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describing the desired behavior-in-a-situation, i.e. exactly what
behavior, in what situation including when and where. Example: during
the lunch hour in his office I will talk to the boss about my being
expected to make the coffee every day in the office and tactfully
indicate that I would like to share that chore with other people.
STEP TWO: Find and arrange for rewards (or positive
reinforcers) that should work for you.
The rewards must be available, under your control, and powerful
enough to motivate you. At first, it may be hard to think of any. That's
because you haven't been taught to think in this way. It is important
that you realize the wide variety of reinforcers there are in the world
(that realization alone may increase your intrinsic satisfaction with
life). This awareness may have a profound impact on how you think
about your life, moment by moment, if you start using more of these
potential rewards.
Lengthy check off lists of specific reinforcers have been published.
I will only give examples; you'll have to devise your own specifics.
Keep in mind that a good self-reinforcement program (see next step)
will require small and large rewards, because we ordinarily can't give a
big payoff for every little 1-10 minute response. What are some
possible rewards?
1.
Money or tokens--anything that can later be cashed in or traded for
something valued. The advantage of this type of reward is that it is easy
to give in small, frequent amounts, say 10 cents for 10 minutes "work."
The small rewards can be saved for something big.
Actually, giving up many bad habits can generate a lot of money, perhaps $400
to $1,000 per year from excessive eating or smoking or $500 to $4,000 per year
from drinking.
2.
Material things--small: pencil, greeting card, picture, etc. Medium: record
album, something to play with, books, etc. Large: new clothes (in a
smaller size?), telephone, radio, sports equipment, furniture, etc. A
variation of this that costs nothing is to give a friend some of your valued
possessions with the understanding that they will be given back to you
as you reach certain objectives in your self-help project. Otherwise, you
lose them to Goodwill.
3.
Physical pleasures--small: a bite of candy, stick of gum, glass of
beverage, snack, etc. Medium: eating a nice dessert or meal, drinking a
glass of wine, taking a relaxing nap, getting a 10 minute back rub, etc.
Large: a good workout and shower, a whole body massage, a special
meal out, being held by a lover, etc.
