy. I really like the idea of positive reinforcement coming from a negative situation. The terrible aftermath of of Sandy has bonded people together in order to restore, if not improve, the community around them.
I forgot to add that I am not sure exactly what my idea of behavior modification is, which is what is interesting about taking this class. I am very interested to see where this class will take me and how it is going to take me there. Also, I am very interested in learning how to use the information from this class on my students at preschool. Hopefully it will help me become a better teacher, able to communicate better with the children and the staff.
CRP
As i read these articles, I was very interested in the projects and the challenges they held for each individual. I like the idea of applying what you learned in class and using it on yourself to modify your behavior in a positive way.
After reading a few i found the comment by Grant Goudschaal and conditioning himself to stop smoking cigarettes. I liked this one the most because i felt this one was the most challanging one because it delt with addicting and breaking it by ones self.
The two reinforcements he used would be something i would use, both positive and negative. He reduced his purchasing of cigarettes and use the money he saved to treat himself to some sort of reward(positive). Then when he needed a smoke but didn't have any, he would resort to asking people for a cigarette which he found out he disliked greatly. This dicouraged him from asking for cigarettes(negative). By using these methods he modified his behavior to stop buying and smoking cigarettes.
I had a good idea of what behavior modification was and after reading these posts it was reinforced . I was unaware though that it was able to alter your own behavior in such a controlled experiment such as the ones listed. I am interested in ways to modify a persons behavior with both direct and indirect actions and if there are more ways to modify behavior than just using positive and negative reinforcements.
MLR
The very first post I read was the one that I liked the most. It is the post by Chantele in the first link. I feel that her post for her behavioral project was very interesting and I felt that she picked a very good thing to try and change. I think that it was a great idea for her to try and change her study habits. I feel that she did a good job explaining and it is definitely given me a good idea of what I might do for my project. I have not decided yet whether or not reading these posts has changed my idea about what behavior modification is. I think that this post did a good job of explaining the basic definition of what I think behavior modification is. It will definitely take some time for me learning new things in the class to decide if my idea of behavior modification is the same as what is taught.
My favorite post from the first link was by Casady Myers. I particularly like her post because she did an excellent job of clearly and thoroughly answering the question. She gave a lot of good detail and made it very easy to follow what she did for the assignment. She also picked a behavior modification that so many people can related to and shows how what is learned in this class can so easily be related to our every day lives. From reading this post it layed out how much that is really involved when it comes to behavior modification that goes far beyond simply the reinforcements and punishments. This post made me excited to take part in this project later in the term.
When first reading through the assignment of the second blog it seemed overwhelming. Reading through the past student responses helped to show what the assingment was asking for and made the assignment seem much more doable. I particularly liked the post by ChantelleL because she answered all of the questions thoroughly with enough detail so that it was clearly understood as to what she was trying to say. She had a nice summary at the beginning that was not too long but covered the story well.
I think these blogs will be extremely beneficial as we go throug the term. Being able to take what we learn from the book and in class and connect it to our every day lives will help us to truly understand behavior modifcation and all that it entails.
-JMB
After reading through most of the final blogs from last semester there were a few blogs that I really enjoyed reading. Along with those blogs there were a few articles in the news that also caught my attention. The first blog that I enjoyed was by kaylaw and what they decided to do for their behavioral intervention. They decided to attempt to do away with procrastination. I found this topic interesting because I too have the same problem so it related to my issue. They decided to study 1 hr. per night starting a week before the test and rather than punish if they slipped up they rewarded themselves for good behavior with a cookie. Although we all have our own ways in doing the things we want to accomplish I liked the idea. They also implemented graphs for visual data that could track their progress on a week by week basis. There are certain ideas that they had I could use in attempting to cut down on my procrastination behavior. Reading this blog gave me a lot of insight on the process that goes into behavior modification. For future assignments I am going to refer back to some of these ideas and implement them into my own habits. The best part of the blog was the attempt to make a visual. I feel a visual would make a big difference in how you see your success on a week to week basis. A blog I enjoyed reading on in the news was written by carreonv about how mitt Romney was labeled a dick. After reading the article it turns out the examples used weren’t involving mitt at all but then used other examples from tv, and the debates which linked Romney to being an asshole. It caught my attention and made me read the rest. This was also interesting because this person still wanted to vote for Romney in the then upcoming election. I found the end pretty hysterical when they used the term dill hole. I found myself repeating the word out loud and laughing just because it sounds so funny. Try it! It held relevance because in America the election is a big event because it causes changes both good and bad for the whole United States for 4-8 years. Reading this post after the election was also a different more interesting perspective than reading it before I believe. After reading the posts I am really excited to learn a few different things. Behavior intervention is definitely a topic I am excited to learn. Not only will I learn how to change my bad behaviors but also the proper steps to doing it. It will also give me more knowledge for future reference in breaking or changing bad habits. I’m also excited to learn the little things like positive reinforcement and the effects it can have on the outcome of things. I’ve always found it interesting on how and what ways you can approach situations that can give you the desired outcome you are looking for. I think reading the blog has given me a better insight on what behavior modification entails. Just hearing the term gives me my own ideas of what it could be but the blogs really went into more depth on how exactly it can be used in many different aspects. I think I’m more curious that I was before just because the blogs gave me numerous ideas on things like procrastination that can and do apply to my life. The term can be vague but the articles/blogs opened my eyes to what actually we will be learning in the class and how it can teach new approaches while giving your insight to how the brain works. It also applies to daily life. Everyone has behaviors whether they are good/bad/mixed we deal with them on a daily basis so it’s only going to benefit our lifestyles by learning things we deal with. Now the term means much more to be than just behavior modification which I thought was just how to change things. The previous class examples give a variety of ways that it can apply which makes it much more appealing now.
