HSC 106 Behavior Modification Project - Spring 2010
This health improvement project provides you with the opportunity to apply concepts covered in class toward
improving any aspect of health. To begin this project, choose one unhealthy lifestyle behavior to quit or one
healthy behavior to begin.
EXAMPLES (please feel free to develop your own!)
Quit
Drinking Soda Pop and/or Caffeine
Using Tobacco Products
Watching TV
Drinking Alcoholic Beverages
Begin
Building Self-Esteem/Confidence
Time Management Program
Eating Nutritionally
A Fitness Program
You may choose one of these examples, or select one of your own. It is important that you select a new behavior that will
be beneficial for you. For example, if you are already eating nutritionally, do NOT use this for your behavior modification
project.
SUGGESTED TIME LINE
Week
6 (9/28/09)
Take the www.realage.com assessment. Choose a topic and write your plan.
7 (10/5/09)
Turn in your plan and week one journal to Safe Assign on Blackboard separately. Monitor
behavior for four weeks, submitting weekly journal entries as described below.
10 (10/26/09)
Turn in last journal entry to Safe Assign. Evaluate your program and level of success. Complete
Health Improvement Strategy & Evaluation form, complete with references and reference
page.
11 (11/2/09)
Turn in your project including title page, real age quiz, health improvement strategy &
evaluation form (including plan), reference page and references hard copy at the beginning of
class on Monday.
INSTRUCTIONS & CONTENTS:
 Journal Entries: (1/2 - 1 page per entry, 2 entries per week)
40 points
Keep a journal and write two entries per week throughout the 4 week period of your project and evaluate your success
describing your progress and pitfalls as you work toward your personal goal. Entries will be turned in to safe assign
before the beginning of class on Mondays with 2/22/10 being the first due date. Include barriers encountered,
successes, emotions and changes, and your comments and feelings about the project. For some changes, a daily entry
would be appropriate. The more seriously you treat your journal writing, the more you will benefit from this project.
Hard copies of your journals will not be accepted. YOUR JOURNAL ENTRIES WILL NOT BE RETURNED TO
YOU!! **Note: Save all of your journals to the same disk. This allows you to always have a back up copy. Entries
must include:








Double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman
Date of entry and week number (i.e. 2/15/10 Week 1)
Your goals for the week
Techniques used to help you stick to your plan
Were you successful? Why or why not?
What could you have done differently to improve your success?
Did you use support systems? If yes, how? If no, why not, and what impact did it have?
Note any other pertinent information
 Health Improvement Strategy & Evaluation Form: Take the Real Age quiz and commit to changing a specific
behavior, conduct scholarly research in support of your change and complete the Health Improvement Strategy &
Evaluation Form by deleting the questions provided and typing in your responses. You will also need to include a
separate reference page and copies or print outs of your references.
1
Point Breakdown:
Intro……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 35 points
Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25 points
Barriers………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25 points
Support………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 points
Evaluation…………………………………………………………………………………………………….... 35 points
Reference Page……………………………………………………………………………………………….... 30 points
Overall Presentation (Spelling/Grammar) …………………………………………………………………….. 40 points
TOTAL………………………………..………………………………………………………………………….210 points
Behavior Modification Project Template
This template should serve as your guide as you complete your project to turn in. Make sure to put the items in the order
specified and to include all of the components.
I.
Title Page
a. Title of Project
b. Your Name
c. Date
II.
Health Improvement Strategy & Evaluation
a. Introduction: ½-1 page
1. Answer questions
2. Give 3 Facts to support Behavior Change cited in APA format
3. Discuss Realage.com quiz
4. Include copy of Realage.com results
b. Plan: 1-1½ pages
1. Answer questions
2. Turn in written portion by 2/22/10 to Safe Assign
3. Include a hard copy of the written portion and calendar, chart and/or graph in final BMP
c. Potential Barriers/Pitfalls: ½-1 page
1. Answer questions
d. Positive Support: ½-1 page
1. Answer questions
e. Evaluation: 1½-2 pages
1. Answer questions
2. Discuss all 6 dimensions of wellness
f. References
1. Properly APA cited scholarly references used in the introduction
2. Print out the abstract, areas from which your information was derived (highlight acual text you
used in your paper), and the reference page of the source.
