My Resistance To Flossing Properly:
Behavioral Self-Control
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW
THE CLASS
PICKING A TOPIC
WHAT I WANT TO PROVE
DATA GATHERING
Library Research
Library Research Problems
Class Lectures
Guest Lectures
Personal Observations
Interviews
MY PLAN TO CHANGE
Self Observation
Model of Reinforcement
Awareness
Repetition
Self-appraisal
CONCLUSION
SUMMARY
AFTERTHOUGHTS
REFERENCE
GRAPHS 1~2
ACS STATEMENTS
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2
Overview
Dental technology has come a long way to provide better oral hygiene and
information for the public. Still many of us take our teeth for granted and
don't notice the importance of brushing and flossing our teeth regularly. I
also tend to neglect the consistency of proper flossing habits. Therefore in my
paper I will analyze the reasons why I resist flossing. I hypothesized that my
resistance is due to the lack of adolescent training and through behavior
modification I can change my attitudes and actions towards a conditioned
response toward flossing. In reference to the research, I will utilize primary
and secondary sources trying to uncover information and techniques that will
help me understand better my situation. I will also add in my own comments and
opinions to enhance my findings.
Behavioral self-control
T~ CLASS
When Dr. Jakobovits assigned this research paper it made me think twice about
taking this class. The paper seemed threatening and I was not to enthused about
spending hours in the library and on the typewriter. After the initial shock
had sunk in, I was ready to weigh the pros and cons of the class. I figured I
took this course because I am a psychology major and I was interested in social
psychology. Also Dr. Jakobovits seemed to have a different style of teaching
and it would be to my benefit to experience it. I thought I could fight my way
through the hard work and use the experience as a character builder.
PICKING A TOPIC
After deciding to take the challenge, I had to face the problem of selecting a
topic. Dr. Jakobovits offered the class two alternatives. Either, resistance to
flossing properly of resistance to driving properly. There were several reasons
why I chose flossing. First, since I lived on campus, and I did not have
immediate access to a car, I would have a difficult time compiling driving
data. As for flossing, I could monitor myself at regular intervals of time due
to my close proximity to a bathroom. Second, I felt flossing would benefit me
more than changing my driving habits. I could think of several reasons why not
to drive properly. Speeding to a late appointment or speeding to a hospital for
an emergency, just to name a couple. On the other hand, I could not think of an
honest excuse for not flossing properly. I know flossing is an important part
of society's health beliefs, but why don't I do it? Third, I want to set a goal
for myself and work my way towards it. Finally, since Dr. Jakobovits lectures
focused on flossing early in the semester, I wanted to get an early start on
the project.
WHAT I WANT TO PROVE
After selecting my topic, I had to concentrate on how I was going to approach
the subject. To make it beneficial to me, I wanted to prove that I could
maintain a good flossing habit by modifying my behavior (affective). I will do
this by changing the way I think (cognitive) by gathering and researching
information on the techniques and theories I was going to use. Also I will use
that information to instruct me on the proper methods for me to act out the
flossing procedure (sensory motor).
DATA GATHERING
After narrowing down my topic, I needed different information on flossing. The
most reliable sources of information I found were at the library. Other
important data, I gathered from the class lectures, personal observations and
field observations.
Library Research
Everytime I do a research paper, I found the bulk of my time spent at the
library. This is what I hate the most because many times it is hard to find the
proper books and it is very time consuming. On this paper it took me three
visits for a total of about seven hours looking up just the right resources.
On my first visit I spent most of my time on the On-line-Computer-System
jotting down about a page full of call numbers. Some of the topics I listed
dealt with dentistry, health, personal behavior and self-control. Other
resources I used were the Infotrac which organizes current articles in the
magazines, Psychological Abstract, which documented experiments and finding
related to psychology, and the Star-Bulletin & Advertiser newspaper
Indexes. I used my second and third trips to the library to locate the books I
needed. In all I managed to collect six books and one article.
