By: William Strong

WORKING HARD TO BECOME A TOUGH MUDDER

GETTING STARTED• Participation in sports all throughout high school

• Lack of time/motivation to workout

• My two roommates, Andrew and Evan, talked me into training with them for a Tough Mudder competition on June 29th and 30th in Detroit, Michigan.

WHAT IS TOUGH MUDDER?• A fundraiser for The Wounded Warrior Project

• A 10-12 mile obstacle course

• Designed by the British Special Forces

• Tests an individual’s stamina, physical and mental strength, and their ability to work in a group to accomplish a task

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vh5HdPM_QuE

DESIGNING A SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION: FIRST STEP

• Gather baseline data

• Worked out for 30 minutes/day an average of 2 days/week

• I ran an average of 2 miles/week

DESIGNING A SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION: CREATING A ROUTINE• Looked up recommendations on how to train for a Tough

Mudder competition

• Be able to run a minimum of five miles at a time

• Lift for a minimum of 3 days/week

• Incorporate full body workouts into your daily weight-lifting routines

Created this workout routine:Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Arm & Chest Workout Crunches & Pull-Ups Legs & Lower Back Workout

Crunches & Pull Ups Full Body Workout

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

DESIGNING A SELF-MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION: MONITORING PROGRESS• Enlisted the help of my roommates to create a behavioral contract

• Deadline: the five-day workout must be completed by Sunday, of each week

• For every workout missed, I must pay each of my roommates a quarter

• Losing quarters was aversive, as I need quarters to complete my weekly laundry needs

• This is an example of a Rule-Governed Analog to Avoidance Contingency:

I have completed one

workout

I will have to pay each of my roommates a

quarter

I will not have to pay each of my roommates a

quarter

THE THREE CRUCIAL CONTINGENCIES: INEFFECTIVE NATURAL 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 too small or too improbable.

• The ineffective natural contingency in my self-management intervention is:

• Ineffective in motivating me to workout, as the outcome is too small.

THE THREE CRUCIAL CONTINGENCIES: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT CONTINGENCY

• The performance management contingency is a contingency designed by a person with the intent to increase, decrease, or maintain behavior.

• The performance management contingency in my self-management intervention is:

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

• Effective at maintaining behavior, as it involves the aversive condition of paying each roommate a quarter.

I have completed one

workout

I will have to pay each of my

roommates a quarter

I will not have to pay each of my roommates a

quarter

THE THREE CRUCIAL CONTINGENCIES: INFERRED DIRECT ACTING CONTINGENCY• 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 inferred direct acting contingency in my self-management intervention is:

• Effective at maintaining behavior, through the use of the aversive state of fear.

I have completed one

workout

Fear of having to pay each of my roommates a

quarter

No fear of having to pay each of my roommates a

quarter

RESULTS• Currently been following self-management intervention for 4 weeks

• First week: Paid both roommates 3 quarters ($1.50 total), as I missed 3 workouts

• Second week: Paid both roommates 2 quarters ($1.00 total), as I missed 2 workouts

• Third week: Did not miss any workout sessions. Got to keep all my quarters!

• Fourth week: Did not miss any workout sessions. Got to keep all my quarters!

1st Week 2nd Week 3rd Week 4th Week0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Workouts Missed Workouts AttendedMoney lost

IMPLEMENTING AN AVOIDANCE OF THE LOSS OF A REINFORCER CONTINGENCY • In order to make working out more enjoyable and reinforcing, I have decided to

implement an avoidance of the loss of a reinforcer contingency:

• 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 in Detroit, Michigan on June 29 th and 30th.

• Signing up to do the event with my roommates, that we have been training for, would be highly reinforcing!

• Avoidance of the loss of a reinforcer contingency looks like this:

Will lose opportunity to sign

up for the Tough Mudder

competition by February 1st

Capable of running 5 straight

miles

Won’t lose opportunity to sign up for the Tough Mudder

competition by February 1st

THE ENDThanks for listening!