Improving Cardiovascular Health: If I Can Get Off My Butt

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Improving Cardiovascular Health If I Can Get
Off My Butt

• Psy 671
• Deanna Niemiec
• Dr. Malott
• 8/17/06

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We all know that regular cardiovascular exercise
is necessary to maintain health. But what
exactly makes performing it everyday so
difficult?

• Lack of time?
• Lack of motivation?
• Lack of equipment?
• Theres a good chance it could be one of these OR
  its this..

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LAZINESS!
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Competing Contingencies

• My lack of adequate rest appears to be the reason
  I find it difficult to exercise as consistently
  as I would like.
• I also find my busy schedule interferes with my
  ability to perform cardiovascular exercise on a
  daily basis.

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Natural Competing Contingencies

• I have
• time my
• schedule
• to rest

I perform 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
I have less time in my schedule to rest
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Self Management Intervention

• Target behavior 30 minutes of cardiovascular
  exercise, 6 days a week (Monday-Saturday)
• Intervention I have to pay 1 to my performance
  manager every night (minus Sunday) at 11pm if I
  have not performed 30 minutes of cardiovascular
  exercise.
• Deadline (SD) 11pm every night (Monday-Saturday)
• Start Date 6/26/06
• End Date 8/18/06

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PM Manager Robbie Baldus
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(No Transcript)
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Ineffective Natural Contingencies
I have a slightly better level of health

• I have a
• given level of health

I perform 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
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Performance Management Contingency

• I will lose
• 1 tonight

I perform 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise
I will not lose 1 tonight
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Target Behavior Graph
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Benefit Measure Graph
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Problems During Intervention

• I did not experience many problems during
  intervention.
• Only failed to reach my goal one of the seven
  weeks of intervention (due largely to excessive
  studying).

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Results

• Overall, I have found my project to be a success.
• I have been able to incorporate exercise into my
  daily routine, making it much easier to get in
  the six days a week I wanted to improve my
  cardiovascular health.
• Only lost 1 in the last 7 weeks.

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Recycling

• I would add two things to my project
• First I would allow myself the ability to
  workout on Sundays. This would make my schedule
  a tad more flexible.
• Second, I would up the monetary penalty. Even a
  poor college student would pay a dollar if they
  were tired enough.

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Personal Comments

• I had a lot of fun with this project and may have
  slightly improved my cardiovascular health along
  the way!
• Thank you all for being a wonderful audience

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• Any
• Questions?!