Week 8 - oops...

So, the operant conditioning is finally over! Some weeks I got awesome results, others… not so great. However, I think that there were indeed some short term changes to my behavior. I say short term because sadly, I am now procrastinating just as I was before. What I find interesting about this is that now I find it easier to stop procrastinating. In the middle I did improve, even stopping all procrastination for a while, but I think that was partially because I was paying attention to my behavior all the time. Along with this heightened awareness, I knew that I would have to post a blog entry on it, so this also motivated me to stop procrastinating.

I think what worked about my program were the reinforcers. The threat of taking my camera away and turning the internet connection off were extremely effective in getting me to work. My punishments were also effective. Over time, however, I noticed that they became weaker so that I continued my behavior for a while longer before stopping.

The biggest challenge I faced during this experiment was sticking to the program. Because I was my own experimenter, I could influence the number and strength of reinforcers/punishments given. Thus, I found it hard to implement these when I did not want to. I think in order to maintain changes, I would need an experimenter outside of my brain. Although my end results are not very satisfying, I found this assignment valuable. It helped me control my procrastination habits, even if it was for a little while. The biggest thing I got from this blog is that I do not turn assignments in late anymore (this entry is the only exception!). This assignment also helped me learn how much can be done if one refrains from logging onto Facebook. Knowing this valuable piece of information, I have increased my chances of surviving college. So although the operant conditioning was only slightly effective in changing my behavior, I did come away with other benefits.

Week 7 - One minute to go..

SUMMARY: This was a good week. I did not procrastinate too much, but I did not turn anything in early either. ^_^

BEHAVIOR:

THURSDAY & FRIDAY - I worked on schoolwork. Finished math and Arabic homework on time and got positive reinforcement of extra facebook time.

SATURDAY – Volunteered at Children’s Literature Day (ten hours!), not much homework done. But I spent a LOT of time going to y’all’s blogs to find my comments. I put them all in a Word doc and now I’m not stressed about that.

SUNDAY – Barely any procrastination. Completed most of a big project due tomorrow. Studied for soc exam, read the Reader’s Digest for reinforcement.

MONDAY – Soc exam. Worked on big project mentioned above. No hardcore procrastination, but I did spend too much time on YouTube… so I disconnected my internet for an hour (negative punishment).

TUESDAY – Finished Eng homework right before class, printed it during the break =/

I think I will get a bad grade on that one…and that shall be my punishment for procrastinating.

Wednesday – Had to use the reinforcer of post it because I put off a couple things for far too long. I am typing this blog up now! I have read Chapter 15 and will submit the quiz right after this

ANOTHER SUMMARY: I feel good about my behavior right now. I did use some reinforcers and punishments throughout the week. They did not seem to be as effective as they had been before, so I think that with humans, operant conditioning might not always work. Over time, it could lose its impact on the behavior. I may have to find new, stronger reinforcers/punishments, but for now, I really do think that my behavior has changed. Now I can safely say that I am no longer a procrastination addict! =P

Week 6 - Kinda...unique week?

SUMMARY: This week was better than my first week, but I did not show any more improvements in my battle against procrastination. I wasted a lot of time sleeping, facebooking, taking pictures, and doing other things that I did not have time for. I think this behavior occured in part because of my extra-busy schedule this week. I have started taking religious classes every day, right after my last class ends. When I get home around 6pm, I either attend my other classes till 7:30, fall asleep, or go online. This week I used punishments and reinforcements, except for an exception where I took my camera back when I wasn't supposed to (negative punishment) in order to take pictures of a cake I made. I just had to do it!!

BEHAVIOR:
Saturday: I forgot what I did on Sat. Blame the part of my brain that controls that.

Sunday: Worked on Field study paper, and on other bits of incomplete homework. Submitted everything on time. Went to Anaheim for three hours.

Monday: Really busy schedule. Wrote an essay or two that were due on Tuesday, final touches on field paper. This is when I gave my camera to my mom for going on facebook too much. Went to Anaheim for three hours.

Tuesday: Extremely long day. After three classes at Mt. SAC - you guessed it! - I went to Anaheim for three hours. I'll just have to endure one more week of going there every day...
Oh, I finished up something due on Wednesday. Reinforcement. I stayed up really late making a cake for my high school teachers, because it's teacher appreciation week! This is where I had to take my camera back.

