Personal Science

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Personal Science

• Damon Burton Andy Gillham
• University of Idaho

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Self Change Principles

1. Focus
2. Target Behaviors
3. Methods
4. Help
5. Motivation

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Self Change Focus

• Specific target behavior
• Long-term rather than short-term emphasis
• Slow and systematic rather than quick and
  haphazard change
• Plan a program that maximizes your chances of
  success and minimizes your chances of failure

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Self Change Focus

• The longer it takes to reach your self change
  target goal, the higher the probability that the
  behavior change will be permanent.
• Quick fixes lead to temporary changes.
• Slow, systematic and gradual modification of
  behavior promote permanent, life-long changes in
  your lifestyle.

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Self Change Target Behaviors

• Target behaviors you are highly motivated to
  change
• Identify behaviors that will enrich your life and
  make it more rewarding
• Change behaviors for the right reasons
• Emphasize the positives of change

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Self Change Methods

• Change underlying behavior patterns rather than
  just attaining desired outcomes.
• Focus on process NOT outcome
• Be systematic and persistent

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Self Change Help

• Well-designed programs build in social support.
• Support must be from people you trust and can
  count on.
• Support must be readily available and helpful

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Self Change Motivation

• Base self change on intrinsic rather than
  extrinsic motivation.
• Dont rely on will-power
• Design programs to enhance intrinsic motivation
  because they maximize chances of success and
  minimize chances of failure.

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Self Change Objective

• Small, realistic but PERMANENT change in behavior
• Focus on changing behavior patterns (Not
  Outcome)
• Changing outcome without changing underlying
  performance causes yo-yoing (temporary changes)

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Self Change Objective

• Down play Quick Fixes
• Gradually increase desirable behaviors
• Gradually decrease undesirable behaviors
• Reduce, decrease, or
• de-emphasize
• DO NOT ELIMINATE!!

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Personal Science

• Specify general problem area
• Collect data
• Identify patterns and possible problems
• Examine various options and possible solutions
• Narrow the options and experiment
• Compare current data with previous data
• Extend, revise, and replace
  INEFFECTIVE solutions

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Personal Science
General Educationabout Psych Skill
Specific Acquisition andPractice Strategies
Personal Education about Your Level of that Psych
Skill
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Step 1 Specify the Problem Area

• Undertake a self-change program for the right
  reasons.
• Dont do it for others-do it for yourself.
• Feeling like you should or ought to change
  your behavior isnt good enough
• You must be passionate about wanting to change
  your lifestyle to get the level of commitment
  necessary to permanently change a
  long-time habit.

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Step 1 Specify the Problem Area

• Identifying tangible and realistic long-term
  goals helps. For example,
• Lose 10 pounds before cruise or reunion,
• Get in shape for skiing, softball, or camping
  trip
• Compete in a local race, biathlon, or triathlon

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Conduct a Cost/Benefit Analysis

• Make sure your behavior change goal is really
  important by looking at the pros and cons of your
  lifestyle change.
• Benefits must clearly outweigh the costs
  otherwise wait until they do.

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Exercise Program Cost/Benefit Analysis

• COSTS BENEFITS
• time 1. appearance
• discomfort 2. health
• motivation 3. new friends
• lack of support 4. clothes fit
• 5. more energy
• 6. self-esteem
• 7. enjoy life
  more

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Collect Data

• Data must be accurate, so record as soon as
  possible after behavior occurs.
• Data must be complete, so record all desirable
  information in sufficient detail
• Data must include pattern information for all
  discretionary (i.e., choice) behaviors.
• with whom?
• when?
• under what circumstances?
• how?
• thoughts and feelings?

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Discretionary Behaviors

• Discretionary behaviors are any behavior where
  you have a choice about what to do rather than
  being constrained by events or schedule (e.g.,
  study for an hour between classes instead of
  hanging out with friends, eating lunch, playing
  video games or surfing the net).
• Nondiscretionary behaviors are those behaviors
  that you are obligated to perform due to prior
  commitments, convention or schedule (e.g.,
  classes you must attend,
  sport practice, work schedule, dentist
  appointments or tutoring sessions).

