1.9 Changing Behaviour

Question 1

what are the three assumptions made a out behaviour when trying to assess and change factors are driving a person’s situation

Answer 1

• lawful + follows regular patterns
• if laws of behaviour are known, behaviour can be controlled
• controlling behaviour is desirable

Question 2

why do we focus on behaviours?

Answer 2

1. it’s a good place to start training because behaviour is directly observable and real
2. behaviours often contribute to distress
3. if you can measure something, you can analyse its causes
4. if you understand its causes, you can change it

Question 3

outlien the 9 steps of creating a behaviour change plan

Answer 3

1. decide that the behaviour should be changed
2. determine which aspect of the behaviour is problematic
3. decide how to measure the problematic aspect of the behaviour
4. observe and measure contingencies between the behaviour and its antecedents and consequences
5. develop hypotheses about which antecedents and consequences are important drivers of the behaviour
6. devise a behaviour change plan where you change or establish new relationships between the antecedents and consequences
7. implement intervention and measure the behaviour
8. if the behaviour doesn’t change, return to step 4 (observe + measure contingencies)
9. if the behaviour changes, success!!

Question 4

why is it important to be able to accurately measure behaviour?

Answer 4

• see what causes behaviour (e.g. when you modify some variable)
• allows to determine if an intervention is successful
• identifying critical operant = set up new contingencies and consequences

Question 5

what did pisacreta prove with his creative pigeons?

Answer 5

ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOUR CAN BE REINFORCED
* rewarded creativity of button presses

Question 6

outline observation and pros/cons

Answer 6

• trained observers record behaviour

PROS
* accuracy + reliability
* record quantitative, qualitative, contextual info
* moment-to-moment detail

CONS
* expensive (observers + equipment)
* highly intrusive
* artificial (in lab)

Question 7

outline questionnaire, pros + cons

Answer 7

single survey asking recall of information about daily behaviour

PROS
* quick, easy
* can be done at population level
* qualitative + quantitative

CONS
* recall inaccuracy
* metacognition interference

Question 8

outline daily diaries, pros + cons

Answer 8

participants regularly record their behaviour during the day

PROS
* accurate info about daily activity
* more reliable (limit recall)
* qualitative + quantitative

CONS
* onerous on participant

Question 9

outline momentary assessment, pros + cons

Answer 9

participants prompted at random intervals to record activity

PROS
* limit recall
* qualitative + quantitative

CONS
* accuracy of info requires frequent prompts, can be intrusive

Question 10

outline smartphone apps, pros + cons

Answer 10

behaviour automatically loggs by app/wearable device

PROS
* no ned for recall
* v easy for participant

CONS
* can’t record context/qualitative

Question 11

what are the four steps of empirical assessment to determine whether an intervention is working?

Answer 11

1. observation + data collection
2. interpretation
3. intervention
4. assessment

Question 12

outline the case study of Ann, the complaining little girl

Answer 12

Ann not interacting w kids, just go up to teachers + complain about minor ailments
* intervention: only given adult attention for playing with another child, and minimum for isolate behaviour
* eventually learned intrinsic motivation like playing is fun to reinforce + maintain behaviour

Question 13

define a behavioural trigger

Answer 13

important temporal or physical environmental stimuli/contexts that reliably precede a behaviour

Question 14

define a behavioural driver

Answer 14

a consequence to a behaviour that is immediately reinforcing, maintaining a behaviour that is performed excessively

Question 15

what are the most important things for goal setting success?

Answer 15

• immediate
• well-defined
• achievable
• meaningful

Question 16

in the appeal to fear, define severity

Answer 16

how bad is the outcome if it happens

Question 17

in the appeal to fear, define vulnerability

Answer 17

how likely is it to happen

Question 18

in the appeal to fear, define maladaptive response rewards

Answer 18

how good does it feel to do the old behaviour?

Question 19

in the appeal to fear, define response efficacy

Answer 19

how effective is the behaviour at preventing the outcome

Question 20

in the appeal to fear, define self-efficacy

Answer 20

how able am i to do it?

Question 21

in the appeal to fear, define response cost

Answer 21

what’s it going to cost me?

Question 22

what does an effective campaign to change behaviour do?

Answer 22

appeal to fear AND a call to action

Question 23

what is maladaptive coping and how does it fit into the fear appraisal model?

Answer 23

• avoidance, denial, wishful thinking
• it sits between fear appraisal and coping appraisal, and connects them, PREVENTING intention to act and behavioural change

Question 24

what’s a major problem with social-cognitive theories of behaviour change? and what’s a more significant predictor of whether a person will do ‘healthy’ behaviours?

Answer 24

poor predictor of behaviour change.

significant predictor: if they used to do them.

Question 25

how do you establish behavioural prepotency?

Answer 25

* establish clear triggers * protect these triggers * repetition * sweeten the effort with rewards --> intrinsic rewards for achievement and growth