M.L.
C.H.
As I read the posts from the first link, I noticed the gap of exceptional work versus average work. One of the posts that I thought was exceptional was by the username koffekaa. This person was extremely thorough with every description and explanation of their project. He/she not only explained their specific project but also went into depth on what some of the terms meant and why she chose to change the behavior of working out. It is important that he/she pointed out that the behavior change needed to be realistic and achievable which is part of making "SMART" goals. It was interesting how he/she even elaborated on the reasons why a person modifies their behavior. I think this person took the necessary steps to ensure that he/she would be successful by the end of the project. The reinforcement tools this person used was creative and effective. This person used both positive and negative reinforcement which I thought was very smart. It was very easy to see that this person read and understood the book very well because they used many references that helped relate to the project. The way he/she tracked the progress through a diary was a unique tool that many others did not use.
I am very excited to participate in a behavior change like these students did because I know it will be a great challenge. I hope I can utilize as many tools as these students did to help me achieve this change.
In the second link, I once again went to koffekaa's post and was impressed once again. This post was about a shooting that occurred at a Halloween party. He/she answered all of the questions effectively and gave great reasoning behind the types of behavior that was going on. This post helped give me a better understanding of why people behave the way they do and the consequences that follow.
The posts have changed my view of behavior modification somewhat. It has helped me understand the steps people must make to change a certain behavior. Also, it let me know that there are many factors behind the scenes that go into behavior modification.
I am interested in learning more about the ABC model and how it can relate to my life.
After reading several posts left from the classes before mine, generally speaking, I can say that I particularly enjoyed the posts that were very clearly defined and had a sense of direction. Reading those types of posts made them easy to read and understand. I feel like some of students rambled off a lot of different ideas and it was unclear where some of them were going with their terms; almost as if they were saying many different words just to say them and get them in their terminology box at the end of the post.
Some of what behavior modification is to me now was very different from what was explained in the blog posts; there were terms that were kind of a “duh” thing to me but there were also words being used that when reading the explanations of what certain words meant, I caught myself re-reading portions to better understand what was actually being said. However, I wouldn’t necessarily say that in different posts my ideas of what behavior modification is has changed, but I would definitely say that I am coming to realize there is more to it than I what I initially thought.
A topic that I’d be interested in getting into this semester would be influencing others to their advantage. I wonder what sort of techniques could be used to coach or help people get out of some of the repetitive aversive situations they constantly find themselves in. I’m a psychology major and I want to be in the business of helping people. If I find it hard to shape even my own behaviors into something more desirable, how are we supposed to help others?
MLH
I.A.
Reading the blogs from former students of this class was quite the learning experience for me. First, it gave me an inside view of what we will be covering over the upcoming semester. Second,the posts showed real life examples of behavioral intervention and how we can change those negative patterns in our lives and become better people as a result. Reading from the first URL, I really liked the behavioral change that PKing implimented in his/her life. The reason this post stood out to me is because I have been researching healthier diets and the post gave a very clear way of implementing that change. What I found the most helpful was how they clearly defined each of the 7 steps of self-directed behavioral change by putting them in a header above each paragraph that related to that specific step of the behavioral change process. I thought it was awesome how they took advatage of the technology we posses to keep track of how they were sticking to their goals. They consistantly used MyFitnessPal for over two years to map out their progression. This brings up another point that I think is worth noting, they picked a behavior to modify that was extremely important to them. To be able to consistantly stick with a behavioral change, I think it is really important that the change is something you see benefiting yourself over a long period of time. That makes the goal so much more rewarding when you can track your progress over such a large amount of time and see how it really can change your daily life.
