Download strategies for behavioral change

ACE Personal Trainer Manual
5th Edition
Chapter 4: Basics of Behavioral Change and Health Psychology
Lesson 4.2
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• After completing this session, you will be able to:
 Identify the primary principles of behavioral change
(operant conditioning, shaping, and observational
learning)
 Identify strategies for behavioral change, including
stimulus control, written agreements, behavioral
contracting, and cognitive behavioral techniques
 Implement basic behavior-change and healthpsychology strategies to help clients adherence to
their exercise programs
© 2014 ACE
PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• The adoption of physical activity is a complicated process that
requires replacing sedentary behaviors with healthy, active
behaviors.
• This process of behavioral change is a gradual progression that
requires effort, dedication, and commitment.
• A personal trainer must understand the factors that control
behavior:
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© 2014 ACE
Operant conditioning
Shaping
Observational learning
Cognitions and behavior
PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Operant conditioning is the process by which behaviors are
influenced by their consequences and examines the
relationship between:
 Antecedents
 Behaviors
 Consequences
• Operant conditioning examines the behavior chains that
lead to the engagement of certain behaviors and the
avoidance of others, taking into account the consequences
associated with each behavior:
 Behaviors are strengthened when they are reinforced.
 By using reinforcements, positive behaviors have
consequences that increase the likelihood of the behavior
happening again.
© 2014 ACE
PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• The consequence following a behavior will influence the
future occurrence of that behavior.
• Positive reinforcement:
 The presentation of a positive stimulus
 Increases the likelihood that the behavior will reoccur
• Negative reinforcement:
 The removal or avoidance of aversive stimuli following the
undesirable behavior
 Also increases the likelihood that the behavior will reoccur
© 2014 ACE
PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Extinction:
 Occurs when a positive stimulus that once followed a behavior is
removed
 Decreases the likelihood of the behavior reoccurring
• Punishment:
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Consists of an aversive stimulus following an undesirable behavior
Decreases the likelihood of the behavior reoccurring
Increases fear
Decreases enjoyment
Must be used sparingly and only when appropriate
• It is important that trainers learn to provide appropriate feedback and
consequences to clients’ behaviors.
• Actions that are done well should be positively reinforced and actions
that need improvement should not be ignored.
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Stimulus control refers to making adjustments
to the environment to increase the likelihood
of healthy behaviors, such as:
 Choosing a gym that is in the direct route
between home and work
 Keeping a gym bag in the car that contains all
the required items for a workout
 Having workout clothes, socks, and shoes laid
out for early morning workouts
 Writing down workout times as part of a
weekly schedule
 Clients surrounding themselves with other
people interested in being active
• The overall goal of stimulus control is to make
being physically active as convenient as
possible.
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Written agreements and behavioral contracting are effective
behavior-change tools that can be used together or on their
own to help people stick with their exercise programs.
• Written agreements:
 Should be developed first before contracts
 Can be between the personal trainer and client or just by the
client
 Should outline the expectations of the client and the trainer
 Decrease ambiguity and clarify the roles of all people involved
 Should be so specific that behaviors, attitudes, and commitments
are clearly outlined
 Will only be effective if the client has an active role in its
development
 Should be reviewed and adjusted at all program-modification
points
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Once a written agreement has been
established, an effective behavioral
contract should be created.
• Behavioral contracts:
 Are created by both the personal
trainer and client
 Should outline a system of rewards
for maintaining the program and
maximizing adherence
 Rewards must be outlined by the
client.
 Rewards must be meaningful or they
will not be perceived by the client as
worth the effort.
 Must be revised and updated as
goals are met and programs are
modified
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Cognitive behavioral techniques are effective
tools that influence behavioral change by
targeting how people think and feel about
being physically active.
• When using cognitive techniques, one must:
 Identify problematic beliefs that are barriers
to change
 Change the obstructive thoughts
• Effective cognitive behavioral techniques
include:
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© 2014 ACE
Goal setting
Feedback
Decision making
Self-monitoring
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Goal setting is one of the most widely used
and straightforward cognitive behavioral
techniques.
• In order for goal setting to be most effective,
goals must:
 Be included as a regular part of the exercise
program
 Be written following the SMART goal
guidelines (specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time-bound)
 Clients should always be aware of what they
are working toward and what it will take to
get there.
 Personal trainers should be able to clearly
guide clients through the goal-setting
process and help them understand how to
set effective and appropriate goals.
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Extrinsic feedback is most common and includes the
reinforcement and encouragement that personal trainers
give to their clients.
• As efficacy and ability build, trainers should:
 Taper off the amount of external feedback they provide
 Encourage clients to start providing feedback for themselves
• Long-term program adherence is dependent on a client’s
ability to provide internal feedback.
• Clients must learn to reinforce their own behaviors by
providing internal encouragement, error correction, and even
negative consequences.
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Decision making is reflective of a client’s ability to control a
situation and choose appropriately among alternative
courses of action.
• Personal trainers can teach effective decision-making skills by
giving clients control over their own program participation.
• It is important that personal trainers:
 Do not make every decision and micromanage their clients’
programs
 Provide their clients the information needed to determine the
outcome of their programs
 Continuously educate their to give them the knowledge they
need to be successful on their own
© 2014 ACE
STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• Self-monitoring helps a client keep track of program
participation and progress, or lack thereof.
• Self-monitoring is also:
 An information-gathering process that will help clients
and trainers identify potential barriers to success
 Most effective in the form of keeping a journal that
records thoughts, experiences, and emotions
 Extremely helpful in developing an effective plan for
long-term adherence
• Only committed clients will be able to successfully selfmonitor, as it requires honesty and self-reflection.
© 2014 ACE
IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES FOR BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
• No assessment tool is available that personal trainers can
give to their clients that will provide all the information
they need about self-efficacy, health beliefs, and readiness
to change.
• Therefore, it is essential for the personal trainer to be able
to:
 Use effective and consistent communication to gain a better
understanding about each client
 Gather information through effective communication and
observation for use in the program design and
implementation
 Continually gather information about the client’s attitudes,
thoughts, and beliefs as part of each training session
 Make minor adjustments and modifications to the program
on an ongoing basis
 Use feedback to be aware of the changes occurring with the
client and make appropriate adjustments that maximize
adherence
© 2014 ACE
PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIORAL CHANGE
Think about your own daily routine and how you may
already be using some of the principles of behavioral
change in your own life.
Are there any techniques you can encourage your clients
to use to improve their program adherence or adoption
of sustained healthy lifestyle changes?
© 2014 ACE
SUMMARY
• Helping others make changes in their exercise behaviors
is a challenging and ongoing process.
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It requires a personal trainer to excel at
communication, rapport building, and program design.
• A firm understanding of the theoretical behavior models
will provide personal trainers with the knowledge
required to help their clients make lasting behavioral
changes.
• The psychological component of exercise programming
is also an ongoing process.
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© 2014 ACE
Psychological states change and require unique
strategies to help foster positive behavioral
modification.