My behavior changed drastically- it went from doing just a few walks during a week, to a full five per week workout schedule. Even though I have skipped a day or two per week lately I still haven been consistent. I had no idea in beginning that such a program would have such a profound effect on my behavior.
Some things worked and others did not. The use of The Daily Show as a reward mechanism failed because it was difficult to keep mysefl in check. At times I wouln't do anything, no running, no weightlifting and I would still allow myself to watch it. So I eventually stopped using it. Another thing that didn't work is the journal; the journal itself was not a bad idea, but I couldn't get myself to use it throughtout and so I abondoned this aspect of the plan as well.
By merely thinking about changing the targeted behavior I managed to actually change it. I believe this part of the program, even if not intended, had the greatest impact on the behavior. The program itself, which during the last few weeks lacked rewards since it relied mainly on punishments, did affect the behavior but not as much as the mindset of focusing on the behavior. I don't know how to put this in any quantifiable way but I am sure this is so.
For these changes to be long-term I would actually have to continue using the program, which I will, except for the postings on the blog which have become a burden lately. The program itself allows me to focus just enough energy on changing the behavior without having to drain the energy spent on schoolwork and club activities, which I tend to increase, since I need them.
The most challenging aspect of this assignment turned out to be the actual schoolwork that came along with it. The blog, the comments and the constant keeping up with the deadlines. argh.
The most interesting aspect of the assingment....hmm...??? I don't know the answer to this question. Adieu everyone./
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Week 7: Progress
This entry is about Week 7 (3 May 2009 to 9 May 2009).
Hello everyone.
The program has continued to work well for me. I exercised in four out of the seven days:
3 May 2009: Nothing
4 May 2009: Workout
5 May 2009: Workout
6 May 2009: Workout
7 May 2009: Nothing
8 May 2009: Nothing
9 May 2009: Half of a Workout
I had to punish myself once because I skipped thursday's workout: a cold shower plus no aim. Also, thurday's work was moved to Saturday so I still had to do it. So there you have it. Overall, I feel that the plan could have been better but there is no time to make revisions since it is almost over.
This website is great because it has a lot of information about exercising in general: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
It is a giant list that has lots of facts about the proper way to exercise. There is a schedule for kids, for adults and for older adults and each schedule is different and made to fit the needs of each group. I took something valuable from this article, and it is that you don't have to do all at once. So for instance, instead of doing two miles of running at once, I will now do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lifting weights will also change, so that I lift in the morning for about 15 minutes and then no lifting again in the same day, twice a week.
Punishments have been the most important thing about my program so far even though I did use rewards in the beginning. Anyway, if ever I decide to do something like this again, I will probably use rewards throughout and not just punishments. Operant conditioning has made a big difference in the way I exercise.
Hello everyone.
The program has continued to work well for me. I exercised in four out of the seven days:
3 May 2009: Nothing
4 May 2009: Workout
5 May 2009: Workout
6 May 2009: Workout
7 May 2009: Nothing
8 May 2009: Nothing
9 May 2009: Half of a Workout
I had to punish myself once because I skipped thursday's workout: a cold shower plus no aim. Also, thurday's work was moved to Saturday so I still had to do it. So there you have it. Overall, I feel that the plan could have been better but there is no time to make revisions since it is almost over.
This website is great because it has a lot of information about exercising in general: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html
It is a giant list that has lots of facts about the proper way to exercise. There is a schedule for kids, for adults and for older adults and each schedule is different and made to fit the needs of each group. I took something valuable from this article, and it is that you don't have to do all at once. So for instance, instead of doing two miles of running at once, I will now do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Lifting weights will also change, so that I lift in the morning for about 15 minutes and then no lifting again in the same day, twice a week.
Punishments have been the most important thing about my program so far even though I did use rewards in the beginning. Anyway, if ever I decide to do something like this again, I will probably use rewards throughout and not just punishments. Operant conditioning has made a big difference in the way I exercise.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Week 6: Progress
Hello again everyone. This entry ... blah blah, concerns the details of week #6 (26 April 2009 to 02 May 2009).