In the second URL, the post by Koffekaa really stood out to me. I am going for Criminology so the subject matter was intersting to read about. Also, with recent major gun crimes getting the media attention that they have, I felt it was a very relevant topic to address. The student did a very good job of showing how the target behavior and the consequences were related. The way the student was able to break the article down based on the ABC's of behavioral modification is kind of a new subject area for me. I am excited to see how this class increases my knowledge over the semester in this area of psychology. While the topic is fairly new to me, I know that by the end of the semester, I too will be able to accurately break down a news article and define the different parts according to the ABC's of behavioral modification.
I really enjoyed reading the posts about the process that students went through in their behavior modification over a period of time. Many people may think it is simple to change a behavior and continue with behaving a different way, but it often does not last long. Specifically, one post by a student that had a goal of working out every day for 45 minutes, described the challenges and methods she used to be successful in her modification. I found it interesting that each student made a specific plan in modifying a certain behavior that they found to be unattractive in their personal life.
Reading these posts has changed my idea of what behavior modification is because the course is so much more in detail than I would have imagined.
After reading these posts, I am specifically interested in learning every detail in the steps of behavior modification and change. I found that to be the most interesting when reading the posts of former students.
P.L.
I.B
In the first link I liked the posts by Stephanie Kibby and, despite the ridiculous name, Mr. Crazy Guy 007. They both clearly identified the 7 self directed behavioral steps necessary for changing the elicited behavior. Stephanie Kibby's post seemed like more of the technical paper that would be expected from a straight A student, but the post from Mr. Crazy Guy 007 was extremely simple with a relaxed approach that I really liked. I liked reading the posts because I am very intrigued by the cognition and learning field of psychology, and looking at how the students learned the essentials of behavior modification so well got me excited for when I have a solid understanding. Admittedly after a while I got bored of reading people talk about working out more and watching TV less, so I ended up doing a lot of skimming.
In the second link, I once again liked the post by Stephanie Kibby. She identified all the required fields in the same technical A quality manner that she did for the previous post. Looking at these makes me kind of excited for the progression of the semester and my knowledge of Behavior Modification. After reading these my idea of behavior modification hasn't really changed. It was laid out in a way that made it seem easier than I thought. I'm interested in learning everything related to this field of study. I want to extensively expand my knowledge of behavior modification. I would like to influence peoples' behaviors with Jedi mind tricks like in Star Wars, but seeing as how that is probably impossible, I would like to learn everything just short of that.
S.S.S.
Some of the projects were very common behaviors people try to modify; such as study more and watch tv less or eat less and exercise more. Although these are common behaviors and desires for most people, I found the uncommon projects more interesing to read about. Such as Jessiejames88's decreasing frequency of playing chess online or sparklenfade27's wanting to better his/her communication by writing letters.
After reading these posts I have a better understanding of behavior modification can do other than get rid of "bad" habits; it can also help create "good" habits.
While reading through the posts, many of the terms I recognized from previous psychology classes; however I'm interested to learn more about some of the terms I don't know and how they pertain to modifying behaviors.
S.A.H
When looking at the post done from the previous sections, I found the post I liked the most to be the ones that really focused on behavior modification and got down to the point with their comments. I also liked the post that flowed smoothly together, not just random terms thrown in that really didn’t make sense, such as the one done my blogger TravisM in his final assignment blog. I feel that he did a good job incorporating the terms learned in Behavior Modification into a real action plan to change behavior. I feel that reading these blog post has been very insightful as to what is expected of us in our own blog post to come. It was also nice to have examples to go off of so we can get our feet wet in the course. By reading the few post I did, my perception of Behavior Modification have really change. I really didn’t know what to expect when coming into this course but these post have given me a glimpse of what is to come throughout the semester. I am really excited to have the chance to put the subjects we are learning about into real life situations, such as the post involving the current news stories and the post regarding students plans and actions used in completing their own behavioral goals. I am very excited to see what this class has to offer throughout the semester.
After reading previous blogs, I couldn't believe how detailed some of the students were. I really liked reading the post about changing one's own behavior. The project would be one that would take a lot of will power and self control. One post that stuck out was StephanieKibby. She had quite a bit to talk about and explained exactly what she did, how she did it and why she did it. I would have to assume she was likely an "A" student.