3. At least seven scholarly sources are required.
Keys to Successful Completion of this Project:
1. Turn in journals and plan on time to Safe Assign on Blackboard.
2. Format: Use 12 point, Times New Roman Font and DO NOT write any text body in UPPERCASE.
3. Use APA style and format for citations and references.
4. Make sure that you proof read, spell-check and grammar-check your project.
5. Turn in project with a single staple in the upper left corner. You may use binder clip if it is needed. (NO binders, folders, etc.)
6. Make sure each section of the project meets the minimum page length requirement (as mentioned in the grading rubric)
and all questions have been answered.
2
HEALTH IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY & EVALUATION
Name:
Global ID:
A. Introduction
Date:
35 points
Health habit or behavior I intend to change (be specific about the behaviors you selected and why):
Goal to be reached (in specific terms):
Benefits I anticipate as a result of the change:
Any benefits of NOT changing? What will happen if I don’t change?
Do research, either on-line or in the library on your desired goal. Include specific facts found in your
research which underscores the importance or benefits of your behavior change program, and cite at least seven
sources in APA style and format within your introduction. You may not use our textbook as a reference.
When finding references, please refer to the Library Guide: Distinguishing Scholarly From Non-Scholarly
Periodicals, a Checklist of Criteria which can be found on the blackboard site under "Course Documents," then
"Behavior Modification Project." For example, a support sentence from your source might read: Overweight
individuals are at a greater risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Therefore, risks to these diseases
could be reduced by achieving and maintaining a weight that is within normal limits for your height (Johnson,
2008). You should list seven different facts from seven different sources (one fact per source) and include
how this will effect your behavior change within your introduction.
Discuss the results from your Real Age.com quiz (http://www.realage.com) and any other information
related to your health habits. Do not only discuss your findings that relate to your behavior modification,
discuss some other parts that surprised you or taught you a lesson. You will include a copy of your RealAge.com
quiz with your project.
B. Plan
25 points
This is the detailed plan of action. Be specific about the steps you will take and how they will help you meet
your goal. Include a time table, chart, or graph that you will use to help you keep your project organized, and
help visualize the steps you are taking toward reaching your goal. For example, include the calendar used for
your exercise program. This needs to be SPECIFIC! You will turn in the written portion of your plan to Safe
Assign on 10/5/09, then include the written portion and the calendar in your final hard copy of the assignment.
Target date to reach goal:
C. Potential barriers/Pitfalls:
25 points
List and explain at least TWO situations, people, events, habits, etc., that you anticipate as barriers in reaching
your behavior modification goal. How do you plan on dealing with these when they arise and what strategies will
you use to overcome these barriers? What will you do if unexpected situations arise?
D. Positive Support:
20 points
Who will support you in reaching your goal? What positive rewards or incentives will you give yourself along the
way for good behavior? How would you define implicit positive supports for your particular behavior
change project? For example, if your goal is to lose weight, a positive support might be an improved self image,
clothes fitting better, etc. A positive reward might be the purchase of new CD or perhaps going to a movie.
E. Evaluation:
35 points
Did you reach your goal? Do you plan on continuing this behavior? What could you have done to make this
project easier, more fun, or more successful? What, if any, unexpected events or problems occurred? How did
3
you handle it? What changes did you make along the way? What have you learned about yourself? How many
people were you able to draw into your new behavior? Did your research impact your results? How has this
project affected you in the 6 dimensions of health and wellness?
F.
Reference Page:
(on 1 separate page)
30 points
Use only scholarly references from a scholarly journal (not Time magazine, Newsweek, etc.)
Center the word References on the top of the page.
*Please refer to the Scholarly Library Guide and APA Reference Guide sheets on Blackboard.
**Note: You must include a copy or print out of the references you referred to in your paper including the
first page of the article, the parts you used highlighted and the references. Attach them after the Reference
Page.
4