Library Research Problems
I think the most frustrating part of library research is trying to find the
proper books. I mean after locating the books in the card catalog and on the
On-line Computer, you still must find the books on the shelves. While searching
the shelves, It is hard enough locating the call numbers, but also once you
have found the proper section the books never seem to be there in their proper
place. Many times I have to search the entire section to find the misplaced
book which I need. It is like looking for a needle in the haystack. I have been
a patron of the library for many years but I still have problems that cannot be
avoided.
Another problem I encountered dealt with the lack of information. Many tines I
have located a book I am searching for, but the information in the book doesn't
match my needs. It's a trial and error situation that all researches must face.
I probably went through more than twenty books before I came up with the six I
used.
Finally, I must list a problem that is internal I wander through the shelves,
many times I get distracted and get side-tracked by other books. That also adds
to the lengthy time I spend in the library.
Through my research I uncovered many techniques that were applicable to my
studies. I have incorporated five theories into my research. They are the
self-appraisal, self-monitoring, role modeling, repetition factor, and
self-awareness. Each of these will be explained in a later chapter.
CLASS LECTURES
Going to class was like killing two birds with one stone. For one thing
everyone had to go to class but through lectures given, I could find relevance
that pertained to my research. Besides filling us with the required information
of the course, he also talked about topics that had direct effects on my
research. He would give us the call numbers of books in the library that we
would need. Also he gave the class surveys on how everyone was progressing on
the paper so we could compare with one another. He also gave us time to meet in
small groups so we could compare notes. As you can see Dr. Jakobovits made it
worth coming to class. I also found the atmosphere to be a helping and learning
one instead of the competitive mood which I am use to.
The guest lecturers he brought in were also beneficial. One lecturer, Kim
Nakano, a librarian, gave a very informative speech on library research. She
also gave helpful hints on how to organize our papers more efficiently with the
use of index cards. She also stressed time management. With her help, I can say
my research time went down considerably.
Personal Observations
I found the self observations to be my primary resource. During the week of
Sept. 21-25, I noted down observations of myself every night right after I
flossed. All my daily journal entries are located in Appendix 1 and graph 1.
During the-week, I dealt with stressing factors. I had to fight off
procrastination, remind myself to floss and keep accurate data. As I began
flossing at night, I had to fight my tiredness at late hours to go and floss.
floss I felt awkward and could not floss with grace and dexterity. I found it
difficult to stick my fingers in my mouth. As the week progressed, the routine
got easier because I was more familiar with the habit. After each floss I had
noticed my teeth actually felt cleaner.
Interviews
I used my parents for background information. I used their feedback about
their flossing habits to see if they had any relevance to my non-flossing
habit. They gladly told me that they always stressed the importance of oral
hygiene and always took me regularly to the dentist. They said they had taught
me the proper way to floss. What they didn't stress was the flossing because
they also didn't maintain the practice on a regular basis. I concluded from my
interview that since I didn't have proper role models to stress my flossing, I
didn't conform and internalize the habit.
MY PLAN TO CHANGE
In my readings I found in order for me to acquire a new behavior I must change
my cognitive attitudes and sensory motor skills. I must know the factors that
influence my actions, which I already discussed, and how I can alter those
factors to bring about the changes I desired. This encompasses the idea that I
must become a personal scientist (Kelly, 1955). By this I mean I would observe
myself and note what goes on recording and analyzing personal data by using
certain techniques to change specific aspects and finally decide if the changes
have occurred in me (Mahonev, 1974). I will now discuss the methods I used.
Self Observation
I have already mentioned self observation as a means of a data gathering
resource. Now I want to discuss how I used it to monitor my external and
internal forces that affect my self-consciousness toward flossing. The external
forces refer to me actually flossing doing the physical part and the time that
was involved when I flossed. The internal forces reflected on more my feelings
and thoughts of my flossing. By examining and constantly being aware of those
factors, my resistance to flossing has decreased;(self-efficacy). An example of
this is shown in a study done by Mcfall (1970). During class sessions of a
college course, students were asked to monitor their smoking habits and by
doing so they increased their desires and actions to smoke. This shows that by
monitoring the self, the desired behavior can increase.