I would like to thank those of you who offered advice.
Success. I exercised in five days out of week - several experts say five days is optimal, so there you have it. According to this article, running has several benefits, and it leads to a healthier life. (http://www.jconline.com/article/20090421/LIFE03/904210301/-1/LIVING)
It strikes me that most running benefits come much later in life, so I have decided to put this issue (rewards) of reinforcement aside. The basic priniciple underlying my program is this: punish now, reward later. I will continue to punish stagnant, inactive behavior because I know in the future I will say "omg, Jose, thank YOU for having made such a good decision, I am so grateful that you have no idea...". Well, at least I would like this to happen, but no one knows, what if I die before reaching old age. This would be sad, rather tragic in some ways.
To ensure that I get a good grade here is a quick summary of my program, revised and up to date. Running = No immediate rewards, if they do exist...well they're not tangible, and subjective, and well, you get the point. NO Running = Cold shower, (thank you Winston, may Colbert bless you and...), no more AIM for you Jose, do you hear me? I said it, so stop your tantrums and ... AND the third punishment deals with a process now know as "The Transfer of Workouts", a process whereby unfinished business shifts to the weekends. The schedule of reinforcement is simple, and it is based on a 1-day time frame. Suppose I fail to do Monday's workout by 7PM; then, immediately after 7PM, I have to shower with cold water and refrain from using AIM. So, I would say this type of reinforcement is immediate and relies on a fixed- interval approach.
I have made progress; exactly five workouts found their way into the week. Weight lifting = checkmark, I've been lifting light ones though, mostly out of fear, fear of injury. I remember Ray's comment "it's not about how much, but about the results". Anyway, some setbacks happened here and there but overall all fell into place.
What else might I say about operant conditioning...Hmm.? It seems as though by merely thinking about changing my behavior the expected change comes, all by itself.
I would like to thank those of you who offered advice.
Success. I exercised in five days out of week - several experts say five days is optimal, so there you have it. According to this article, running has several benefits, and it leads to a healthier life. (http://www.jconline.com/article/20090421/LIFE03/904210301/-1/LIVING)
It strikes me that most running benefits come much later in life, so I have decided to put this issue (rewards) of reinforcement aside. The basic priniciple underlying my program is this: punish now, reward later. I will continue to punish stagnant, inactive behavior because I know in the future I will say "omg, Jose, thank YOU for having made such a good decision, I am so grateful that you have no idea...". Well, at least I would like this to happen, but no one knows, what if I die before reaching old age. This would be sad, rather tragic in some ways.
To ensure that I get a good grade here is a quick summary of my program, revised and up to date. Running = No immediate rewards, if they do exist...well they're not tangible, and subjective, and well, you get the point. NO Running = Cold shower, (thank you Winston, may Colbert bless you and...), no more AIM for you Jose, do you hear me? I said it, so stop your tantrums and ... AND the third punishment deals with a process now know as "The Transfer of Workouts", a process whereby unfinished business shifts to the weekends. The schedule of reinforcement is simple, and it is based on a 1-day time frame. Suppose I fail to do Monday's workout by 7PM; then, immediately after 7PM, I have to shower with cold water and refrain from using AIM. So, I would say this type of reinforcement is immediate and relies on a fixed- interval approach.
I have made progress; exactly five workouts found their way into the week. Weight lifting = checkmark, I've been lifting light ones though, mostly out of fear, fear of injury. I remember Ray's comment "it's not about how much, but about the results". Anyway, some setbacks happened here and there but overall all fell into place.
