Behavior Beat: A Behavior Analyst’s Perspective on Health Today
by Erin Herndon
From a health perspective, it’s never been harder to sift through the noise of the industry and find what is truthful, what works for you, and what is worth all the hype. But from the perspective of a behavior analyst, there are aspects about the health and wellness industry that could be done more — intangible things, things that mean something to each of us, or things that can mean health from the inside out.
Some of these are in the form of self-management systems, some may help the trainer rather than only the trainee, and some are just important to remember. After all, in a world filled with social media and the ability to compare yourself to others, it just isn’t worth it unless you are focusing on doing something for yourself.
Reinforcement
Treating yourself does not just have to be for your birthday. It belongs in the narratives we say to ourselves throughout our entire lives. Reinforcement is one of the main principles in behavior analysis and when used correctly and consistently, it can act as a literal guarantee for an increase in a targeted behavior.
It comes in many forms as well. Reinforcement gets a rep for only being in the form of “Good job!” or a piece of candy, but it can be so much more than that. Studies have shown increasing behavior-specific praise from trainers in a group exercise class can prompt improvements in the performance of participants right away. This is huge! Just a little extra encouragement for one of your clients could be enough to improve their performance and lead to an overall healthy lifestyle.
Find the reinforcement that works for you. Maybe it is a literal piece of candy you can reward yourself with, or maybe it’s just holding yourself accountable in a network of like-minded fitness friends. If it works for you (and if it’s healthy for you), then go for it!
(That being said, you do NOT have to always earn the candy that you want. It can be yours when you want it to be. Body positive thinking will only lead to a higher likelihood of sticking with your healthy routine.)
Discounting
No, discounting is not your BOGO sale at Target. Discounting is another principle of behavior analysis that has been extensively studied in gambling. It has been primarily studied with the use of hypothetical offerings of money that indicate where a person’s motivation lies and how far they’re willing to go.
When considering an offer of $100 now or $1,000 in a week, you may be tempted to wait for the larger amount. But when increasing the choice to $500 now and $1,000 in 12 months, that may change your decision. We all have that point where we tell ourselves, I’m not willing to go any higher or wait any longer. But where does this point lay in the grand scheme of your workout routine?
I, myself, am guilty of starting strong on Monday, falling off the wagon by Wednesday, and telling myself I will start fresh again on Sunday. That is one of our biggest discounts — waiting until the next opportunity. Believe me, it is definitely not easy, rising above the discounting we all have experienced ourselves, but it can be done by shifting a mindset.
Don’t wait for the next fresh start. Tomorrow is just as productive. If you have goals to eat healthy, order your healthy meal ahead so you don’t get tempted by the greasy food at the counter. Above all, find your narrative. Encouraging yourself is number one in putting that behavioral discounting off to the side.
Self-Management: You have the tools!
I’ve talked a lot about the narratives that we keep and create for ourselves, and that is something that stems from Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT). Through ACT, we focus on the negative thoughts, diffuse them, and transform them into something that is productive and helpful for ourselves. We turn it into something that sounds good, feels good, and keeps us going.
The next time you are feeling down about yourself, take a few moments to sit down, close your eyes, find the negative narrative that is holding you down and replace it with actions.
“I will never find a workout routine” can turn into “I am capable of finding a routine that works for me.”
“I am not good at running” can shift to “I am grateful that my body is capable of carrying me at my own pace.”
Self-management comes in many forms and each person can find their best fit. Maybe it’s in the form of an accountability buddy, or perhaps it is in the form of a self-care journal. Both are proven to help an individual stick to a healthy routine. Avoid pushing off the goals you have in your life, and begin by replacing the narrative and moving in a forward direction.
Erin Herndon is a board-certified Behavioral Analyst currently pursuing her PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is also a certified yoga instructor in her spare time.
References:
Hayes, Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy : the process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Jackson, M. L., Williams, W. L., Hayes, S. C., Humphreys, T., Gauthier, B., & Westwood, R. (2016). Whatever gets your heart pumping: The impact of implicitly selected reinforcer-focused statements on exercise intensity. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 5(1), 48–57. doi:10.1016/j.jcbs.2015.11.002
Leahey, Gorin, A. A., Wyckoff, E., Denmat, Z., O’Connor, K., Field, C., Dunton, G. F., Gunstad, J., Huedo-Medina, T. B., & Gilder, C. (2020). Episodic Future Thinking, Delay Discounting, and Exercise During Weight Loss Maintenance: The PACE Trial. Health Psychology, 39(9), 796–805. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000860