Wednesday: I worked on a project due next week, studied for two exams, and went to Anaheim for three hours. Today is a bad day :( Bad weather, bad I-feel-really-sick feeling, and bad homework that keeps sneaking up on me. I just finished writing something due tomorrow and almost fell asleep before I remembered that I have this blog entry to post. And a psychology chapter to read! *moan*

ANOTHER SUMMARY: I have been keeping up with all my homework. However, I did procrastinate, and have punished myself for it. I did not use notes or any extra punishment because this week my schedule changed drastically and I have recently been feeling sick. Hopefully the week will be over soon, and then maybe this semester will also hurry up and end...
I am still optimistic about operant conditioning because when I look back at my behavior a couple weeks ago, I am astonished at how bad I was at putting things off (or how GOOd I was at it). This confirms my belief that operant conditioning does in fact work on humans. We may be able to make conscious choices, weigh consequences, and decide to ignore reinforcements/punishments, but because it has worked for me and several of my classmates, I think that operant conditioning does have the potential to change human behavior.

I'm not sure when our last entry is due (BAD GIRL!!) but I wanted to include a bit thanking everyone for your comments. They are very motivating! So, thank you =]

Week 5 - I Love Operant Conditioning =]

SUMMARY:
An extremely good week for me! I feel awesome because I did not miss any deadlines, did procrastinate a bit, but straightened that behavior out with the use of negative punishments. I did not forget to reinforce my behavior when I did stay on track, which was most of the time. I have noticed that my feelings towards things that I am "addicted" to are weaker now. For example, now I do not log on to Facebook right when I turn my laptop on. I hope these are long-term changes, because that would be awesome :D

BEHAVIOR:
Saturday: I commented on a blog or two. No homework done due to parties, etc. No punishments because it was not procrastination, it was a well-deserved break.

Sunday: Completed some major schoolwork, positive reinforcement of extra time spent online. Went to UCLA (AGS hours! Books! T.C. Boyle! haha if you have read him please gimme some recommendations). More schoolwork, but no more reinforcement because of my schedule of reinforcement (fixed ratio).

Monday: Started on C language project. Completed all work for Tuesday, REINFORCEMENT! Remembered to study for the psychology exam. Okay, so I did procrastinate. Gave my camera to my mother to keep until Wednesday :(

Tuesday: Wrote an essay due next week. I'm still not sure why I did that. But, extra reinforcement of reading time.

Wednesday: I remembered to read Chapter 2 for psychology befORe 12 am. Now that is progress. Completed the quiz, got 100% on the first try, yay! Now I am typing up this blog.

ANOTHER SUMMARY:
My behavior reflects definite progress. I am less inclined to waste time, more inclined to complete schoolwork before it is due, and far more willing to start huge projects long before they are due. Alongside the operant conditioning, I have been using tips from this website (CLICK HERE) and this one (CLICK HERE). If you are also working on your procrastination habits, check them out! They have been very helpful.

(By the way, last week I checked my grades for most of my classes and found that I have As in all of them except for one, and even an A+. These grades are proving to be positive reinforcements, as they are motivating me to continue avoiding procrastination.)

Week 4 - SUCCESS... 2 hours left!

SUMMARY: I procrastinated a LOT near the beginning of the week. Later, when I went to take inventory of my workload, I felt a deep sense of foreboding… and hopelessness because I am a bit behind now. I still feel like dropping a couple classes and then maybe dropping myself off a bridge for being stupid enough to procrastinate so much.

What I did instead was punish myself. I haven’t touched my camera for almost two days now, and I promised myself not to log onto Facebook for at least a week. And it is working!!! I have already written the first draft of my psych field study paper, and got it reviewed at the writing center, all two weeks before the due date...yea, I can’t believe it either ^_^

BEHAVIOR:

Saturday: Volunteered. Commented on blogs. Slept/procrastinated the rest of the day (facebook, myspace, the usual) PUNISHMENT: Gave camera away for the day =(

Sunday: No homework due for Sociology. Just another excuse to sign onto aim

Monday: I HAD to take pictures of an interesting caterpillar I found. Tsk tsk. Again, I punished myself by giving my camera to my mother. Then I worked a bit on schoolwork. Completed a lot of stuff that isn’t due till next week! However, I totally forgot about the psychology quiz until right before going to bed.

