Steve Sparks

Psy 6718/12/10

The Six Steps of Behavioral Systems Analysis

Analyze the natural contingencies

About a year ago I lost my dental insurance and since then I have been trying to floss more often. Unfortunately each instance of flossing only improves my dental health infinitesimally so the outcome is too small to control my behavior. The operant level of my flossing behavior was three days per week.

Operant level: the frequency of responding before reinforcement.

Real cause of poor self management: Poor self-management results from poor control by rules describing outcomes that are either too small (though often of cumulative significance) or too improbable. The delay isn’t crucial.

Ineffective Natural Contingency

Natural contingency: A contingency that occurs in nature and was not designed by a performance manger to control behavior.

There are many possible natural competing contingencies but since I always floss at night, usually I am really tired and want to jump into bed as soon as possible.

Effective Natural Competing Contingency

Before

Given time to sleep

Behavior

I floss once

After

Slightly less time to sleep

Before

Given level of dental health

Behavior

I floss once

After

Infinitesimally better dental

health

Specify the performance objectivesTo increase my dental health I believe I need to be flossing at

least once a day.

Design an interventionI signed a performance contract with my friend Tim that I have to

pay him a dollar for every day I don’t floss. To prove to him that I did floss I have to send him a picture mail of the dirty used floss, a built in reinforcement contingency.

This performance management contingency is an indirect-acting analog to avoidance of the loss of a reinforcer.Avoidance-of-loss contingency: The response contingent prevention of the loss of a reinforcer resulting in an increased frequency of that response.

After

Infinitesimally better dental

health

After

I won’t owe Tim $1 on Sunday

Ineffective Natural Contingency

Performance-Management Contingency

After

I don’t fear the loss of $1

Inferred Direct-acting Contingency

Before

I will owe Tim $1 on Sunday

Behavior

I floss once

Before

Given level of dental health

Behavior

I floss once

Before

I fear the loss of $1

Behavior

I floss once

Three Contingency Model of Performance Management

Implement the interventionDuring baseline I flossed three times that week, my intervention

was implemented on June 21st 2010.

Evaluate the interventionThe first two weeks I did not meet my goal but after that I have

been almost perfect only missing one day.

Recycle through the previous steps until you reach your objectives

So far I have not needed to recycle but if I start to slip I may have to switch performance managers to my roommate so he can actually witness my flossing.

Goal