Pavlov is Drooling, and So Are You.

Ever since taking "rat lab" my senior year of college, I have been fascinated by Behaviorist principles.

The basic idea of Behaviorism (for all of you non-psych majors) is that neither humans nor animals have free will (or souls). We are creatures of our environment- everything in our environment shapes our behavior.

For example, if someone rewards us, we are more likely to perform that same behavior again (positive reinforcement).

If someone punishes us, we are less likely to perform that behavior again (punishment, or negative reinforcement).

Due to the effects of rat lab, I was once convinced that my environment dictated every action and behavior. Although tragic, it's not surprising that the father of Behaviorism (J.B. Watson) committed suicide: it's easy to get carried away with these principles.

Despite that, there are positive aspects (no pun intended) to Behaviorism. If we assume that humans do have control over their environment, then they can deliberately set up their environment for optimum healthy practices. I will give you a few ideas of how you can do this:

1) Positive Reinforcement: My dearest friend, Maddy Blumgart (whom many of you know), told me that she puts gold stars on her calendar for every time she works out.

This is Behaviorism at it's best. She does not reward herself with brownies (which offsets working out), she simple watches as the stars line up (so many puns!!).

This can also attract additional sources of motivation from friends and family who notice as stars begin filling the calendar. "I noticed you worked out yesterday, great job!" Reinforcement is awesome- sometimes it's exactly what we need to keep us going.

2) Making a Commitment Response: Set yourself up for success.

Behaviorists do not believe that  humans have will-power. If you said to B.F. Skinner, "I can't workout because I'm feeling lazy," he would say, "Impossible! Laziness does not exist! Rather than laziness, you live in an environment that does not help you achieve your fitness goals."

A.  If you plan on working out that day, set your gym bag in front of the door (or wear your workout shoes all day). This will remind you of your goal, and you feel increasingly guilty every moment you ignore it.

B.  Fill your fridge with foods that are healthy and delicious! We are not Ghandi- if there are brownies on the counter, we eat them! Simple. As. That.

(My fridge is looking a little sparse because I just moved in. However, you'll notice what food I have, and don't have).

C.  To go further with this, bring a specific list and a full stomach to the grocery store. Avoid the inner lanes, and stick to the perimeter of the grocery store- this is where you will find fresh produce, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Chips, soda, and other processed foods hang out in the middle aisles.

3) Tell a friend your goals and/or plan. For example, if you want to start running again, TELL someone how you feel. Just by saying it aloud, you commit to it, and you are more likely to carry through with the behavior. 

Take a look around your environment and see if any of this applies to you. Do you keep cookies in your office drawer? Are your running shoes hidden in a box in the basement? If so, you will eat more cookies, and run less. Don't take this personally, it's the environment's fault- not yours.

Make small changes in your environment and you will notice a difference in your behavior. No more excuses!

Xoxoxoxox,
Dana

Here are some environments that encourage healthy behaviors (biking, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, etc); they also encourage not-so-healthy behaviors, like drinking (too many parties!).

 

 

First pic: Sunset over the Continental Divide (Summer 2010)
Second pic: Crested Butte (Winter 2011)