Tuesday: Submitted psych quiz in the morning. During English 1a, I discovered that an essay was due and I went through the five stages of denial…. (how could I have missed an essay??). Retook the quiz right before Psyc, got a pretty decent score. I left Psyc class with a note to myself to finish computer science homework, which was due that day. (Note to the whole world actually, because it was pinned to my clothes-positive punishment for procrastinating). Finished the homework fifteen minutes before it was due and threw the embarrassing note away.

Wednesday:

Wait a sec…

Today is Tuesday. Not Wednesday. I have been typing this up, thinking it is Wednesday night. 0_0 I guess this is a good thing, because now I am almost done with tomorrow’s homework.

_____________________

Ok, today is tomorrow, or Wednesday. I am finishing this entry now, two hours before it is due…not because I procrastinated (really! I didn’t) but because I decided to complete stuff that was due sooner. I know, I could erase all of this Tues/Wed confusion and start over but…as I make progress, I am learning that time management is key…so for now I will just continue =]

Wednesday: A very good day. I have not logged on to anything besides email and Blackboard, and for that, I am proud of myself. I have to write only one more essay for tomorrow (extreme progress!). I did waste an hour or so “breaking norms” at Costco and the mall, but it was for a sociology assignment.

SUMMARY: I am depressed because I wasted a great deal of time last week, but I am feeling better now because I have made positive choices in the past few days. I’m assuming that these choices are the results of the punishments (notes on my clothes, giving camera away, bad grades).

As you might have noticed, I did not reinforce my recent positive efforts because 1) I’ve realized that I do not have time to read or go online anymore 2) I find that I am motivated right now simply thinking of the horrible grades that I will get if I continue to procrastinate. Again, bad grades is a positive punishment of my program, and seems to be affecting my progress for the better.

At this moment I feel depressed, yet almost optimistic. I hope my results continue to be positive.

Good luck on the exam!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 3 continued!!! - Positive Punishment

Wow. I just read Ray's blog and comments, and I think I found a positive punishment that would TOTALLY help me. Whenever I do not finish a certain task, I will write it down on a bright piece of paper and pin it to my clothes, somewhere where it is visible to the world. Only when I have completed the task will I take the note off.
Oh my gosh! I know this will work. :D

Week 3 - 2 minutes left....I'm already improving =P

After re-reading chapter 5, I have designed my operant conditioning program… finally!

BEHAVIOR: Procrastination | CHANGE: Stop procrastinating!

REINFORCEMENTS: Positive - Extra reading/online time when I do not procrastinate (measured in how many goals I meet or assignments I complete). That should motivate me to finish whatever task that I supposed to be doing. And of course, getting better grades is always a positive reinforcer.

Negative - Hm…When I do not procrastinate, bad grades will be “removed”. That’s negative, right?

SCHEDULE OF REINFORCEMENT: I will follow a fixed variable schedule because it seems to be an effective one for me. I will give myself reinforcement every three hours IF I did not procrastinate during that time. I did not choose variable ratio, which, according to Mr. Nevid, is the most effective, because I will not be able to administer a reinforcement without keeping myself from knowing that a reinforcement is coming. Unless of course, I have two brains that could hide information from each other...

PUNISHMENTS: Positive - If I procrastinate, I will slap myself. Just kidding. I really cannot think of any positive punishments. Bad grades should be punishing enough.

Negative - I will cut off my internet connection for an hour. Period. That means no email, no research, nothing. If needed, I will also give my camera and phone to my mother for safekeeping. Yeaa, that should work. And as a last resort, I shall deactivate my Facebook account.

From this website (CLICK HERE), I learned that success often leads to success because success is a positive reinforcement. Phew. Thus, I have designed my program so that it has the potential of being very rewarding from the beginning. From past battles with procrastination, I can confidently say that disconnecting my internet is sure to lead to success. So I will not hesitate to do so if I catch myself on Facebook instead of reading my textbook.

If I am successful early on, I will -HOPEFULLY- continue to be successful.
I also learned (from the same website) that breaking goals into smaller parts makes them more doable. As I try to avoid procrastination, I will have to make goals. To increase my chance of achieving these goals, I’ll try to break them up into steps. I find this tells me where to start, which can be helpful especially when facing an intimidating project.