Prior to reading these posts, I has a pretty good idea of what behavior modification is., We talked about changing our behaviors in my Health Psych class but we did not go into as much detail. The detail in these post gave me a better look at the steps needed to take to change a behavior. It was also interesting to read another students perspective. You know that they really tried to change and they knew the best way to go about it.
After reading these posts and being in class this week, I am interested to see how behavior modification relates to those we interact with. I know you can change your own behavior but it is interesting to me that your behavior impacts behaviors around you.
Today in class, Dr. MacLin was was even talking about the modification in behavior of our pets. It'll be very interesting to see how it all related this semester.
^^^^^ M.S.
HI
I took most interest in the postings about health. "Casady Myers" wrote about her endeavor for behavior modification by calorie counting. This interested me because I do this on a daily basis; not more so counting my calories and adding them up to a total, but not eating high-calorie foods. I have conditioned my body to like low-calorie foods that keep me full, therefore I know my calorie count is full. However, I wonder if it would benefit me to add them up and make a goal of a total like she did in her project. I realize that this is only one of the many steps in behavior modification now. Some others that I caught were her "manipulation of environment" by keeping foods that were high in calories out of her apartment. This is a step I have taken already.
A difference I saw between her plan and the one I have in place for myself now is that she keeps track of what she eats. She also rewards herself on the weekends, whereas I have three meals out of my week be whatever I want. It would probably be better for me to do the weekend rewarding rather than what I do now. The best thing I got out of reading this was that behavior modification can "help change lives" and "change undesirable behaviors." I feel I have done this already with my diet, however, using some of the other techniques and steps that behavior modification provides may be helpful to me. It is obvious how we can use this in most accepts of our lives. If we set a goal, take steps to achieve that goal, and condition ourselves to be what we want to be, than it can be possible using this method.
I also thought that "Koffekaa" and "Stephanie Kibby" wrote really good postings about things like exercise and watching television. It's kind of crazy that you do not realize your habits until you have to monitor them or make more of a habit of them. For example, Koffekaa wrote about exercise, which I definitely should do more of. And, Stephanie wrote about watching TV, which I could do less of and spend more time doing productive things.
I realize that in behavior modification class, it is also easier to use personal examples when writing. There is probably because it is all about human behavior and changing those behaviors to better ourselves. It's easier to relate to the text and things others have to say because we all "behave" in different manners and learn from each other every day. We learn from other's mistakes as well as try to be like others. Most humans have goals and try to achieve them by changing or monitoring their behaviors. I think that is what I received as the outlined concept of behavior modification by reading these postings.
I meant to say "most aspects of our lives" toward the end of second paragraph. Oops! (:
And in the last paragraph I meant to say "That is probably because..."
Wow. My brain is not working.
BNJ
I like the final project posts more then the posts about the articles, I thought the final projects were more interesting. The ones about people talking about exercising were the most relate able to me. Because while reading I could imagine these people going through there day and attempting to analyze everything they were or were not doing to make conclusions about their behavior. No it has not changed my thoughts on Bmod, except I feel like this is going to be alot of work, but interesting none the less. I am interested in learning what the ABC's are when speaking about Behavior Mod. Also I will be interested when the material covers something that I can clearly make a personal connection with like " wow I totally do that".
C.L.C.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the different blogs about their behavior modification projects. A couple blog posts that stood out in my mind were about being able to stop procrastinating and starting to study for a test earlier than usual. I am relate to both of them because those are both behaviors I would like to work on also. However, after reading though the blogs I didn't know what most of the terms they used in their blog meant. So I am looking forward to understanding the terminology better in this class.
I also enjoyed the second link as well. I think it's a good way to learn more about what is happening around us. I believe we are learning more about that activity in class next week. So Hopefully I will understand it more then.
These posts haven't exactly changed my mind about what behavior modification is however, I am excited to start learning how to modify my own behaviors for the better. I am excited for this class. I don't have any specific topics I would like to cover but whatever we learn I believe will be interesting.
W.J.
Reading through the blogs about the final behavioral analysis was a little difficult for me, I found them to be dry readings, most of which where about people wanting to study more or watch less TV. None the less I gathered the main concept of the project and of what types of things i was going to learn about during this course. I have always thought about behavior modification in a social sense and never in a personal way. I always thought about why people behave the way they do in a particular situation, and what was going on in their mind to make them act that way. I do it to myself more than anyone but im looking forward to see how this class can enhance the process of self change and maybe even allow me to modify the behavior of others with out them knowing i have the intention of doing so.
