Raw Data Collection Project Psychology

Raw Data Collection Project Psychology. Instructions for assignment attached and chapter 1&2 attached.
Personal change for me would be making time for myself for mental health – journaling, spending time outside and selfcare.

Specific requirements: Extra Credit: Personal Change

For this extra credit project, you will be given credit for the completion of the following steps in personal behavior modification/change. While many students have used this project to successfully change a problem behavior, your extra credit points do not depend on the actual success of changing behavior, but on your ability to analyze your current behaviors, plan for change, record implementation of your plan, then analyze the implementation of your plan. In your responses to the parts below, you should demonstrate your understanding of the basic principles of operant conditioning and your ability to critically think about your problem behavior. Your write up should be typed, 4-5 pages minimum (excluding charts of baseline and intervention raw data).

Part I: Preparation and reading self-help material
1. Access the Online Self-help Book at either:
CenterSite.net or
MentalHelp.net

2. Read Chapters 1 & 2 (Self Help, what is it & Understanding the Nature of your problem). Read sections on “How to Apply Self-Help Methods.” (The chapters and readings you choose will depend on what you would like to change). Ensure that the change you would like to make is APPROPRIATE for self-analysis and self-change. (Some behaviors and mental health issues are NOT appropriate for this project; see this section for more info). Then read Chapter 10: Your unique self-help plan. See sample plan 3, on managing stress, to get a sense of how set up a plan by analysis, goal setting and measurement.

Part II: Problem Analysis: Understand your problem
1. Functional Behavioral Analysis of current behavior
Briefly describe your problem you would like to change in one or two sentences. Limit your problem to your own behaviors, be specific and target behaviors that can be “operationally defined” (e.g., “I find college very stressful: I tend to wait to do coursework and readings and don’t study until the night before exams,” “I would like to improve my diet: I only eat one serving of fruit and no vegetables daily,” “I would like to exercise more: right now I exercise for 10 minutes per day less than once a week,” “I would like to have more social contact: I talk to friends once a week or less,” versus general statements like “My mother bugs me,” “I’m a procrastinator,” “I need to improve my sleep habits,” “I have a bad attitude,” “I am lonely” “I think bad thoughts”).

2. History: What might have caused the problem, and how is it currently maintained? Briefly describe how your problem behavior was acquired, if known (e.g. if you learned it recently, or if this has been something that goes back to your childhood), how it is currently reinforced (e.g. if you put off studying until the last minute but have always gotten A’s on tests), and how you have tried to change this behavior in the past, if applicable. Be sure to use psychology terminology if relevant (e.g. “I positively reinforce myself for procrastinating by watching TV instead of studying.” “I once tried negative punishment and wouldn’t allow myself to go to a party when I did not complete the reading assignment.” “Competing contingencies: I tried to change my diet, but there is a lot of snack food in my house, so even though I bought a lot of vegetables, I chose to each the snack food because they make me feel happier than eating vegetables.” “I bought a gym membership, but never used it because at the end of the day when I planned to go to the gym, I felt too tired.”)

3. Define your behavior change goals: Choose 1-3 goals that are manageable to be changed in 3 weeks. For help with goal setting, and how to set achievable goals.

4. Measurement/recording: Without attempting to change your behavior, keep a record of the “baseline” of your problem behavior for two to five days. You may use a diary, chart or other method. You should decide how you want to quantify/operationalize your behavior (the dependent variable(s)) so that you can measure the effectiveness of your intervention (e.g. count how many minutes or hours you actually do study/exercise/sleep, etc., how many servings of vegetables you actually eat a day, come up with a 0-100 rating of your mood, use an activity tracker, etc. (See for example considerations on measuring behaviors.) Depending on the behavior, you should try to record your data at the same time each day for both the baseline period, and the intervention period.

Data recording examples:
Handwritten (mood charts, gratitude journals, mindfulness, cognitive distortions, food diaries, exercise chart)

Mobile apps (apps may be integrated with self-help resources and make data entry more convenient, although if you use apps, you still must turn in your raw data)

Free apps created by the U.S. National Center for Telehealth & Technology, VA,
Military Health System (E.g. T2Mood Tracker, Breathe2Relax, Virtual Hope Box, Positive Activity Jackpot, Tactical Breather)

Part III: Application of Change Techniques and Analysis of Results

1. Read the section from Chapter 5 (Changing Behavior and Thought), that is relevant to what you plan to change. Using the change methods/techniques, provide a description of your specific intervention, which may include a description of reinforcers, punishers, habit chains, triggers, avoidance-motivation, reward-motivation, etc. If you are also using particular learning principles, such as modelling, scaffolding, extinction, etc., describe. Be sure to include a list of 5+ reinforcers for you from your everyday life (e.g. using social media, eating ice cream, watching TV, reading a fun book, going surfing IRL, surfing the internet, etc.)

2. Personal Change Implementation: For 3 weeks, attempt to change your behaviors according to your plan. If not part of your plan, you should also add applying your reinforcers after the appropriate behavior and while extinguishing or punishing your inappropriate or off-task behaviors. As part of self-monitoring, keep brief, daily notes on your progress/problems in implementing your intervention, which should cover issues such as the efficacy of your intervention, and thoughts/feelings you might have.

[Turn in your raw data sheets for 4 weeks with your write up]

3. Describe and analyze the results of your project. Did it work? Why or why not? Did you follow all procedures? Provide immediate reinforcement? Extinguish your problem behavior or add desirable behavior? Which of the elements seemed most and least important to your success/failure? Include suggestions for future interventions, if your attempt at change was not successful.