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Identify Patterns

• Be a Good Detective Look for Patterns on all
  Discretionary Behaviors
• when?
• where
• with whom?
• under what circumstances?
• why?
• how?

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Examine Options

• Self Change is a problem-solving process.
• You must find answers to your behavior problems
  and generate effective solutions.
• Research confirms that the more solutions you
  generate, the better the quality of those
  solutions.
• Be creative. Think outside the box.
• Use the brainstorming process. Dont evaluate
  your solutions while creating them.

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Narrow to Best Solutions

• Evaluate Your Solutions Carefully
• Is this solution right for and realistic for
  promoting the permanent lifestyle changes you
  want?
• Make sure solutions fit . . .
• your personality, attitudes and values.
• your lifestyle
• your lifestyle constraints, particularly time,
  money, and motivation

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Dietary Example VicWants to Lose Weight

• Patterns
• more calories consumed on weekends
• more calories consumed during the evenings,
  especially while watching TV
• skips breakfast at least 1/3 of the time
• running in the mornings usually leads to another
  workout later

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Vics Chosen Solutions

• run 60 minutes daily before
• 800 AM
• eat breakfast 80 of the time
• get to bed by 1145 PM
• lower calorie snacks 90 of time while watching
  TV
• schedule at least 3 important tasks to do
  each day on the weekends

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2 Weeks of Vics Caloric Intake Data
Kcals
Days
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Turning Solutions into Goals

• Tip 1 - Daily goals are a must but you can
  supplement with weekly goals
• 1800 daily calorie maximum
• Snack 2 times or less per day
• 25 minutes of daily physical activity including
  walking
• Average exercising 30 minutes daily (i.e., 5 days
  _at_ 42 minutes per day)
• Run 35 miles for the week
• Attend 90 of my classes each day

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Turning Solutions into Goals

• Tip 2 Make goals specific and measurable (i.e.,
  performance standard is a numerical value)
• Can use objective criteria that can be easily
  measured/counted (e.g., eat under 2000 calories
  daily or get 25 minutes of physical activity)
• Can also use subjective criteria (e.g., On a 1-10
  scale where 1poor and 10excellent, I want
  my study quality to be a 6.)

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Turning Solutions into Goals

• Tip 3 Make goals realistic for current
  performance capabilities (CPC e.g., 5-15 above
  CPC)
• Permanent changes need goals to increase or
  decrease gradually and realistically.
• To determine your goals optimal self change
  level (OSCL), subtract CPC from goal level and
  divide by CPC (i.e., (Goal CPC)/CPC)
• If your OSCL score is above 15, your goal is
  too challenging to
  promote permanent lifestyle change.

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Turning Solutions into Goals

• Tip 4 Reward successful goal attainment with
  something positive you love to do or buy
  something that will promote further self change.
  
• Purchase new shoes if goal is met 3 straight
  weeks
• Punish goal failure with an activity you hate to
  do.
• Clean toilet
• Help your roommate with math homework

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Marcus Stages of Change Model

• Stage 1 Precontemplation Person isnt
  performing self-change behavior and doesnt
  intend to start. Initial notice of a problem.
• Stage 2 Contemplation Person isnt performing
  the self-change behavior but are thinking about
  starting. Action seriously considered.

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Marcus Stages of Change Model

• Stage 3 Preparation Person recently started
  performing the self-change behavior but not
  consistently enough to get much benefit. Self
  change initiated
• Stage 4 Action Person has maintained the
  self-change behavior consistently for several
  months. Becoming more systematic.

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Marcus Stages of Change Model

• Stage 5 Maintenance Person has maintained the
  self-change behavior consistently for 6 months or
  more and plans to continue doing so. Reached
  habitual stage.
• Stage 6 Relapse Prevention Person encounters
  serious lifestyle change after reaching
  maintenance stage and has to adjust self change
  program to prevent relapse. Making needed
  adjustments to maintain lifestyle change.