William StrongPSY 1400Fall 2012

Final Fiesta ProjectWorking Hard to Become A Tough Mudder

Throughout my life, I have always been very interested in sports and working out. However, since being in college and working a new job, I have struggled to find the time and the motivation to continue to workout. Two of my roommates, Andrew and Evan, are also very interested in working out and have talked me into training with them for a Tough Mudder competition in the summer of 2013. Tough Mudder is a fundraiser competition that is a 10-12 mile obstacle course, designed by the British Special Forces to test stamina along with physical and mental strength. Therefore, I have decided to use my final fiesta project as an opportunity to develop a self-management intervention to increase my physical fitness to a level capable of taking on the Tough Mudder competition.

The first step to designing a self-management intervention was to gather baseline data, on myself. A baseline is the phase of an experiment or intervention where the behavior is measured in the absence of an intervention. Baseline measurements were taken for two weeks, prior to initiating the self-management intervention. During baseline, I worked out for thirty minutes in the gym an average of two days per week (one thirty minute session in week one and three thirty minute sessions in week two). Also, during baseline measurements, I ran an average of two miles per week (two miles during each week).

In creating this self-management intervention, my roommates and I looked up recommendations on how to train for a Tough Mudder competition. Most recommendations state that you should prepare for Tough Mudder by being able to run a minimum of five miles, lift a minimum of three days per week, and incorporate full body workouts into your daily weight-lifting routines. Therefore, my roommates and I created a workout routine that resembles the following:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayArm & Chest

WorkoutCrunches &

Pull-UpsLegs & Lower Back Workout

Crunches & Pull Ups

Full Body Workout

Run 2 Miles Run 2 Miles Run 2 Miles Run 2 Miles Run 2 Miles

In order to monitor my progress and stay on task, I enlisted the help of my roommates, in creating a behavioral contract. A behavioral contract is a written rule statement describing the desired or undesired behavior, the occasion when the behavior should not occur, and the added outcome for that behavior. First, a deadline was established in which the five-day workout must be completed (the five workouts must be completed by Sunday, of each week). The deadline principle states that if an indirect-acting contingency is to increase or maintain performance, it should involve a deadline. Also, in order to maintain on task, I must pay each of my roommates a quarter for every workout missed throughout the week. Paying my roommates a quarter for each missed workout was a very aversive condition, as I need quarters in order to complete my

laundry at the end of each week. Therefore, I used a rule-governed analog to avoidance contingency in establishing my self-management intervention. A rule-governed analog to avoidance contingency states there will be an increase in the frequency of a response as a result of a rule stating the occasions when the response will avoid an aversive condition. The rule stated in this contingency by my roommates, was that for every workout missed at the end of the week, I would have to pay each of my roommates a quarter. A rule is a verbal description of a behavior contingency. Also, a behavioral contingency is the occasion (SD) for a response (behavior), the response (behavior), and the outcome of the response (behavior).

Rule-Governed Analog to Avoidance Contingency

In this course, we have learned that all self-management interventions consist of three behavioral contingencies. These three contingencies are the ineffective natural contingency, the performance management contingency, and the inferred direct acting contingency. The ineffective natural contingency occurs because the reinforcement and punishment contingencies that occur naturally in our environment are not effective, as the outcome for each instance of behavior is either too small (though may be of cumulative significance) or too improbable. The performance management contingency is a contingency designed by a person with the intent to increase, decrease, or maintain behavior. The inferred direct acting contingency is the statement of the rule (which describes the performance management contingency) acts as an establishing operation that establishes noncompliance with that rule as aversive. In other words, when you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing, you are in the aversive state of fear. The three contingencies associated with my self-management intervention resembled the following:

Ineffective Natural Contingency

Performance Management Contingency

Deadline: By the end of the week (Sunday night)

Inferred Direct Acting Contingency

I have currently been following this self-management intervention for the last 4 weeks. During the first week, I had to pay both of my roommates three quarters (lost a total of $1.50), as I failed to complete the required workouts on three of the days. The second week was slightly better, having to pay my roommates each two quarters (a total of $1.00), as I failed to complete the required workouts on two of the days. However, I have not missed a single workout in the previous two weeks, which means the self-management intervention has been successful at motivating me and keeping me on task with my daily workouts. Eventually, if I continue to be successful in my self-management intervention, I will begin to notice vast changes in my physical and mental health.

1st Week 2nd Week 3rd Week 4th WeekWorkouts Missed 3 2 0 0

Workouts Attended 2 3 5 5Money Lost $1.50 $1.00 $0.00 $0.00

In order to make training with my roommates more enjoyable and reinforcing, I have decided to implement an avoidance of the loss of a reinforcer contingency. An avoidance of the loss of a reinforcer contingency is the immediate, response contingent prevention of loss of a reinforcer resulting in an increased frequency of that response. If by the beginning of February, I have increased my physical strength and am capable of running five straight miles, without fatigue, then I will sign up for the Tough Mudder competition outside of Detroit, Michigan on June 29th & 30th of 2013. If I complete these requirements, I will sign up to do the event with my roommates, which would be highly reinforcing. The avoidance of the loss of a reinforcer contingency used, resembles the following:

Avoidance of the Loss of a Reinforcer Contingency