This document discusses how environment changes can help college students improve their health behaviors. The author conducted an experiment where he changed his own environment to make positive behaviors like studying and exercise easier and negative behaviors like procrastinating and partying harder. For studying, he removed distractions from his computer and phone. For exercise, he brought workout equipment to his dorm room. For partying, he played focused music to feel socially included without going to parties. These simple changes successfully supported his desired behaviors for over a week. The author concludes that perceived behavior size and reducing cognitive load are important for behavior change and that environmental changes can pay off if given time.
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Changing Digital Environment to Change Your Health BehaviorsDavid Ngo
I'll be sharing my expert focus on changing digital environments for changing your health behaviors.
Most people don't realize that designing for digital environments can be harnessed to change your behavior.
How to Save 33 Years of Your Life Using HabitsImran Esmail
For years I struggled with procrastination and every year I would always look back having never met my goals. In March of 2014, I decided to figure out what I was doing wrong once and for all. And after 8 months of research, I finally came across the answer and it lay in habits and their powerful ability to reshape our lives.
Creating a healthy lifestyle and community through danceSharleen Tu
How to create healthy individuals and cohesive college environments through dance. My expert focus area for a project with BJ Fogg at Stanford University
Check out my quick video on hip hop for beginners here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s159UUlKthA
32. What makes focusing hard for college
students?
1. Mind Distractions from
sources of media
33. What makes focusing hard for college
students?
1. Mind Distractions from
sources of media
2. Routine of checking other
sources
34. What makes focusing hard for college
students?
1. Mind Distractions from
sources of media
2. Routine of checking other
sources
how I made it easier...
36. Re-Organized
INTERFACES
Cleared Bookmark Bar of Facebook,
Yahoo, and ESPN
37. Re-Organized
INTERFACES
Cleared Bookmark Bar of Facebook, Cleared iPhone Homescreen of Social
Yahoo, and ESPN Apps
38. RESULTS
1. My proposed interface change only
worked for a couple of days, then I built
new habits to reach distracting sites.
39. RESULTS
1. My proposed interface change only
worked for a couple of days, then I built
new habits to reach distracting sites.
(addiction...)
40. RESULTS
1. My proposed interface change only
worked for a couple of days, then I built
new habits to reach distracting sites.
(addiction...)
2. I eventually downloaded "Self Control",
an app to disable certain sites for a
determined time
41. In the future I would...
tt Engage Social Responsibility
1. Have friend hit me when I am not
focusing
2. Have a friend literally hide my cell
phone
44. What makes going to the gym hard for college
students?
1. Physical effort of going
all the way to gym
45. What makes going to the gym hard for college
students?
1. Physical effort of going
all the way to gym
2. Time out of a busy
schedule
46. What makes going to the gym hard for college
students?
1. Physical effort of going
all the way to gym
2. Time out of a busy
schedule
how I made it easier...
52. RESULTS
1. I worked out in my room everyday for at
least 20 minutes.
2. I would do pull ups just because the bar
was there.
53. RESULTS
1. I worked out in my room everyday for at
least 20 minutes.
2. I would do pull ups just because the bar
was there.
3. Definitely my most successful behavior
change!
59. Changed my
SOCIAL
Environment
Played socially conscious playlist
continuously in my room
60. Changed my
SOCIAL
Environment
Played socially conscious playlist Only parked in back parking lot
continuously in my room to avoid intoxicated peers
62. RESULTS
1. I did not party!
2. The feeling of the music was extremely
powerful. It gave me a feeling of social
inclusion through sound even though I was
"missing out" on things outside of my
room.
65. Learnings
1. The perceived size of a behavior affects
whether or not you will do it
2. Reduce your cognitive responsibilities in
order to focus
66. Learnings
1. The perceived size of a behavior affects
whether or not you will do it
2. Reduce your cognitive responsibilities in
order to focus
3. When you invest time into changing your
environment, it pays off!
67. Thanks for Viewing!
Kai Kight
Stanford University | 2014
B.S. Candidate | Product Design Engineering
krkight@stanford.edu
See my other work on Behavior Design