Behavior Modification Project

Overview
For this project you will attempt to modify your own behavior using operant
conditioning and the principles of behavior modification. You will choose a target
behavior you want to change, observe the behavior, propose a program for changing
the behavior, implement your intervention for at least one week, and then report on
the results. Your final paper will be about ~3-4 pages double-spaced. Include a
recording of all tracked data.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will understand how principles of psychology relate to real-world
behavior by being able to:
● identify how context shapes individual behavior
● correctly identify antecedents and consequences of behavior
● describe practical applications of psychological principles
2. Students will design an operant conditioning program to modify a behavior
3. Students will evaluate the effectiveness of their program in modifying a
behavior

Detailed Instructions

Assignment #1: Identifying Target Behavior

Identify the Target Behavior: Identify a target behavior to be modified, either an

undesirable behavior that you would like to eliminate or a desirable behavior that
you would like to strengthen. The target behavior should be an action that is
observable and measurable. Include in your description how you will measure your
behavior (e.g. numbers of hours on social media, going to the gym at least 3
days/week). You should also describe why you want to change the behavior and
what benefits the change will bring. Behaviors could be things like study habits,
sporting skills, or health habits. Make sure to pick a behavior that you’re comfortable
sharing with me and the class!

Here are some specific examples of behaviors to try to change:

● Reduce smoking/vaping
● Increase vegetable intake
● Reduce amount of time binging TV/Youtube/Streaming
● Reduce amount of time playing video games/on social media
● Increase amount of exercise
● Increase water intake
● Increase getting assignment submitted ahead of due date
● Reduce cramming night before a test

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Assignment #2: Behavior Modification Report

**This project will take 10 days for data collection.

Use this google doc template for the final assignment

1. Collect Baseline Data: After identifying the target behavior and receiving
approval from the instructor, you will monitor your behavior and try to
generate a plausible explanation for why the problem exists. Monitor your
behavior for five days. Keep a record of the target behavior and if it occurred.
You should also record antecedents (what do you think led to the behavior?)
and consequences (how did you feel after engaging or not engaging in the
behavior?) See the example table below. Yours might include different
information depending on your target behavior.

Example Target Behavior Baseline: Eating Junk Food

Date Time Location Target Behavior Additional Notes

9/15 3:00pm Dorm Ate bag of chips Was bored and didn’t eat
room enough at lunch; felt
overstuffed and fatigued
afterward

9/16 8:00pm Yogo Had large soft Hanging out with friends;
Factory serve ice cream had fun hanging out with
friends, but crashed due to
sugar overload

9/17 9:00pm Dorm No junk food all Planned out healthy meals
Room day! for whole day that did not
include junk food, ate
every 2 hours; slept better

9/18 12:00pm Cafeteria Cheeseburger, Didn’t eat breakfast and

french fries, was starving, had to take a
soda, ice cream nap in afternoon

9/19 5:00pm Cafeteria Chicken fingers, Salad didn’t look good,

french fries, cake wanted something quick
and easy, no energy rest of
night

2. Evaluation of Antecedents and Consequences: Discuss the conditions that

seemed to increase/decrease your target behavior. Based on your baseline
data can you determine what stimuli may be present that affects your
behavior? Is there a pattern of antecedents and consequences that

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 Behavior Modification Project
increase/decrease the behavior? In the example above, an antecedent could
be hanging out with friends increases your likelihood of eating junk food. Or
not planning your meals out. A consequence could be feeling blah or getting
better sleep.
3. Design a Program: Now that you better understand your behavior, identify
either a punishment or reinforcer (or both) to increase/decrease your target
behavior. For example, you could reward yourself with extra time on social
media and punish yourself by limiting your use of social media. You want to
identify reinforcers/punishers that will motivate you to change your target
behavior. Once you’ve identified appropriate punishers/reinforcers, explain
how you will use these to change your target behavior with operant
conditioning.

