| BATS |
Behavior Analysis Training System |
Self-Management
Research & Development
R&D-Incoming Information
Procrastination Surveys
Self-Management Projects
R&D-Dispersing Information
Procrastination Book
Conference Presentations
Website
Procrastination Surveys
One of the main goals of the SM System is to distribute a procrastination survey to students each semester and then analyze the data. The survey is an anonymous questionnaire that assesses what behaviors students procrastinate on. Some of these behaviors include:
Another main goal of the SM System is to collect data from the SM projects students are required to complete each semester. We give an anonymous survey to each undergraduate student participating in Dr. Malott's PSY 460 course and each graduate student participating in Dr. Malott's PSY 610 and 671 Boot Camp courses to assess the effectiveness of their SM projects. We use the data obtained from these surveys to improve or adjust the SM technology.
Two semesters ago, a major addition was made to the SM projects. This was the inclusion of a benefit measure to each project. A benefit measure is a direct result of the target behavior that is not directly observable. Some examples of benefit measures are:
The questionnaire also assesses what behaviors students do in excess. Some of these behaviors include:
The survey also attempts to assess how these behaviors relate to accomplishments. For example, a student who doesn't floss daily may have a high number of cavities. Or a student who consumes a large amount of junk food may have a low opinion of their physical appearance.
The benefit measure should be the primary reason for increasing or decreasing the target behavior. Therefore, it is stated as the long-term goal of the SM project. Currently, only the graduate students are required to identify and record benefit measures for their projects.
Procrastination Book
One of the ways information is dispersed is through Dr. Malott's book, I'll Stop Procrastinating When I Get Around To It. Each semester, undergraduate students in PSY 460 and graduate students in PSY 671 are required to read the most current draft of this book. The "Procrastination Book" provides information on how to use SM technology to battle procrastination and gives facts and health information about various behaviors people procrastinate on. Some of the issues included in the book are:
Another way information is dispersed is through the participation in at least two professional conferences. These include BAAM- Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan, held annually in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and ABA- Association for Behavior Analysis, held annually in various cities across the United States.
The SM System presents posters detailing SM technology at both conferences.
The SM System also presents a symposium of various SM projects at both conferences. The symposium includes Microsoft PowerPoint presentations of graduate students SM projects. This year, the symposium will be composed of an introductory slideshow describing SM technology, a group presentation by graduate students who chose various target behaviors. At ABA, the symposium will also include a presentation of the Behavioral Research Supervisory System (BRSS) which uses SM technology to help students complete their undergraduate and graduate theses.
The third way information is dispersed is through the BATS website. The SM System has two pages on the website - a page describing SM technology and a page detailing the undergraduate PSY 398 course, which is an independent study course teaching students how to use SM technology for Graduate Record Exam (GRE) preparation. The pages are currently under construction and can be found at this site.
The "Procrastination Book" is a sort of handbook that details various SM strategies that can be used to increase or decrease any target behavior. It is written in layman's terms and it provides many examples that any reader could apply to his or her everyday life. It also provides a variety of case studies of people who have actually used these strategies to show that the SM technology really works.