Self Change Program (Behaviour modification)
Behaviour Modification
A Self-Control Program for Smoking Cessation
Christine Chambers
Trent University
Introduction
The behaviour modified for this self-directed behaviour change project is smoking. Smoking was selected as the behaviour I wish to change because it is known that tobacco use is the leading cause of premature, preventable death and disease (Edwards, Bondy, Callaghan, & Mann, 2014). Smoking is a behaviour that has been recently initiated; I started smoking occasionally in August 2013 (one cigarette a few times a week) and intended to buy only the one pack. However over a period of several months, my smoking has increased. The rationale for this choosing this target behaviour is that it is still a relatively new behaviour and is likely to become more difficult to extinguish over time.
The target behaviour of smoking cessation was operationally defined as: consuming zero cigarettes or tobacco-containing products for a period of 2 continuous weeks. The goal was to reduce smoking behaviour to zero consumed cigarettes within 8 weeks of initiating the intervention phase. The following data collection methods were used to complete the functional assessment of smoking behaviour:
1. Structured Diary: A structured diary was used to record each occurrence of smoking (event recording). The information recorded for each occurrence of smoking included: date/time, situation when smoking occurred, mood & anxiety rating at the time of smoking, and perceived outcomes of smoking.
2. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence: The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence is a six question self-report questionnaire that provides an indication of the level of dependence on smoking. It is considered a gold standard of assessment smoking addiction (Khara, Rotem, Van Driesum, 2013).
3. Autonomy Over Smoking Checklist: The Autonomy Over Smoking Checklist (AUTOS) is a 12 item symptom checklist for assessing loss of autonomy over smoking. The checklist assesses
A Self-Control Program for Smoking Cessation
Christine Chambers
Trent University
Introduction
The behaviour modified for this self-directed behaviour change project is smoking. Smoking was selected as the behaviour I wish to change because it is known that tobacco use is the leading cause of premature, preventable death and disease (Edwards, Bondy, Callaghan, & Mann, 2014). Smoking is a behaviour that has been recently initiated; I started smoking occasionally in August 2013 (one cigarette a few times a week) and intended to buy only the one pack. However over a period of several months, my smoking has increased. The rationale for this choosing this target behaviour is that it is still a relatively new behaviour and is likely to become more difficult to extinguish over time.
The target behaviour of smoking cessation was operationally defined as: consuming zero cigarettes or tobacco-containing products for a period of 2 continuous weeks. The goal was to reduce smoking behaviour to zero consumed cigarettes within 8 weeks of initiating the intervention phase. The following data collection methods were used to complete the functional assessment of smoking behaviour:
1. Structured Diary: A structured diary was used to record each occurrence of smoking (event recording). The information recorded for each occurrence of smoking included: date/time, situation when smoking occurred, mood & anxiety rating at the time of smoking, and perceived outcomes of smoking.
2. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence: The Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence is a six question self-report questionnaire that provides an indication of the level of dependence on smoking. It is considered a gold standard of assessment smoking addiction (Khara, Rotem, Van Driesum, 2013).
3. Autonomy Over Smoking Checklist: The Autonomy Over Smoking Checklist (AUTOS) is a 12 item symptom checklist for assessing loss of autonomy over smoking. The checklist assesses
References: Bartlett, Y., Sheeran, P., & Hawley, M. (2013). Effective behavior change techniques in smoking cessation interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta- Cohen, S., Dragonetti, R., Herie, M., & Barker, M. (2012). Psychosocial interventions. In C.Els, D Cole, M.L., Bonem, M.K. (2000). The A-B-C’s of smoking cessation. The Behavior Analyst Today, 4, 89-101, Di Franza, J., Wellman, R.J., Ursprung, W.W., Sabiston, C. (2009). The autonomy over smoking scale Edwards, S.A., Bondy, S.J., Callaghan, R.C., Mann, R.E. (2014). Prevalence of unassisted quit attempts in population-based studies: a systematic review of the literature Foxx, R.M., Brown, R.A. (1979). Nicotine fading and self-monitoring for cigarette abstinence or controlled smoking Khara, M., Rotem, A., & Van Driesum, A. (2012). Assessing tobacco use in clinical practice: A step-wise approach Lichtenstein, E. (1982). The smoking problem: a behavioral perspective. The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50 (6), 804-819. Martin, G., & Pear, J. (2011). Behaviour modification: What it is and how to do it (9th Ed.). Singh, N.N., Leung, J.P. (1988). Smoking cessation through cigarette-fading, self-recording, and contracting: treatment, maintenance, and long-term follow up