4. Implementation: Implement your program for 5 days and record your results
in a table.

Example Table of Program Implementation

Date Time Location Target Punisher/Rei Comments

Behavior nforcer

9/22 9:00pm Dorm No junk food Get to spend Planned out all
room all day 1 hour on meals for day;
social media slept great and
exercised next
morning

9/22 8:00p Yogo Had large No social Had fun with

m Factory soft serve ice media time friends, but
cream tonight didn’t feel good
after eating ice
cream; Pick
different activity
to do with
friends next time

9/23 9:00pm Dorm No junk food Get to spend Planned out all
Room all day 1 hour on meals and didn’t
social media let myself get too
hungry; felt good
and enjoyed my
social media
time

Collect for 2 more days

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 Behavior Modification Project
5. Program Evaluation: After comparing your baseline and program data,
discuss and evaluate your results. The following questions should guide your
evaluation:
a. Did you observe any changes in behavior while implementing your
intervention compared to your baseline data? Be specific and discuss
your tracking data here.
b. What was the overall effect on behavior? Did your program work?
c. Did you make any adjustments to your plan because of what you saw
working or not working?
d. Would you have done anything differently? If so, please include
changes you would have made.
e. How do you see yourself using Operant Conditioning in the future? In
what contexts?
6. Paper Formatting & Submission
a. Should be written in paper format - using complete sentences in
paragraphs.
b. No title page is needed.
c. Use 11 or 12-point font and double-space. Use 1” margins.
d. Proofread your paper for any grammatical, spelling, and formatting
errors.
f. Submit your paper to Canvas (word doc or pdf) by the due date.
g. Please note: I will give you feedback and allow a revise/resubmit for a
higher grade if needed.

Grading Rubrics
Assignment #1

Criteria Beginning Approaching Meeting Exceeding

Student failed to Student attempted to Student identified a Student expertly and

identify a target identify a target behavior target behavior that clearly identified a
Identification of behavior but was missing is measurable and target behavior and
Target of Behavior information and/or was observable clearly defined how it
not observable/ would be measured
measurable

Student expertly Student students Student attempted to Student failed to

and clearly describes how they chose describe why they describe why they
Description of why
describes why they behavior but missing chose behavior but chose that behavior
that behavior was
chose that behavior some information or was missing many
chosen
needs more elaboration aspects and/or
included significant
error

Assignment #2

Criteria Beginning Approaching Meeting Exceeding

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 Behavior Modification Project

Student failed to Student attempted to identify Student identified a Student expertly and
identify a target a target behavior but was target behavior that is clearly identified a
Identification of
behavior missing information and/or measurable and target behavior and
Target of Behavior was not observable/ observable clearly defined how it
measurable) would be measured

Student expertly Student students Student attempted to Student failed to

and clearly describes how they chose describe why they describe why they
Description of why
describes why they behavior but missing chose behavior but chose that behavior
that behavior was
chose that behavior some information or was missing many
chosen
needs more elaboration aspects and/or
included significant
error

Student failed to Student included their Student included their Student included their
Tracking Baseline include their baseline baseline data, but was baseline data but some baseline data, it was
Data unclear, missing information, info was unclear or clearly presented and
or inaccurate inaccurate accurate

Student failed to Student attempted to Student accurately Student expertly and

evaluate their evaluate their antecedents evaluate their clearly evaluate their
antecedents and and consequences of their antecedents and antecedents and
Evaluation of
consequences of their target behavior but was consequences of their consequences of their
Antecedents and
target behavior missing many aspects and/or target behavior but did target behavior and
Consequences included significant errors not address all aspects addressed all aspects
or included some
errors

Student failed to Student attempted to Student accurately Student expertly and

accurately summarize summarize their program but summarized their clearly summarized their
Program Design their program was missing many aspects program but did not program and addressed
and/or included significant address all aspects or all aspects
errors included some errors

Student failed to Student included their Student included their Student included their
Tracking Program include their program program data, but was program data but some program data, it was
Data data unclear, missing information, info was unclear or clearly presented and
or inaccurate inaccurate accurate

Student failed to Student attempted to Student accurately Student expertly and

critically evaluate their evaluate their program but evaluated their clearly evaluated their
program was missing many aspects program but did not program and addressed
Program Evaluation
and/or included significant address all aspects or all aspects
errors contained some
inaccuracies

Many errors and poor Several writing errors and/or Well written for the Very well written and
Overall Writing organization that poor organization that most part, some organized; minimal to
spelling, grammar, impede impedes understanding spelling/grammatical no errors in
formatting understanding issues spelling/grammar/forma
tting

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