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Behavioral management of exercise: contracting for aerobic points
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|January 1, 1979
Summary
Behavioral contracting effectively increased physical exercise in college students. Most students maintained higher exercise levels a year later, showing long-term benefits of this behavioral intervention.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral psychology
- Exercise science
- Health promotion
Background:
- College students often struggle with maintaining consistent physical activity.
- Behavioral interventions can be effective in promoting health behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of behavioral contracting in increasing physical exercise among college students.
- To evaluate the long-term adherence to exercise regimens post-intervention.
Main Methods:
- A multiple-baseline design was employed.
- Participants used personal item deposits as incentives for meeting exercise contracts.
- Contracts included self-selected aerobic point goals and peer-monitoring components.
Main Results:
- Seven out of eight subjects showed significant increases in weekly aerobic points earned.
- The aerobic point system proved advantageous for behavioral research on exercise.
- Observers were trained effectively for reliable exercise monitoring.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral contracting is a viable strategy for enhancing physical activity in college students.
- The positive effects on exercise levels were sustained for most participants one year post-study.
- The aerobic point system and peer-monitoring are effective components of behavioral interventions for exercise.