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@ BTC_Behaviorist
2023-07-22 12:59:06We all have behaviors that we struggle to add or subtract from our lives. One of the most basic techniques for doing so is to start recording how frequently the behavior in question occurs, and in what situations. If you want to add a behavior that currently has a frequency of zero, you should record the situations where you want it to occur, and what you were doing instead.
I've noticed that few people take this advice seriously. Maybe because of some notion that psychology is supposed to involve arcane mental wizardry and this just seems too simple. Well, solutions should be simple. Another set of reasons have to do with misconceptions about what can be recorded or how much work it would entail. Most importantly, however, is perhaps the lack of awareness around the many empirically verified benefits of self-recording. I'll be doing a short series on that, summarizing my thoughts around each benefit. One post. One benefit. Here's the first.
Benefit of Self-Recording 1: Change in the direction of your values
A common effect of observing our own behavior is that the behavior changes. This is known in the literature as "reactivity". There is nothing mystical about reactivity. If your primary concern is practical results, don't get hung up on "mind-over-matter" questions. Instead, let's look at the conditions under which reactivity tends to occur. It seems to happen if the self-observer assigns a negative or positive value to the behavior. Negative associations tend to decrease the frequency of the observed behavior, while positive associations tend to increase it. The key point is that you need both. Merely convincing yourself that a behavior is desirable or undesirable is not enough. You also need to become an observer of your own actions. Likewise, if you start self-recording and notice no change for weeks – examine your values. Try to articulate to yourself in writing why this behavior is good or bad for you. Reactivity will not always be enough to induce the change you want. But in many cases, it will, and it is an excellent place to start.