Transcript Adult Learning and Motivation - Colby

It’s not the What, it’s the
Why: Motivational Strategies
for Health Behaviors
Dr. Diane E. Whaley
Colby Sawyer Exercise &
Sport Sciences &
Athletics Symposium
March 21, 2011
http://curry.virginia.edu/academics/areas-of-study/educational-psychology
Lots of people intend to quit
smoking, exercise, eat right but many don’t - WHY?!
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Changing behaviors, particularly those
related to health, takes motivation!
Motivation Defined
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Motivation includes:
 the preference for
choosing exercise or
other health behaviors
over other choices
 the persistence one
displays in sticking with
an activity
 the intensity one
exhibits when
participating in the
activity
Motives for participation must
outweigh barriers!
Barriers
Motives
Strategies for meeting these
motives:
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Relate exercise specifically to the potential
health benefits (future-oriented goals)
Enhance enjoyment - provide variety and high
involvement
Allow participants some control
Increase opportunities for social interaction
De-emphasize body image issues
Teach self-regulation
But is it that simple?
Extrinsic – have to
Intrinsic –
for the joy
of it
Extrinsic – want to
What
motivates us
to do things?
Theories of Motivation
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Many theories exist, but a few concepts cut
across most of them:
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Have to feel capable of the behavior in question
Have to feel that the behavior achieves some
purpose; that is, it’s important or relevant
Have to feel like you have some control over the
behavior or the environment
Theory of Planned Behavior
(Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980)
How do we
make sure
of this link??
Keys to Behavior Change
 Intention must be converted to action!
 First
step in behavior change is
recognizing what we do, what we don’t do,
and what we think about those behaviors
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We call this self-awareness
Self-awareness in turn leads to self-regulation
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CRITICAL for helping to maintain behaviors over the
long term!
Self Regulation is…
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Regulating our own
thoughts, feelings, &
behaviors over time
and contexts
Cyclical process –
with health behaviors,
have to continue
monitoring for
changes!
Performance
Forethought
-goal setting
-strategies
Self-reflection
-self-monitoring
-self-evaluation
Example of Self-Reflection:
My Health Behaviors
Behavior
Eat more
fruits &
veggies
Exercise
more
often
Drink
more
water
Intend to
change?
(1-10)
Know
why I
should?
(1-10)
Do what I What are
should?
my
(1-10)
barriers?
The Forethought Phase:
Planning for Change
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Goals are an
important tool for
behavior change
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-contingent
Goal: “Exercise More Often”
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Make it SMART!
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“I WILL GO TO THE GYM 3X THIS WEEK
AT 4PM FOR 1 HOUR”
What might be barriers to achieving this
goal?
What strategies can I use to help me
maintain this goal over the longer term?
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Are Goals Enough?
Listening to Our inner
dialogue
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Sometimes, we can be our own best friend
OR worst enemy when it comes to behavior
change.
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What we say to and about ourselves - our selftalk, can either support or thwart our plans.
Again, the first step is awareness
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Do you know what you say??
Irrational or distorted self-talk
(“I must/have to…” statements)
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Perfectionism (“I must do this perfectly”)
Catastrophizing (“I missed my exercise
session – I knew I couldn’t last”)
Personalization (“If I had just made that
goal, we would have won”)
Blaming (“If there were better food in the
dining halls I would eat healthier”)
Techniques to improve selftalk
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Thought stoppage - consciously recognize
negative thought (trigger - i.e., snap fingers)
Changing negative self-talk to positive or
instructional self-talk
Countering assumptions - necessary when
you still believe the negative thought. Uses facts
to counter negative thought
Reframing – creating alternative frames of
reference - change your perspective!
ST Restructuring Exercise
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“It’s over if I eat this piece of cake”
Countering:
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I had a small piece (fact), and I walked at lunch
today (fact)
Reframing:
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Yes, I did slip, but I will walk an extra mile
tomorrow (admit problem and propose a solution!)
Take Home Messages
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Any behavior change takes work, and health
behaviors may take the most thought
Behavior change over the long term only
happens if we learn/teach self-regulation
We can learn how to self-regulate and teach
this to others to be effective agents for
change!