Topic 20: Self-Management

Question 1

Self-Management

Answer 1

behavior modification procedures used by a person to change his or her own behavior

in self-management strategy, the person engages in a behavior that alters an antecedent or consequences of the target behavior or alternative behavior

Question 2

Controlling Behavior

Answer 2

the target behavior that is influenced in a self-management project

Question 3

Goal-Setting

Answer 3

a self-management strategy in which the person decides on and write down the desired level of the target behavior he or she hopes to achieve as a result of self-management procedures

Question 4

Behavioral Contract

Answer 4

a written document that specifies a particular target behavior for a client and the consequences that will be contingent in a stated period of time

Question 5

Short-Circuiting the Contingency

Answer 5

occurs when a person arranges a reinforcer for a target behavior in a self management project but then takes the reinforcer without first engaging in the target behavior, may also occur when a person arranges a punisher for a target behavior but does not implement the punisher after engaging in the target behavior

Question 6

Social Support

Answer 6

a component of the habit reversal procedure in which a significant other praises the client for correct use of the competing response and prompts the client to use the competing response when the habit behavior occurs

in general, social support occurs when significant others are involved in implementing contingencies in the natural environment to help a person reach a self-management goal

Question 7

Self-Instructions

Answer 7

self-statement that makes it more likely that a target behavior will occur in a specific situation

Question 8

Self-Praise

Answer 8

making positive statements to yourself or providing positive evaluations of your own behavior after engaging in an appropriate behavior

Question 9

What is self-management?

Answer 9

engaging in one behavior to control or prevent the occurrence of a target behavior

the personal application of behavior change procedures that produces a desired change in behavior

typically involves a conflict between short-term contingencies and long-term outomes

aka self-modification, self-regulation, or self-control programs

aka willpower or self-discipline

Question 10

What is a controlling response?

Answer 10

the self-management behavior

behavior that influences future occurrence of the controlled response

Question 11

What is a controlled response?

Answer 11

the behavior that you want to change (i.e. the target behavior)

Question 12

What are some examples of self-management?

Answer 12

increased exercise

reduced tooth-grinding

decreased anxiety in taking tests

increased time spent relaxing after dinner in men with Type A behavior

Question 13

What is goal-setting?

Answer 13

explicitly determining the criterion level of the target behavior and the timeframe for achieving it

achieving your goal can itself be a (conditioned reinforcer)

goals should be S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant time-bound

not always effective when used by itself

Question 14

What is self-monitering?

Answer 14

person observes and records their own behavior as it occurs

often produces reactivity: the measurement of behavior itself causes a change in behavior

typically used with goal-setting

works better if data is public (vs private), and if monitoring is physically recorded (vs. not recorded)

Question 15

What is the process of manipulating antecedents?

Answer 15

i.e. antecedent control procedures

e.g. women designated one chair to be her “smoking chair”, placed it so that it precluded conversation or TV watching; eventually put the chain in the basement and smoking decreased from 30 cigarettes per day to 5

Question 16

What is a behavioral contract?

Answer 16

written document that specifies and defines the target behavior, what data will be collected and how, the criterion level of the target behavior, the time frame for achieving it, and contingencies that affect the target behavior

is a formal way of making a commitment to your goal

requires a self-management partner/contract manager/mediator

Question 17

What are self-administered consequences?

Answer 17

manipulating reinforcers and punishers

person may take unearned rewards (“bootleg reinforcement” or “short-circuiting the contingency”)

may be difficult to punish yourself

Question 18

What is social support?

Answer 18

other people serve as cues for the target behavior or provide natural reinforcers

Question 19

What are self-instructions?

Answer 19

statements that tell yourself what to do, how to do it, or when to do it

Question 20

What is self-praise?

Answer 20

statements of affirmative evaluations of your behavior

negative self-talk (self-criticism) is linked to depression

Question 21

What are the steps of using self-management?

Answer 21

1. decide to engage in self-management
2. define the target behavior and competing behaviors
3. set goals
4. self-monitor
5. conduct a functional assessment (e.g. ABC observations)
6. choose appropriate self-management strategies
7. evaluate change
8. reevaluate self-management strategies if necessary
9. implement maintenance/generalization strategies

Question 22

What is willpower?

Answer 22

positive life outcomes are consistently associated with two characteristics: intelligence and self-control

Question 23

What was the Hofmann et al. 2012 study on willpower?

Answer 23

205 participants in Germany given Blackberrys

were contacted at random times, and asked to report whether they were experiencing a desire (experience sampling)

most common desires: eating, sleeping, leisure, sex

were successful in resisting temptations only about 50% of the time

conclusion: self-control fluctuates

Question 24

What was the radish experiment conducted by Roy Baumeister et al. in 1998?

