Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
05:10

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report

Published on: May 30, 2025

Maintenance of long-term behavior change

Wendy J Nilsen, Lynne Haverkos, Linda Nebeling

    American Journal of Health Behavior
    |July 8, 2010
    PubMed
    Abstract

    Related Concept Videos

    Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI01:30

    Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques VI

    Adopting a healthier lifestyle often requires overcoming significant challenges, but leveraging psychological, social, and cultural resources can facilitate meaningful change. Effective self-change hinges on understanding and applying key tools such as motivation and goal setting, which help sustain efforts toward long-term health benefits.
    Motivation and Self-Determination
    Motivation, the driving force behind behavior, plays a pivotal role at every stage of the change process. The research...
    Behavior Modification01:21

    Behavior Modification

    Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
    A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...
    Operant Conditioning Intervention01:24

    Operant Conditioning Intervention

    Operant conditioning serves as a foundational principle in therapeutic interventions aimed at modifying maladaptive behaviors. Central to this approach is the notion that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are learned through reinforcement. By analyzing the environmental factors that reinforce problematic behaviors, clinicians can design interventions to weaken these reinforcements and replace maladaptive behaviors with healthier alternatives.
    In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...
    Timing and Consequences on Behavior01:08

    Timing and Consequences on Behavior

    In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective. 
    Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
    Longitudinal Research02:20

    Longitudinal Research

    Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
    Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction01:24

    Generalization, Discrimination, and Extinction

    Generalization, discrimination, and extinction are key concepts in operant conditioning that influence how behaviors are learned and maintained.
    Generalization occurs when a behavior reinforced in one context is performed in similar situations. For instance, a student who studies diligently for calculus and receives excellent grades might apply the same study habits to psychology and history, expecting similar results. Generalization shows how learning in one setting can influence behavior in...