What else might I say about operant conditioning...Hmm.? It seems as though by merely thinking about changing my behavior the expected change comes, all by itself.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Entry 5: Progress
Week 5 (19 April 2009 to 25 April 2009)
Hello everyone. Thank you all for the advice. The plan underwent some adjustments throughout the week, and I have made some improvement (exercised for 4 days). I discontinued the use of a journal although I am keeping track of the progress. And what else, since this is an operant conditioning assignment I have been using actual rewards and punishments.
19 of April: Nothing
20 of April: Workout
21 of April: Workout
22 of April: Workout
23 of April: Workout
24 of April: Nothing
25 of April: Nothing
I have ceased using the Daily Show in the program since it proved to be useless. As a reward, I get the pleasure of knowing that one day I’ll pay less in health care costs. Actually, there are no longer any rewards in the program that can be measured. They’re gone, they don’t work for me.
I only use punishments now: for instance, on Friday I was supposed to run, but since it didn’t happen I punished myself by not going on AIM. That’s the only thing I could think of that might really affect the behavior running. Another punishment is a cold shower. I have only used it once, on Friday, and I will continue to use it until this is finished.
Blah
Operant conditioning works more effectively when done on a person, there really isn’t a commitment when a person does it to him/her self. I believe if people worked in groups to use the program on each other then we would see something that could work.
Hello everyone. Thank you all for the advice. The plan underwent some adjustments throughout the week, and I have made some improvement (exercised for 4 days). I discontinued the use of a journal although I am keeping track of the progress. And what else, since this is an operant conditioning assignment I have been using actual rewards and punishments.
19 of April: Nothing
20 of April: Workout
21 of April: Workout
22 of April: Workout
23 of April: Workout
24 of April: Nothing
25 of April: Nothing
I have ceased using the Daily Show in the program since it proved to be useless. As a reward, I get the pleasure of knowing that one day I’ll pay less in health care costs. Actually, there are no longer any rewards in the program that can be measured. They’re gone, they don’t work for me.
I only use punishments now: for instance, on Friday I was supposed to run, but since it didn’t happen I punished myself by not going on AIM. That’s the only thing I could think of that might really affect the behavior running. Another punishment is a cold shower. I have only used it once, on Friday, and I will continue to use it until this is finished.
Blah
Operant conditioning works more effectively when done on a person, there really isn’t a commitment when a person does it to him/her self. I believe if people worked in groups to use the program on each other then we would see something that could work.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Week 4 Progress
This entry is about the week from the 12th of April to the 18th of April.
What?
I have failed miserably. I really have (at least for this one week). For those of you who have been following the blog, here is the truth. I have not taken to using a journal of any kind; as a matter of fact I have not even been running. Actually, to be fair, I ran at least once - on Thursday the 16th and in total, roughly 5 miles were completed. It follows then, that four out of the five workouts were skipped. In terms of delivering reinforcement/punishment I failed to abide by the rules of the program. As a negative reinforcer, stress did not seem to be a motivating factor since I dealt with it perfectly and managed not to go insane. As a positive reinforcer, the runner’s high could not lure me into repeating the behavior, running. In fact, as the week passed I found myself sitting in a desk, in the living room, in the classroom, in the library… constantly trying to summon the will to run. But I couldn’t do it. Perhaps the program is an utter failure or it may be that I no longer enjoy running. This is a scary thought, at least to me it is.
Why?
One of the reasons the plan has failed so far is obvious to me, and to Winston I would say, and to any one who loves the Daily Show. (“30 million…it’s a logistical nightmare” – John Oliver). Yes, impulse has taken over reason. I should also mention that I watched all the episodes broadcasted during the week, all FOUR of them ...without any consequences! Thus, relying entirely on a journal as a means to administer punishment was a complete disaster. I definitely need to come up with something better. There are other reasons why the program failed. The mere fact that I have been trying to do it alone, for instance, might explain the lack in progress. A third reason is the amount of schoolwork I’ve been working on. Most of you would agree that this class by itself is a huge load…and then some among us have an urge to read about other things just for the sake…of…learning, no names need be mentioned (Phylicia, Mehwish, Bethany and others…? right?...etc.). Overall, it is inconclusive but I think lack of exercise has led to procrastination, even though this should be an incentive to run. I’ve noticed there is this trend = Rate of exercise goes down, procrastination goes up. Hmm... At least I only delayed posting by one day.
