1. Enhancing My Vocabulary!
One flashcard at a time.
Psychology 460
Chelsea K. VanderWoude
TA: Megan Groenhof
11/29/11
S

2. "Being a graduate student is like becoming all
of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning you're
Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you are
usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and
irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call you
Doc, and then you're Happy.”

3. Chelsea vs. Graduate School
Round 1
To gain acceptance into an APA accredited
graduate program, a number of steps are
required. One of which is the dreaded GRE. All
graduate students must not only take the GRE
but successfully destroy it as well. To do this you
need to know two things: math and vocab. For my
study I will be increasing my vocabulary with the
use of study flashcards.

4. Competing Contingencies
 Trashy Reality Shows
 Movies
 Food
 Reading
 Playing my Sega
 Facebook stalking
 Etc

5. Natural Competing Contingency
BEFORE BEHAVIOR AFTER
Will have time to Will not have time
Rule the Sega I study one Rule the Sega
World as Sonic GRE flashcard World as Sonic
The hedgehog The hedgehog

6. The SM Intervention
 Target behavior: Studying Vocab
 Intervention: Must learn 5 new words each week.
 Contingencies: Will lose $5 per word I fail to learn.
 Deadline (SD): Every Sunday at 5pm.
 PM manager: Katie Knibbe
 Start Date: 9/12/11
 End Date: NEVER!

7. Ineffective Natural Contingency
BEFORE BEHAVIOR AFTER
Slightly
Given
I study one Larger
Possibility
GRE flashcard Possibility for
For good
Good GRE
GRE score
Score

8. Performance-Management
Contingency
BEFORE BEHAVIOR AFTER
I study one
Will lose $5 Will not lose
GRE
On Sunday $5 on Sunday
flashcard

9. Problems and Recycle phase
The PM contingency fell
through due to a weak
manager. As a result, I made
the behavior a little easier to
reach (and more enjoyable
too). Instead of learning 5
new flashcards each week, I
have to play 3 hours of free
rice each week.

10. Results
GRE Words
12
Baseline
Flashcards Free
10
Rice
Number of words learned
8
Goal Line
6
4
2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Weeks

11. My Results
Through the tools of performance management I was
able to successfully increase the frequency/duration
of my study habits, while also increasing the
probability of achieving a high score.

12. My Comments
With this intervention I’ve been able to
add a plethora of words to my
vocabulary. This will help increase my
chances of receiving a bombastic score
on the GRE this summer!

13. THANK YOU!!
Any Questions or
Comments?