Model of Reinforcement
An external motivational factor that helped me considerably is my roommate. I
have been living with him for a year and a half now and I highly respect him. I
look up to him for advice quite often. When I spoke to him about his dental
habits I found he is consistent about flossing every night. When I asked him
why he flossed he answered that one day he decided he had enough cavities and
since his mom was a nurse and flossed regularly, he followed her behavior. I
then found out that ever since he started flossing in high school, he hasn't
had a single cavity. In fact his dentist told him not to bother to come in
until two or three more years. With someone who has a record of such good teeth
care, it's hard not to take after him. Due to his success, it has heightened my
attitudes to floss more than before. Without such living proof, I doubt I would
have been so motivated to floss.
Awareness
Awareness, being the mental or inner aspects of recognizing a certain behavior
(Cinotti, 1382~. Unless I am aware of the behaviors I am trying to learn, I
won't change my habits. Therefore throughout this research paper, my awareness
about flossing has been raised and by doing this so has my performance in
flossing. expanding this view to society, I feel it hasn't put enough emphasis
on the awareness on oral hygiene. ,papers, and magazines, we see and hear
about how we should dress, act, and buy. But I have yet to see a commercial
teaching the public how important it is to floss. If society would place enough
emphasis on educating the public in oral hygiene, there would be a more effort
made by the people to see the dentists more often and probably floss more also
(Ingersoll 1982).
Repetition
This may go hand in hand with awareness. Repetition is used to reinforce an
established response. Repetition though, does not seem to work effectively to
improve learning (Cinotti 1982). It must be backed by a reason or cause for
doing a response over and over. Take for instance a trainer trying to teach a
dog to sit. The dog must be able to comprehend the verbal command to sit. The
trainer must reinforce the verbal aspect with repetition of verbal commands to
get the dog to obey. In this same way, in order for me to learn a new skill, I
must continue to do it. In reference to graphs numbers 1 and 2, and Appendix 1,
I have shown that as I continued to floss daily, my responses to flossing was
more positive at the end of the week.
Self-appraisal
This played a minor function. The only benefit I could find from flossing was
the internal satisfaction that I got from having clean teeth and that is all I
could reward myself with.
CONCLUSION
By doing this paper, it made me focus on flossing and how important it is.
Through the research I nave gained added knowledge on this topic and have
learned to improve my techniques. One thing that is important to begin a
behavior change is motivation. Watson (1984) defines motivation as a person's
desire to perform particular behaviors and willingness to expend effort on
them. I think motivation is an added factor that can boost the rate of
learning. If I was more enthused about flossing, I might have started at an
earlier age.
I have also concluded, through my experiences, that it took more than one
method for me to internalize the flossing behavior. It took the expansion of
learning new material in books and the actions of going through the motions to
absorb the behavior. An example is trying to learn about baseball. You can read
all you want about the sport, which is very beneficial in studying the moves
and techniques, but in order to be competitive the actual participation in
drills, exercises and practice is mandatory. The same holds true for flossing.
Only when I began to do it consistently did I realize how good it felt.
SUMMARY
My intentions for this paper was to show that I could acquire a new behavior
by changing the way I think and act. I accomplished my feat by using several
different approaches. First I collected factual information from the library to
get an overview of my topic. Next, through the theories I found in the
resources I put them to use. By using the primary source, personal observation,
I tried to tie in theories why I resist flossing and then how I could improve
on that situation. In conclusion I found that more than one method could be
used in my situation and that in fact the more methods I used at one time, the
better my results were.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
I was glad to have completed this assignment. At first I thought I would never
finish such a lengthy paper. After I began collecting the data and applying
myself to this paper, I realized I have learned a great deal more than how to
floss on a regular basis. At first I thought this was a "Mickey Mouse"
assignment but by actually doing such a report, I gained the experience of how
to look at myself in a different perspective. I not only was able to observe
and record my actions in a scientific way, but able to take those observations
and analyze them. I could see myself doing a psychologist work. I can now take
the techniques such as self-observations and the theories of self rewards and
role models and apply them to other aspects of my life. I found-the paper time
consuming but also realized it was a great learning experience about psychology
and myself. By actually doing research and studying abstract theories about the
human behavior, I have gained the experience and knowledge about the field of
psychology. I hope this exercise will benefit me in the future.
