Writing Homework Help

Read the article: Controlling Simple Habits

* Read and review all of the information in this lesson including the sample data collection tools, the powerpoint presentation, etc.

* To practice and apply what you have learned in this lesson you will collect some baseline data on a simple habit you have. If you choose to focus on yourself that way you can monitor this daily, hourly, and moment by moment if necessary. For a day, use a chart, calendar, or other data collection tool to collect data on how many times or how often you exhibit the targeted behavior you have selected. Make it simple as this is a practical exercise for you to get some experience and become more comfortable with this process.

* Gather Baseline Data: on the first day, monitor how many times you exhibit the targeted behavior. Do not apply any intervention (do not reward yourself for stopping or substituting the behavior with something more positive or productive). Just monitor and gather baseline data. You must chart this on a checklist, calendar, spreadsheet, etc.

* Decide on a simple intervention: If the simple habit is nail biting, for example, decide to reduce the number of times you bit your nails to XXX (number of times) a day/hour, etc. Make it a manageable number and something obtainable. If you accomplish your goal, reward yourself with something that will be satisfying to you.

* Make sure you consider the concepts of deprivation and satiation when deciding on the reward/positive consequence of achieving your goal. A reward will only be a stronger motivator if you have been deprived of it for a period of time.

* This simple exercise will help you as you move along in your process of collecting data and monitoring your progress toward your A Better Me Plan. It will also help prepare you as you plan on designing your proposed Behavior Modification Project for a program/agency in the Human Services field (see syllabus for details).

Discussion Board: Post your summary of what you did above. Discuss what the process was like.

* Were you able to develop more of an awareness of the “simple habit” by just making the attempt to collect the data and record it? Sometimes we have habits that we are not aware of until someone else points it out to us. We then try to become aware and change this behavior (if it is annoying or bothersome to ourselves or others).

* Were you able to come up with a simple reward or positive consequence for yourself to motivate you to modify or change your behavior? * Was it something you have been deprived of for some time?