Hmmm….
So, the program failed during the week (12 April to 18 April). This current week, which began on Sunday 19 April, has been steady so far, but I will report this in next week’s entry. Having said that, I do plan to make some adjustments to the program, pull some levers here and there to prevent a downturn in exercise from happening again. I will at least try to do the same amount for every week that remains and see what comes of it.
What?
I have failed miserably. I really have (at least for this one week). For those of you who have been following the blog, here is the truth. I have not taken to using a journal of any kind; as a matter of fact I have not even been running. Actually, to be fair, I ran at least once - on Thursday the 16th and in total, roughly 5 miles were completed. It follows then, that four out of the five workouts were skipped. In terms of delivering reinforcement/punishment I failed to abide by the rules of the program. As a negative reinforcer, stress did not seem to be a motivating factor since I dealt with it perfectly and managed not to go insane. As a positive reinforcer, the runner’s high could not lure me into repeating the behavior, running. In fact, as the week passed I found myself sitting in a desk, in the living room, in the classroom, in the library… constantly trying to summon the will to run. But I couldn’t do it. Perhaps the program is an utter failure or it may be that I no longer enjoy running. This is a scary thought, at least to me it is.
Why?
One of the reasons the plan has failed so far is obvious to me, and to Winston I would say, and to any one who loves the Daily Show. (“30 million…it’s a logistical nightmare” – John Oliver). Yes, impulse has taken over reason. I should also mention that I watched all the episodes broadcasted during the week, all FOUR of them ...without any consequences! Thus, relying entirely on a journal as a means to administer punishment was a complete disaster. I definitely need to come up with something better. There are other reasons why the program failed. The mere fact that I have been trying to do it alone, for instance, might explain the lack in progress. A third reason is the amount of schoolwork I’ve been working on. Most of you would agree that this class by itself is a huge load…and then some among us have an urge to read about other things just for the sake…of…learning, no names need be mentioned (Phylicia, Mehwish, Bethany and others…? right?...etc.). Overall, it is inconclusive but I think lack of exercise has led to procrastination, even though this should be an incentive to run. I’ve noticed there is this trend = Rate of exercise goes down, procrastination goes up. Hmm... At least I only delayed posting by one day.
Hmmm….
So, the program failed during the week (12 April to 18 April). This current week, which began on Sunday 19 April, has been steady so far, but I will report this in next week’s entry. Having said that, I do plan to make some adjustments to the program, pull some levers here and there to prevent a downturn in exercise from happening again. I will at least try to do the same amount for every week that remains and see what comes of it.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Week Three: Design Your Program!!!
A program based on operant conditioning…
So, I want to become more active… to strike a balance between schoolwork and exercise. I also want to prepare both mentally and physically for XC. At some point, I expect to reach the mindset I had before the injury. I used to enjoy going out on a long run… I currently see running/exercising as just part of a daily routine – and it often leads into questioning of why I even run. Running, however, will not become a high priority since overdoing it might lead procrastination in schoolwork.