Answer 24

participants asked to skip a meal and fast for at least 3 hours for a “taste perception” experiment

brought into the lab, which was filled with the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

participants sat at a table with a plate of warm cookies and a bowl of radishes
cookie condition: asked to eat 2-3 cookies
radish condition: asked t eat 2-3 radishes

next participants were given (impossible) geometric figure tracing problems

dependent variable: persistence (time spent before giving up) and number of attempts

no-food control: 20.9 min, 32.8 attempts
cookie group: 18.9 min, 34.3 attempts
radish group: 8.4 min, 19.4 attempts

conclusion: results were due to ego depletion

Question 25

What is ego depletion?

Answer 25

after exerting self-control on one task, you will less effective on a subsequent self-control task

just like a muscle gets tired

Question 26

What is the Baba Shiv & Fedorikhin 1999 experiment about willpower?

Answer 26

participants told tehy were in a memory experiment

were given a number to remember
group 1 (high processing resources): given seven-digit number
group 2 (low processing resources): given two-digit number

each participant was taken to another room to continue the experiment

on the way, they passed by a cart and were asked to choose one of two snacks to receive at the end of the study: chocolate cake or fruit salad

recited number they were given

results
group 1: 59% chose the cake
group 2: 37% chose the cake

interpretation: remembering seven digits requires more cognitive resources than does remembering two digits

the cognitive resources required for remembering reduce willpower for resisting the temptation of sweet treats

Question 27

What was the Vohs et al. 2008 study on willpower?

Answer 27

part 1: students shown a variety of products (e.g. coloured pens, scented candles, coloured T shirts)

rating group: how often have you used each product? and rate 1-5
forced-choice group: which product would you choose?

part 2: given test of self-control, holding forearm in 1 degree C water as long as possible

rating group: 67.4 seconds
forced choice group: 27.7 seconds

decision fatigue: making decisions depletes willpower

Question 28

What is the “Mardi Gras theory” that was tested in 2007 by Gailliot et al.?

Answer 28

does giving into temptation preserve willpower

all participants fasted and were divided into groups
milkshake group: given rich ice cream milkshake (made with full-fat cream)
low-fat group: given milkshake made with half-and-half (cream with half the butterfat)
control group: read out-of-date technical manuals

next, all groups performed a self-control task

results: both milkshake outperformed the control group

experiment was considered a failure

maybe it isn’t just a metaphor that willpower takes energy
that is, perhaps food energy (blood glucose) increases self-control

Question 29

What are tasks used in experiments used to deplete willpower?

Answer 29

resisting cookies while hungry

writing down thoughts without thinking about a polar bear

suppressing emotion while watching the scene in Terms of Endearment in which a dying Debra Winger says goodbye to her children

Question 30

What is the DeWall et al. 2011 study on glucose and willpower?

Answer 30

part 1: double-blind “taste test study”, participants were given lemonade
glucose condition: sweetened with sugar
placebo condition: sweetened with artificial sweetener

part 2: competitive reaction time task, which soon c=become impossibly difficult

results: all participants became frustrated

placebo group acted more aggressively toward their computer-based “partner”

however, glucose group were able to keep their tempers under control and continued to cooperate in the game, demonstrating greater willpower

Question 31

What are some ways to temporarily boost willpower?

Answer 31

consume glucose/simple carbs (really short term)

consume protein/complex carbs (short term)

rest, relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation (short term)

Question 32

What was the Oaten and Chang 2006 study on willpower workout?

Answer 32

“sedentary” undergraduates were given gym memberships

performed 2-month program of physical exercise, which required willpower

self-regulation performance measured by a laboratory task (computer-based visual tracking task while ignoring the Eddie Murphy video) and everyday behaviors

results: overall long-term increased willpower

decreases in perceived stress, emotional distress, smoking, alcohol and caffeine consumption

increase in healthy eating, emotional control, household chores, monitoring of spending and improvement in studying

Question 33

What is the strength model of self control?

Answer 33

exerting willpower leads to ego depletion in the short term

but as you exercise your willpower, it increases over time, just like a muscle grows stronger

Question 34

What are ways to strengthen willpower in the long-term?

Answer 34

keep track of your eating

exercising regularly

using a mouse with your weaker/non-dominant hand

speaking in complete sentences and without swearing

Question 35

What is the de Ridder et al. 2012 study on applying willpower?

Answer 35

meta-analysis of self-control studies

people who score highest in self-control use it the least every day

that is, those with high self-control use it to create strong (beneficial) automatic habits

they structure their lives so that they do not need to expend willpower during the day

Question 36

What are the pros and cons of the strength model?

Answer 36

pros: robust, reliable experimental support

cons: does not explain why people resist (or give in to) a particular temptation, alternative explanations may account for willpower effects (e.g. motivation: can paying someone overcome ego depletion)

Question 37

What are some ways to keep your New Years resolutions?

Answer 37

pre-commit: prevent yourself from engaging in undesirable behaviors, increased response effort

use behavioral contracts

keep track: self-monitor your behaviors

don’t overreact to a lapse

reward often: reinforce your successes