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Changing Stressful Behaviors. Chapter 13. “Unless we change directions, we are liable to end up where we are headed…”. “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” - Roger Von Oech.
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Changing Stressful Behaviors Chapter 13 “Unless we change directions, we are liable to end up where we are headed…”
“The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” - Roger Von Oech
“I didn’t come to be told I’m burning the candle at both ends,” said a patient to his doctor. “I came for more wax.”
How People Change • Doctors – 3% • Self help groups – less than 3% • Friends – 14% • Family – 21% • Spouse/significant other – 29% • People on their own – 30% Gallup Poll 1990
Your Attitude on Change • I won’t • I can’t • I will try • I can • I will • I commit Can’t is a will that refuses to succeed
Locus of Control • Locus of control: Perception of one’s control over events that affect one’s life • (Use Lab Assessment 7.5 p.164 to identify your locus of control) • Use Lab Assessment 13.4 as a guide to reducing stressful behaviors
Behavior Change • Hear a good idea 20% • Develop a plan 40% • Decide when to implement plan 55% • Discuss with another (commits) 80% • Set a future date for accountability 95%
Health and Lifestyle Behaviors • Health Behavior: Activities taken by people who believe themselves to be healthy and that are designed to maintain health; a subclass of lifestyle behaviors • Examples: limiting sugar and salt in your diet, avoiding smoking cigarettes, exercising • Before you can change health-related behaviors, you must identify behaviors that need to be changed (Lab Assessment 13.1) • Lifestyle Behavior: All of the activities in which people engage • Examples: daily chores, going to school or work, meeting new people, listening intently to a lecture (Lab Assessment 13.2)
Types of Conditioning • Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) • Stimulus produces physiological reflex • Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner) • Reward / punishment • Modeling • Concept of imitation
Barriers to Changing Behavior--- reasons given as preventing one from engaging in certain activities • Cost • Embarrassment • Family responsibilities • Inconvenience • Lack of family support • Lack of proper facilities/equipment • Lab Assessment 13.3 • Fatigue • Not available • Other people • Pain/discomfort • Time • Transportation • Weather • Work responsibilities
Methods for Decreasing Stressful Behaviors • Self-monitoring: Observing and recording behavior • Tailoring: Making changes specific to the life of the individual • Material reinforcement: Rewarding a behavior with a tangible object • Social reinforcement: Rewarding a behavior with social approval • Social support: Emotional or informational support from a friend
Methods for Decreasing Stressful Behaviors (cont.) • Self-contracting: Making a contract with oneself to change behavior • Contracting with a significant other, a person who is important to you • Shaping: Changing behavior a little at a time • Reminders: Receiving messages to promote behavior change • Self-help groups • Professional help
Application of Behavior-Change Techniques • Example: Exercise • Identify desired behavior • Identify barriers • Self-monitor behavior • Write a self-contract or contract with a significant other • Tailor the program • Include material or social reinforcement • Shaping: start with an easy program • Use reminders • Consider using self-help groups or professional help © 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
Behavior Change Theories and Stress • Stages of Change Theory • Precontemplation- unaware of the problem or need to change • Contemplation- thinking about change, but no action taken yet. • Decision/determination- start planning change/action. • Action- implementing management program. • Maintenance- continuing the changed behavior over time.
Behavior Change Theories and Stress (cont.) • Self-Efficacy Theory • Confidence in ability to carry out the change is predictor of success • Four ways to increase confidence: • Performance attainment- nothing succeeds like success. • Vicarious experience- influenced by observing others. • Verbal persuasion- “you can do it” • Physiological state- receive information from our level of stress.
Behavior Change Theories and Stress (cont.) • Theory of Reasoned Action • Behaviors are a result of attitudes, norms, and intentions. Intent has been shown as the best predictor of the behavior actually being performed. • Theory of Planned Behavior • Adds the variable of amount of perceived control
Goal-Setting Theory • Moderately difficult goal is best • Establish proximal and distal goals • People with higher self-efficacy set higher goals • Self-efficacy and importance assigned to goal are predictors of success • Core properties include specificity and difficulty of goal, anticipated benefits, and feedback
Effective Goal Setting • Be specific about the goal and how difficult it is to achieve. • What are the anticipated effects of achieving the goal? • Feedback regarding the goal.