1. Working Out the Kinks
Psychology 1400
Courtney Kitchin-Ramsay
GSI: Kathleen Holehan
April 24, 2013

2. I decided to implement an intervention to improve my
level of soccer playing, but reduce the amount of pain
in my knees while running.
14 years of playing soccer year round was very hard
on my knees and got worse as years progressed.
Through seeing many doctors and going to many
physical therapy sessions, all they said was that my
knees were worn out from playing soccer so much.
All I could do for it was work through the pain and do
my best to work through the pain.

3. Problem
• Don’t want to give up playing the sport I
love the most
• Excruciating knee pain
• And locking-up of knees
• Not enough time before games and
practice to warm-up

4. Contingencies Used
Avoidance-of-loss-of a reinforcer
I was avoiding the loss of playing soccer
(reinforcer) by completing warm-ups an
hour before games/practice

5. The Basics
Behavior being analyzed: My playing
soccer and getting my knees stronger
Reinforcer: Playing soccer
Aversive Stimulus: Sitting out of games
and/or practices
SD(Deadline): At least an hour before
game/practice

6. Competing Contingencies
Completing warm-ups an hour before
game/practice and playing the game I
love
Not completing warm-ups and having to
sit out

7. Natural Competing
Contingencies
Before: Behavior: After:
I have a
given
amount of
time to
get ready
and get to
the field
on time
I warm-up
an hour
before
practice
or game
I have less
time to
get ready
and make
it to the
field on
time

8. Natural Competing
Contingencies
Before: Behavior: After:
I have a
given
amount of
time to
eat before
games or
practice
I warm-up
an hour
before
practice
or game
I have less
time to
eat before
games or
practice

9. Intervention
Target Behavior: Warming up at least an
hour before game/practice
Intervention: Performance Management
Contingencies: Avoidance-of-loss contingency
Deadline (SD): One hour before
game/practice

10. Ineffective Natural
Contingency
Before: Behavior: After:
I have a
given
amount of
soccer I
can play
before my
knees start
to hurt
I warm-up
an hour
before
practice or
game
I have an
infinitesimally
greater
amount of
soccer I can
play before
my knees
start to hurt

11. Problems During Intervention
Didn’t always have an hour before
games or practice
Wouldn’t always have time to warm-up

12. Recycle
This process started over each season
of soccer I played.
The pain got more tolerable as each
season passed
The amount of time in each game I
played also increased

13. My Results
Knees got stronger towards the end of
each season
Getting through the pain and being able
to play is much easier than sitting out
and watching

14. Thank You!
Questions or Comments?