Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits - Assignment Example

?Behavioral and Social/Cognitive Approaches to Forming Habits Introduction We regularly do certain jobs or we behave in a certain way every time, which is a process called habit development. Habits develop slowly for every behavior, and when we get taken over by the behavior, will keep repeating the same thing repeatedly. Habits can be bad or good to an individual’s health or to the society. For example, studying habits are good to the one who has developed them while smoking is bad habit to both the smoker’s health and the health of anyone within especially pregnant mothers. Habits are done without decisions because it tends to be automatic (Dishman et al 2013). · Analysis of habits I have developed a habit of jogging every day in the morning before going to school. I usually wake up early, put on my tracksuit and running shoes and run for two miles. This habit developed slowly after I saw my neighbor doing the same, he is a professional athlete, and a quite number of people do the same in my neighborhood. My role model is my neighbor because he has become so famous, and from what I had from him, he started slowly. He does 5 miles every day in the morning. From my neighbors to the professional athlete, their habit influenced me. In addition, a health benefit comes in from this kind of habit, I do like eating junk food, and my doctors advised me to visits gym or do jogging. I will avoid getting fat, which might contribute to diabetes and other unhealthy ailments. In addition, I will be a role model to other people who would want to try this habit because it is a good habit. Breaking of Habit Since I started jogging, I have been doing research about the health benefits of this habit. I come to understand that there are quite a number of benefits though it can be hard at start. I had trouble at first like muscle pain. I nearly gave up after the first short distance, seeing that I would not make the whole distance. What I saw from my neighbors encouraged me as some of them were of old age and could go for a long distance. In addition, jogging has health benefits as mention above. You feel fresh air passing through as you run, jogging does not require a lot of money, and you just need running shoes and tracksuit. This I see as cheap as compared to gym, which requires payment every month depending on agreements with your instructor. There is no time I would want to stop this habit because as time goes by I keep getting more experience and increasing my pace. Relation between Behavioral Personality Theory and Habit The behavioral theory states that when something is done more than once, the individual who is doing it then to get used to it. From what the theory states it is clear that I am getting used to the habit of jogging because I do it frequently. This can be explained more using John Watson’s theory that states that habit developed by a person can be distorted, improved or measured. From Watson’s theory, my habit of jogging is continues and keep changing to more as I do it every day. The theory of personality shows that habits will happen or change due changes in environment. From this, it is evident that my habit keeps changing because I am in a new environment which I then to respond with it well (Millon & Lerner 2003). According to the psychologist Bandura, for a person to get used to what he or she will want to do later. For him or her to get used to it observation learning will apply. Cognition will relate well with observation learning meaning that the person will have to consider what is happening systematically. Other behaviors will require one to perform certain task so that he or she gets use to doing it. Bandura’s theory of observation relates well with my habit, which developed because I have been observant. I use to see my neighbor jogging every day right from when he woke up in the morning and we he would be back. In addition, I started this habit because my expectation was positive, like health benefits as mentioned above. This relates well with the Bandura’s theory which says that one will consider observation and start certain habits when they see the outcome is positive (Pierce & Cheney 2013). I would want to change this habit by application of certain operant conditions. One that would like to apply and stop or decrease my habit is continual use of the same running shoes without replacing them. Running shoes are the main support for jogging or athletes because you pass through different terrain that would require stable new shoes after some time. This action I have taken to reduce this habit I would call it negative reinforcement because I am going to deemphasize my habit (Koekemoer 2005). Social cognitive theory explains my personality better because the habit I have developed currently started after serious observation of what my neighbors were doing. I started jogging for a short distance and doing some observation regarding how I would go for a long distant like what the other athletes are doing. Furthermore, this habit requires effort not just observation of what other people are doing, which prompted me to buy tracksuits and running shoes. In addition, I took on this habit because my expectation of the outcome is that it is positive, for example, I have seen different age groups of people jogging and they are still healthy. Conclusion From the study, it has been clearly confirmed that people develop different habits after repeating or doing the same thing repeatedly. Additionally, it is evidential that behavioral changes in the environment lead to changes and development of certain habits. Conversely, it has been stated also that it is the internal consideration of a person such as observations of certain events. This would need cognition whereby an individual takes in what he or she sees by either taking notes or being attentive. References Dishman, R., O'Connor, P. J. & Tomporowski, P., (2013), Exercise Psychology, USA: Human Kinetics. Koekemoer, L., (2004), Marketing Communications, South Africa: Juta and Company Ltd. Millon, T. & Lerner, M. J., (2003), Handbook of Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology, USA: John Wiley & Sons. Pierce. W. D. & Cheney, C. D. (2013), Behavior Analysis and Learning: Fourth Edition, Great Britain: Psychology Press. Read More