Basic Facts About The Plan:
I will use the principles laid out in an article in the following website:
http://www.best-running-tips.com/increasing-mileage-safely.html
These principles hold that the most important thing about running and avoiding injuries is listening to your body. I must learn how to be a good listener…
Also, I will divide the exercise into weekly chunks, five out of seven days - and only use Monday through Friday AND build up gradually, as some have suggested…
Positive Reinforcement:
I will reward active behavior (running) by watching the Daily Show (a cable-comedy news show…Yay!) every time I complete a successful workout. That is, I get to see it from Monday through Thursday since it does not come out on Fridays. A second positive reinforcer (which some will find quite disturbing) is the state of “high” that ensues after running. Yes, this may sound shocking, but running = getting high, at least in some ways. The article below explains how this happens, this natural, legal way of getting high?...?!..because in order to endure long distances, our bodies have ways to fight pain and fatigue. I lack the specifics on this interesting subject about human physiology, but if you would like to know more, just follow the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/health/nutrition/27best.html?n=Top/News/Health/ Columns/Personal%20Best
Negative Reinforcement:
A negative reinforcement in the plan is the removal of stress. I will surely rid myself of stress and in doing so I might motivate myself to repeat the behavior…which is running. ><
A second negative reinforce is a journal entry of missing workouts. Suppose I begin the week by not running on Monday…then I will punish myself by writing the miles down on a journal. This journal will serve two purposes: 1) it will keep an account of progress and 2) it will track the missing workouts. These workouts will shift to Saturdays and to the Sundays if necessary.
Schedules of Reinforcement:
I will reinforce the behavior (running) by using a variable-interval approach. One session of running equals one episode of the Daily Show. I will have to wait an average of 24 hours to receive reinforcement, so whether I run in the morning or night is not important…as long as I run once a day for five days.
The runner’s high usually follows after every run - starting during or right after. So, this “high” will be harder to quantify but it falls into the fixed-ratio category, since one workout equals one dose of high. The journal entries will also fall in the fixed-ratio category. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
So, I want to become more active… to strike a balance between schoolwork and exercise. I also want to prepare both mentally and physically for XC. At some point, I expect to reach the mindset I had before the injury. I used to enjoy going out on a long run… I currently see running/exercising as just part of a daily routine – and it often leads into questioning of why I even run. Running, however, will not become a high priority since overdoing it might lead procrastination in schoolwork.
Basic Facts About The Plan:
I will use the principles laid out in an article in the following website:
http://www.best-running-tips.com/increasing-mileage-safely.html
These principles hold that the most important thing about running and avoiding injuries is listening to your body. I must learn how to be a good listener…
Also, I will divide the exercise into weekly chunks, five out of seven days - and only use Monday through Friday AND build up gradually, as some have suggested…
Positive Reinforcement:
I will reward active behavior (running) by watching the Daily Show (a cable-comedy news show…Yay!) every time I complete a successful workout. That is, I get to see it from Monday through Thursday since it does not come out on Fridays. A second positive reinforcer (which some will find quite disturbing) is the state of “high” that ensues after running. Yes, this may sound shocking, but running = getting high, at least in some ways. The article below explains how this happens, this natural, legal way of getting high?...?!..because in order to endure long distances, our bodies have ways to fight pain and fatigue. I lack the specifics on this interesting subject about human physiology, but if you would like to know more, just follow the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/health/nutrition/27best.html?n=Top/News/Health/ Columns/Personal%20Best
Negative Reinforcement:
A negative reinforcement in the plan is the removal of stress. I will surely rid myself of stress and in doing so I might motivate myself to repeat the behavior…which is running. ><
A second negative reinforce is a journal entry of missing workouts. Suppose I begin the week by not running on Monday…then I will punish myself by writing the miles down on a journal. This journal will serve two purposes: 1) it will keep an account of progress and 2) it will track the missing workouts. These workouts will shift to Saturdays and to the Sundays if necessary.
Schedules of Reinforcement:
I will reinforce the behavior (running) by using a variable-interval approach. One session of running equals one episode of the Daily Show. I will have to wait an average of 24 hours to receive reinforcement, so whether I run in the morning or night is not important…as long as I run once a day for five days.