BE
In both of the blog options I found that Stephanie Kibbys articles were well written as it pertains to the fact that she broke everything down so that even someone with a minimal understanding could follow easily and understand her logic. The first blog she exhibited a very real life example—how many college students do you know that procrastinate?
By breaking down her thinking throughout the entire step she has helped me to see that behavior modification goes far beyond Skinner’s Box or Pavlov’s Dogs, but can reach even into the depths of a realistic human experience and does not require any remote sense of pain to do so successfully.
After reading these blogs I think that I would like to learn more about how we can apply basic behavior modifications to our everyday lives; not just towards behaviors that pertain to school but ones that deal with personal interactions with other people.
I enjoyed reading the first link by Stephanie Kibby, in which she blogged about the Hurricane Sandy situation that took place earlier this year. I think it is very interesting how she related the entire thing to the basic process of behavior modification. She did an excellent job of breaking down the situation into the ABC's of behavior modification, and labeled the Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence in order. Reading this blog post has really changed my view on behavior modification in the sense that you can relate it to any aspect in life, and can relate it to virtually anything that is happening in the news today.
I am really looking forward to learning about how our behavior can be modified or changed on a day-to-day basis and how we modify our own individual behavior over time.
T.E.
I found the blog by Stephanie Kibby to interesting because she had a very detailed response and everything was easy to understand. Reading these posts have not changed my idea of what behavior modification is because I already had a good idea of what it was. Also I am interested in learning everything about behavior modification because it is all interesting to me and I look forward to learning more in the class.
K.B.K.
I thought that the blogs done by Stephanie Kibby were very good. She was specific and gave good details. She also gave definitions or goals of each step in the self-directed behavior. She also answered questions about the news blogs precisely and in order, with each answer to the point.
After reading these posts, it has changed my idea of what behavior modification is. I thought behavior modification was as simple as classical conditioning because of the mass amount of research done on animals using classical conditioning. After reading the first blogs posts, I learned a bit of the self-directed behavior. I am interested in it and I am really looking forward to learn about that and everything else that the class has to offer.
AV
I can really relate to Travis’s experience with changing his behavior. I am also trying to get into a workout schedule that I can actually follow, and it really is difficult to stay motivated when you are already so tired from school and work. I think I will take his advice and not make a candy bar be my method of reinforcement. Another behavior that I would like to change is my study habits. I thought how Joel kept a journal to record his progress when studying was a really good tool to use to help stay motivated.
I thought that this class was going to be a lot of lecture but I am excited to see that we get to apply this information to our lives and hopefully change some behaviors for the better. We have all heard about punishment and reinforcement techniques in many psych classes, but I’ve still always had trouble applying them to situations. I know that after this class I won’t have that problem anymore.
MK
I read the first link and Chantelle L was the first one to read and stuck out to me a lot. I feel like with myself if I actually want to accomplish something then I need to set a goal and reward myself once I have accomplished that goal. It is very easy for me to get so wrapped up in my job that I forget about several little things that I need to get accomplished.
I think there is quite a bit that you can learn from not only her comment about behavior modification but from all of the other past students as well. Each person has their own way of expressing how they handle behavior modification and what it is to them.
I was not aware that the class was going to be like this prior to signing up but I am excited for how different it will be for me and what I will get out of it and be able to take with me.
Which posts did you like the best?
I really liked the posts from Branden, jmellman, & 1.21 gigwatts. These three people seemed to have a lot of the same beliefs and talked about things that I could relate to.
Why?
I think because I was able to relate to them on a personal level. When I read Branden’s I felt as if we have the same frame of mind when it comes to the definition of behavioral modification; when I read jmellman’s posts I felt that we wanted to attain the same goal and with 1.21 g’gwatts's blog I just really enjoyed his point of view and the way he used some psychological terms about behavior modification.
Has reading these posts changed your idea of what behavior modification is?
Absolutely, the different blogs all complimented each other and were all similar but because everybody takes a different perspective it led to the different aspects of behavior modification.
Why? or why not?
Because of being able to read through the blogs I feel I know what is going to be expected of me and it also gave me a brief introduction/presentation of what I will have to do as well.
Based on these posts are there any specific topics you are interested in learning?
I am interested in using this course in my everyday life with myself and with my family. I want to learn how to use the ABC’s that was blogged about in my life. I hope to learn about ways to use punishment effectively and how to use conditioning stimulus as ways to benefit my life.