Please complete the paper with the requirements stated below. "For this assignment you will identify a personal behavior which you would like to change (i.e., reduce, improve,
etc.). You will first identify the behavior, describe it in detail, explain the origins of the behavior, predict what might
happen if you do/do not modify the behavior, and finally, identify what is necessary for you to change the behavior.
You are not required to write about anything personally revealing; this assignment is not designed to be deeply
personal. If this assignment makes you uncomfortable, please see me for a different way to complete this
assignment.
Your goals: Describe, Explain, Predict, and Change
 Identify a personal behavior you wish to change (increase/decrease).
 Describe 3 specific examples of this behavior occurring in your life (details matter!)
 Explain your behavior in terms of 2 genetic/nature and 2 environment/nurture examples
o Complete an inventory and include it/the results in your assessment of your behavior
 For example, you might include your results from the Big Five inventory; you might
include the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale (student version) – you have several inventories
and results on hand from your participation in class this semester, you may choose one of
those or select a different one as it relates
 Predict what could happen if the behavior changes/doesn’t change
o Make predictions about your life:
 1 month from now
 1 year from now
 5 years from now
 Describe at least 2 realistic changes you could make that would directly impact the behavior
 Create a realistic plan for implementing behavior change
 Track the data for your behavior change plan (data will be collected throughout the semester and included
in your paper)
 Be sure to think through potential obstacles to adherence to your behavior change and include 2 strategies
to stick to your plan
 Include risks for not adhering to change
 Include benefits of adherence to behavior change
 Incorporate TWO scholarly articles that relate directly to particular aspects of the behavior
This assignment is adapted from Debra Herold at IUPUI.
TIPS:
 You could pull heavily from chapters such as:
o Learning
o Motivation/goals
o Personality
o Development
o Stress and Well-being
o Others will be good sources too, but students historically find these to be most helpful
Your paper:
 APA format for in-text citations and reference page (Purdue OWL is a great resource)
 2-3 pages (12-pt font, double-spaced) (2 points)
 Include
o An introduction including a well-developed thesis statement (5 points)
o 3 detailed and thorough examples of the behavior (15 points)
o 4 detailed and thorough examples of nature/nurture and their effects on your behavior (20 points)
o Inclusion of an inventory/results in your explanation and assessment of self (10 points)
o A detailed and thorough prediction about the results of changing/not changing the behavior (15
points)
o 2 detailed and thorough examples of the changes that can be made to modify the behavior, with
appropriate data (15 points)
o Inclusion of obstacles to adhering to behavior change; two strategies to adhere, and risks/benefits
of adherence (10 points)
o Citations (APA format) from 2 peer-reviewed journal articles and your textbook (10 points)
o Accurate vocabulary from your textbook (15 points)
o Title and reference pages (APA format) (5 points) " Following is the topic that I want you to write about. "Data collection 2 
Mission statement.
     As I begin the second round of data collection, my main focus is on behavior change has shifted to phone usage right before going to bed. I've realized after the data collection one that this habit has major effects on my sleep quality and thereby overall productivity. In addition to my initial mindless browsing habit I am trying to break, I'll be making a conscious effort to avoid using my phone when I go to bed, more specifically, after I lay down. 
     So, the plan to help me overcome this behavior will start by setting a specific time for myself to not waist time on my phone, ideally at least an hour before going to bed. This will give me enough time to wind down and prepare myself mentally for sleep.

Psychological and physiological reasons to why this is a good habit to break. 
The parts of the brain responsible for sleep and sleep quality include the;
    The hypothalamus, which regulates the circadian rhythm and the release of hormones such as melatonin; 
   The pineal gland, which produces and releases melatonin;
   The thalamus, which controls the transitions between different stages of sleep.
   The prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-order cognitive functions such as decision-making, attention, and memory, is also involved in the regulation of sleep and can be negatively affected by phone use before bedtime.

The physiological things that can happen, and where happening are;
    Watching the phone before bed also seems harmful to my eyesight to watch something fairly close late at night for a long time. The next day, my eyesight is slow to focus and will glaze over observable details often.
    Disruption of dreaming: ‘Using electronic devices before bed can also disrupt the ability to dream, which is important for consolidating memories and processing emotions’
    Reduction in melatonin: The blue light emitted from electronic devices can suppress the production of melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. Exposure to blue light before bedtime has been shown to delay the onset of sleep and reduce the amount of REM sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and fatigue the following day.
    Disruption of Circadian Rhythm: The use of electronic devices before bedtime can disrupt the natural circadian rhythm of the body, which regulates sleep-wake cycles.
    Increased Cognitive Arousal: The use of electronic devices before bedtime can increase cognitive arousal, making it more difficult to relax and fall asleep. The brain remains active and stimulated, making it harder to enter a restful sleep state.
    Reduced Deep Sleep: Electronic device use before bedtime has been shown to reduce the amount of deep sleep, which is important for physical and mental restoration.

Phycological reasons as to why this is a more difficult habit to break.
    Dopamine addiction: The instant gratification of using a phone can create a dopamine addiction, which is hard to break. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in motivation and reward, and the constant use of phones can lead to an addiction to the pleasure response that dopamine provides.

     Habits and cues: Phone use can become a habit, triggered by cues such as boredom or stress. Habits are difficult to break, and the cues that trigger phone use can be challenging to avoid.

     Sleep disturbances: Phone use before bed can disturb sleep, leading to fatigue and making it harder to break the habit because of the lack of clarity of thought.
     Anxiety and depression: Overuse of phones can exacerbate anxiety and depression symptoms, and individuals may use the phone to cope with negative emotions.

In terms of the specific parts of the brain involved in making this habit hard to break, research suggests that the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the striatum play a role. The prefrontal cortex is involved in executive function and decision making, and changes in this region have been linked to addictive behaviors. The anterior cingulate cortex is involved in regulating emotional responses and has been implicated in addiction. The striatum is involved in reward processing and is activated by phone use, leading to the dopamine addiction mentioned earlier. Together, these regions of the brain can make breaking phone overuse habits very difficult.



Results and future plans.
To increase adherence to this plan, checking the amount of time I am wasting in the moment and comparing that to paid time is useful. By logistically thinking about the time, I realize how much it needs to stop. For instance, from the point I no longer was averaging my time, I have wasted 40 hrs. on YouTube. In a month’s time I have wasted a work week. At my pay per hr. currently, that is nearly $600. This habit is not sustainable for the life I want to have and the thing I want to do Period. I like to think about it, would I rather watch You-tube for that long or get $600. For me, the $600 is the answer.

As for usage before bed, that is something that I have thought about specifically for the last couple weeks. As such, I have not thought about it enough to have the motivation to do it all the time. When I have done watched the phone before bed recently, I made the decision to though. Overall, I have made progress, but I do recognize that there is still a long way to go.  I will break this habit because I want to. It is a step in the direction of organization and motivation, 2 things that I will have in my life.
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