The runner’s high usually follows after every run - starting during or right after. So, this “high” will be harder to quantify but it falls into the fixed-ratio category, since one workout equals one dose of high. The journal entries will also fall in the fixed-ratio category. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Monday, April 6, 2009
Week 2: Baseline Behavior
Week 2: Baseline Behavior
Hello everyone this is Jose’s Blog and you’re reading entry #2. So, I have exercised for about a week (week 1) and kept track to see what my baseline behavior looks like. From what I know, baseline behavior is supposed to be the BEFORE part of this project. By observing and keeping track of my behavior, I think I changed it slightly - it could have been different (maybe I ran more than I would have had under no supervision). Anyway, I still believe that the following is a fair analysis of my baseline behavior:
- Frequency (days/week): 3 out of 7 days
- Intensity: Logged in about six miles give or take one mile.
- Other Activities: Managed to lift weights in two out of the seven days.
- General Overview: Felt absolutely no pain in my foot – after three months of recovery,
I can say that I am ready to start doing more.
March Monday 30, 2009: I jogged for about twenty minutes – I felt my legs collapsing
underneath me.
March Tuesday 31, 2009: No exercise; I did stretch for a few minutes in my living room
though.
April 1, 2009: Weight lifting! (For about 30 minutes)
April 2, 2009: I jogged for another twenty minutes. 20 minutes per day is
supposed to be the recovery standard for people that are trying to
make a comeback.
April 3, 2009: Another twenty minutes of jogging…
April 4, 2009: No exercise. Period.
April 5, 2009: Weight lifting again…for another 30 minutes.
Operant Conditioning Affects Unwanted Behavior?
Operant Conditioning might actually be blocking me from making real progress towards getting in shape but I don’t know how. In any case, I will use some sort of journal to write down all the exercising I will be doing on a daily basis. The journal will be useful to me in many ways – I will use it to keep track of progress and to make wiser decisions. And the journal itself may become some sort of positive reinforcement as it will surely push me to run more.
The following is an article that I found interesting:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/pmr/stressfx.cfm
I learned quite a bit about stress fractures from reading this article. Bob Wilder (the author) claims that after 4 – 6 weeks of having a stress fracture a person can resume on a normal schedule of activity. Wilder says that starting out slowly is the best way to prevent future injuries.
Hello everyone this is Jose’s Blog and you’re reading entry #2. So, I have exercised for about a week (week 1) and kept track to see what my baseline behavior looks like. From what I know, baseline behavior is supposed to be the BEFORE part of this project. By observing and keeping track of my behavior, I think I changed it slightly - it could have been different (maybe I ran more than I would have had under no supervision). Anyway, I still believe that the following is a fair analysis of my baseline behavior:
- Frequency (days/week): 3 out of 7 days
- Intensity: Logged in about six miles give or take one mile.
- Other Activities: Managed to lift weights in two out of the seven days.
- General Overview: Felt absolutely no pain in my foot – after three months of recovery,
I can say that I am ready to start doing more.
March Monday 30, 2009: I jogged for about twenty minutes – I felt my legs collapsing
underneath me.
March Tuesday 31, 2009: No exercise; I did stretch for a few minutes in my living room
though.
April 1, 2009: Weight lifting! (For about 30 minutes)
April 2, 2009: I jogged for another twenty minutes. 20 minutes per day is
supposed to be the recovery standard for people that are trying to
make a comeback.
April 3, 2009: Another twenty minutes of jogging…
April 4, 2009: No exercise. Period.
April 5, 2009: Weight lifting again…for another 30 minutes.
Operant Conditioning Affects Unwanted Behavior?
Operant Conditioning might actually be blocking me from making real progress towards getting in shape but I don’t know how. In any case, I will use some sort of journal to write down all the exercising I will be doing on a daily basis. The journal will be useful to me in many ways – I will use it to keep track of progress and to make wiser decisions. And the journal itself may become some sort of positive reinforcement as it will surely push me to run more.
The following is an article that I found interesting:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/pmr/stressfx.cfm
I learned quite a bit about stress fractures from reading this article. Bob Wilder (the author) claims that after 4 – 6 weeks of having a stress fracture a person can resume on a normal schedule of activity. Wilder says that starting out slowly is the best way to prevent future injuries.
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