Behavior Modification

Nicholas Mackay

N01042976

Behavior Modification: Increasing Duration of Daily Exercise

The target behavior I chose to modify is the quantity of time that is spent exercising each
day. As it stood when I began I had dedicated no time whatsoever to exercise. The only physical
activities that I engaged in were unintentional. Physical activity was a cost or perhaps a byproduct of other activities. The physical demands of my daily activities were of no significant
consequence. They mainly involved moving a pen or climbing a flight of stairs. My intention
was to increase my intentional physical exercise from 0 minutes a day to 30 minutes a day. I
chose brisk walking as my physical activity to perform. I chose walking because it is the activity
that could be most easily and seamlessly integrated into my lifestyle. The period of modification
spanned from November 12, 2014 to November 22, 2014.
An increase in my level of exercise is a worthwhile modification for a variety of reasons.
Exercise has been shown to improve ones mood (Lane, A. M., Crone-Grant, D., & Lane, H. ,
2002). Depression and other mood disorders are very common (Wood, S., Wood, E., Boyd, D.,
Wood, E., & Desmarais, S. , 2011). Thus it is a responsible choice to exercise in order to reduce
the likelihood of those disorders developing. It has been shown to improve the health of ones
heart and reduce the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease (Shephard, R. J., & Balady,
G. J. , 1999). Considering that cardiovascular disease is one of the most deadly and common
medical conditions it is critical to make an effort to prevent it (CDC Website, 2014, May 8).
Finally, it is my opinion that the individuals that exercise are healthier looking and are more
attractive as a result. Those who are attractive tend to do better in life. The result of my original
behavior was low activity tolerance and, based on my perception, decreasing muscle mass.
Fortunately it had not yet led to weight gain or any other health problems that have been
identified.

Behavior Modification

Nicholas Mackay

N01042976

I suspected the cause of my original behavior (not exercising) was largely a product of
over convenience. In the instances where I could have engaged in 30 minutes of brisk walking I
was instead presented with cheap and easy access to a bus or, more rarely, a car. The bus was
faster and warmer than walking but it had unintended results for my health. It was a comfortable
choice to make as opposed to walking. This convenience and comfort would have to be
overcome through appropriate stimulus.
In order to modify my behavior I produced a plan based on operant conditioning (Wood,
S., Wood, E., Boyd, D., Wood, E., & Desmarais, S., 2011). Operant conditioning is a means of
learning in which a subject reacts to the consequences of its behavior by changing its behavior.
The consequences must be either desirable to the subject because it is pleasant (i.e. positive
reinforcement) or something that the subject wishes to avoid because it is unpleasant (i.e.
negative reinforcement). Both positive and negative reinforcement increase the rate of response.
Through operant conditioning I sought to increase my rate of response with regards to brisk
walking.
My plan was simple and modest as a result of my limited timeframe and level of
experience with regards to applied behavior modification. As I have stated, my intention was to
walk briskly for 30 minutes each day. I would be raising this quantity of time from essentially 0
minutes of intentional exercise in the form of walking. I would measure and record the quantity
of time that was spent walking. In most cases this exercise would simply be a result of replacing
a bus ride with walking. By using google maps I determined that the distance between the
nearest subway station and my home is a 30 minute walk. On school days I would walk this
distance and on other days I would walk for 30 minutes under other circumstances. My plans
implementation spanned from November 12, 2014 to November 22, 2014.
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Behavior Modification

Nicholas Mackay

N01042976

I used positive reinforcement in the form of food, specifically a clementine, as a

consequence of at least 30 minutes of brisk walking. I chose a clementine as my reinforcer
because it is a primary reinforcer in that it does not depend on learning and therefore I suspect it
is more reliable for eliciting a response. I also particularly value clementines as a delicious treat.
I only allowed myself to consume clementines that I had earned through the desired response.
This scarcity of clementines made them more valuable to me and therefore they were more
effective as a reinforcer (Verhallen, T. M., & Robben, H. S., 1994). I used continuous
reinforcement, in that I consistently rewarded 30 minutes of walking with one clementine, in my
plan because it conditions a response quickly and it is simpler to use.
I used negative reinforcement in the form of an annoying sound that was relieved when
the desired response was given. When I exited the train at the station nearest to my home I
played a loud, high pitched sound in my earphones and only if I had exited the station and
committed to walking home for 30 minutes would the sound be deactivated. If I took the bus it
would play for 30 minutes or if I decided to exit the bus early and walk for the proper quantity of
time. On days that I did not have a train ride I would play the annoying track at 1pm for either 30
minutes or until I had begun my 30 minute walk. This is another example of continuous
reinforcement.
I discussed my plan with my family and asked them to monitor my behavior and to help
enforce my system. They agreed to do so. They did not honour our agreement despite the
accurate reports of my activities. Perhaps there were not sufficient incentives, awareness, or
ability on their part. This was a learning experience with regards to observers and enforcers.

Behavior Modification

Nicholas Mackay

N01042976

Minutes of Brisk Walking

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Nov-12 Day 2 Nov-14 Nov-15 Nov-16 Nov-17 Nov-18 Nov-19 Nov-20 Nov-21 Nov-22
Minutes of Brisk Walking

The strategies I employed were mostly effective during the timeframe that the plan was
implemented. There were only two days in which I did not meet my goal of 30 minutes of brisk
walking each day. These failed days were the result of poor weather. My behavior was changed
in a desirable way. It seemed to me that the clementines were more effective than avoiding the
unpleasant sound as a means of changing my behavior but this cannot be proven at this time.
Overall the project was inherently somewhat flawed because the subject and pseudo therapist
were one and the same. At any time I could have overridden any aspect of the plan. I do not
believe that this format of behavior modification would be very effective for changing a behavior
that the subject was not already in favor of changing. It also relies on a great deal of selfdiscipline in order to implement the plan. This willpower could more simply be used to directly
choose to modify ones behavior. Still, the results show that operant conditioning continues to be
a powerful means of affecting learning in subjects. The behavior has yet to become extinct as of
November 26, 2014 and therefore I have learned to change my sedentary behavior.
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Behavior Modification

Nicholas Mackay

N01042976

References
CDC Website (2014, May 8). Leading Causes of Death. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
Hamermesh, D. S. (2011). Beauty pays: Why attractive people are more successful. Princeton
University Press.
Jebb, S. A., & Moore, M. S. (1999). Contribution of a sedentary lifestyle and inactivity to the
etiology of overweight and obesity: current evidence and research issues. Medicine and Science
in Sports and Exercise, 31(11 Suppl), S534-41.
Lane, A. M., Crone-Grant, D., & Lane, H. (2002). Mood changes following exercise. Perceptual
and motor skills, 94(3), 732-734.
Shephard, R. J., & Balady, G. J. (1999). Exercise as cardiovascular therapy. Circulation, 99(7),
963-972.
Verhallen, T. M., & Robben, H. S. (1994). Scarcity and preference: An experiment on
unavailability and product evaluation. Journal of Economic Psychology, 15(2), 315-331.
Wood, S., Wood, E., Boyd, D., Wood, E., & Desmarais, S. (2011). Learning. In The World of
Psychology (7th ed., pp. 136-145). Toronto: Pearson.