PSY216 Psychology of Ageing

This is a study on Behavior Modification focusing on Operant conditioning. In this study, we are to find out if certain human behaviors are influenced by certain factors. In this case, we are looking at running as a physical exercise and what factors influences and stimulates it in order to achieve certain desired behavior changes and effects (Grison et al 2017). We shall look at 3 important stages; 1 Target behavior; 2 Treatment plan and implementation and 3 Thinning and monitoring phases.

1. Target Behavior and Establish Baseline (7 days)

Here, we target increasing the daily running from 10 minutes to 30 minutes daily for 7 days. What are the expected results if one is added on an extra 20 minutes to his normal 10 minutes of daily running? This is the present discriminative stimulus that sparks desired behavior. The obvious observation relating to human psychology will be a reduction in the pace of running for the first few days then gain in speed as one gets used to the routine and the added minutes and possibly a reduction again (Grison et al 2017). The reduction in the pace of running in the first few days will be as a result of the added minutes to the normal initial minutes.

The initial 10 minutes made him to be consistent because it was his comfort zone and he was used to it. In this stage the person was in a plateau state because there was no change in his daily exercise. With the increase to 30 minutes, we can see change of behavior and pattern of his running sessions by observing an increase in pace. However, this pattern changes from day to day and most likely at the end of the 7 days the person will have reduced his speed once again.  In this stage there is no motivation factor or external interventions involved and this might make his running pattern to change and become slower towards the end of the 7 days.  Positive reinforcement is lacking in this stage and hence the person’s behavior pattern can be very unpredictable as it lacks a motivational factor. This is shown in the graph below whereby we can notice an unstable behavioral pattern.

 Treatment plan and implementation (7 days)

In this stage we inject positive reinforcement by offering a monetary incentive to achieve desired results. We motivate the person by giving $10 every 30 minutes he runs. This reinforcer should be applied for the 7 days every time the person runs for 30 minutes and completes successfully (Daniels 2000). The observation will be that the person will run without fail and complete the 30 minutes exercise for the first few days and then they will demand for more payment because they will get uncomfortable with the $10 and consider it as of no value to them. They will probably ask for more or look at the $10 as an incentive that offers no motivation anymore. The initial source of motivation will be valueless after a few days and this will make their exercise mood to reduce drastically. Receiving that $10 was contingent on exercising. It is therefore true to notice that positive reinforcement results to a positive behavior change. The graph below will explain. 

3. Thinning (3 days) and Monitoring (4 days) outcome

In this phase, we will alter our treatment plan of $10 every 30 minutes running exercise so that we can have self-control over the behavior. Here we are reducing the $10 to $5 and watch the effect it will have on the behavioral pattern of the one exercising. Will the person run more or less for those 7 days of thinning and monitoring evaluations? By removing the positive reinforcement of $10 and reducing it to $5, this means the motivation factor has reduced and this will result to the reduction of the running minutes drastically (Sundel et al 1999). This is thinning period for the first 3 days and it results to a negative behavior towards desired results on running. It is noticed during the thinning period whereby the $10 is reduced to $5, the running pattern has changed drastically and dropped considerable in the first 3 days. This can be observed as a negative reaction since a person can’t  get  what he was used to get if it  is taken away from them. There is lack of motivation (Franken 2007) and therefore resulting to negative behavioral pattern in reduction of the minutes of running and the distance covered.  

The $10 was a positive reinforcement to the runner and reducing it has sparked a negative attitude towards the running exercise. Introduction of the reinforcement in the first place made the person feel entitled and he associated his running exercise to positive reinforcement. Now with reduction of the positive reinforcement of $10 has made them to lack motivation as before and resentment towards the running exercise is developed. The negative behavior towards running will be seen up to the end of the 7 days and a plateau state may also be observed due to the reduction of the positive reinforcement which was the $10. In the event the $10 is introduced back, a positive attitude will be seen towards the running exercise and increase in running minutes will be again observed (Burk 1988).

 Conclusion

In this study we have seen how human psychology works in terms of responding to different stimulus; and how it can affect behavioral changes either positively or negatively through a consideration of a running exercise as an activity. A person is motivated by positive treatment but can be demoralized by a negative treatment. In the first phase we have seen that addition of exercising time will slow down the person because they are not used to that routine. New changes are not easily adaptive by humans but with time they get used and respond positively. In the second phase it is clear to see that positive incentives are a motivational factor to human behavior and they tend to respond positively. In the third phase we notice that removal of a motivational factor results to negative change in behavior or simply going back to the initial comfort zone. Positive reinforcements are therefore encouraged in enhancing positive behavioral patterns. 

Reference:

Buck, R. (1988). Human motivation and emotion. New York: Wiley.

Daniels, A. C. (2000). Bringing out the best in people: how to apply the astonishing power of positive reinforcement. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Franken, R. E. (2007). Human motivation. Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Grison, S., Heatherton, T. F., & Gazzaniga, M. S. (2017). Psychology in your life. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Human performance: simulation and visualization. (2005). Washington, D.C.: Transportation Research Board

Lane, A. M. (2007). Mood and human performance: conceptual, measurement, and applied issues. New York: Nova Science.

Suinn, R. M., & Clayton, R. D. (1980). Psychology in Sports: Methods and Applications. Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Pub. Co.

Sundel, M., Sundel, S. S., & Sundel, S. S. (1999). Behavior change in the human services: an introduction to principles and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.