Graduation Year
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
Degree Granting Department
Child and Family Studies
Major Professor
Raymond Miltenberger, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Committee Member
Heather Zerger, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Committee Member
Sarah Bloom, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Keywords
Apple Watch, deposit contracts, physical activity, reinforcement thinning, sedentary
Abstract
Due to the health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, researchers have used behavioral interventions such as contingency management and deposit contracts to increase physical activity. Although these interventions have been effective, researchers have described the lack of maintenance assessments of the target behavior. One way to address the maintenance of behavior, such as physical activity, is with reinforcement thinning. The current study evaluated the effects of self-tailored deposit contracts and reinforcement thinning on daily step count with sedentary adults using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design. Researchers and participants designed a self-tailored deposit contract by identifying a step goal and a predetermined amount of money to earn back contingent on meeting their goal daily, every 3 days, and once per week. Results showed an increase in step count during intervention across all phases as well as maintenance effects. These results suggest that sedentary adult’s daily step count can be maintained at an increased level with the implementation of self-tailored deposit contracts and reinforcement thinning.
Scholar Commons Citation
McCullen, Madeline N., "An Evaluation of Reinforcement Thinning Using Deposit Contracts to Increase Physical Activity" (2024). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10534