REFERENCE
Cinotti, ~J., Grieder, A., and Springob, H. Applied Psychology in Dentistry.
St. Louis: C.V. Mosby, 1964, pp.16-24, 26-38, 103-106. Gives basic principles
of psychology and techniques for application in the field of dentistry.
Ingersoll, B.D. Behavioral Aspects in Dentistry. New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1982, pp. 21-22, 40-64. Gives guidelines on how
dentists should detect and handle certain situations dealing with patients.
Kelly, G. The Psychology of Personal Constructs,Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 1955.
Looks at personal behavior and how they are formed within individuals.
Mahoney, M.J., and Thoresen, C.E. Self-control: Power to the Person. Monterey,
California: Wadsworth, 1974, pp.20-26, 48-66, 86-110, 218-246. Methods and
experiments that help understand how much self-control a person can achieve.
McFall, R.M. The effects of self-monitoring on normal smoking behavior. Journal
of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1970, pp.35, 135-142. Examines the
self-observation technique.
Steele, P.F. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger,
1982. pp. 125-130. General information on how to floss correctly.
Watson, D.L. Social Psychology Science and Application. Glenview, Illinois:
Scott Foresman and Co., 1334. Basic terminology and theories of Psychology.
APPENDIX 1
PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS
Sept. 21, 19~7 - 10:40 p.m.
I am debating whether I should floss my teeth. I am very tired and want to just
jump into bed. I feel like putting it off until tomorrow but if I do that I
will have to make it up another day. Should I take the time to floss or should
I just jump into bed?
Here are some observations I have made while flossing. It took me three minutes
to floss tonight. My head tilts in all types of positions, left, right, down
and up. I felt my index fingers become numb while they were rapped around the
dental floss. It feels awkward to place my head and arms in different positions
so I could reach in between the gaps of my teeth. I feel silly doing this but I
know it will benefit me when I am done.
When I was finished flossing, It left my mouth with a cool sensation. I was
able to squirt water and air easily between my teeth without anything to dam up
the gaps. I feel cleaner and satisfied that I had flossed. I got a sense of
accomplishment.
Sept. 22, 1987 - 11:47 p.m.
I didn't get as much sleep last night and I am extremely tired. Since I started
my daily observations yesterday, I should continue to floss.
It took me three minutes to floss. I started with the upper middle gap and
worked my to the left making sure I don't miss each gap. I continue the
flossing with my lower rear teeth on the left side. I work my way counter
clockwise until I finish flossing each gap. I also noticed that I used my
thumbs as the tool that guides the floss through the upper portion of my mouth.
When I hit the bottom part of my mouth, I switched my thumbs for my index
fingers and completed the process in that manner. Tonight I timed myself and
the flossing took about the same time as last night. I guess it took so long
due to my unfamiliarity with flossing. I noticed when I floss my lower left
row, the floss gets trapped in between a filling and my tooth. This makes it
difficult for me to floss because the thread constantly breaks. I get
frustrated when this happens. feel this obstacle is keeping me from reaching my
bed. I know I am getting use to the motion of flossing but I still need more
practice.
Sept. 23, 19~7 - 10:00 p.m.
I wondered why I can't skip a day in flossing? No one would know and I could
enter a fake journal entry but it would not be fair to me. I want to keep my
results honest.
Tonight it took me one minute and forty-five sec. to floss. I am glad that my
time had dropped and I am also rewarded with the cleaner feeling teeth. Maybe I
was careless in flossing because I could taste some blood that no doubt was due
to my flossing. The trouble seems to be that as I shove the floss in, it snaps
down hard on my gums. Another problem I encounter, seems to be that I have a
hard time or initiating the action of flossing but once I start it doesn't seem
as bad.
Sept.2, 1987 -11:35 p.m.
I was already in bed but then remembered I forgot to floss. It is such a hot
night and I don't want to stand in front of the bathroom mirror and floss. I
forced myself on account that I have to keep up this routine for only a couple
of nights more. As I stood in front of the mirror I noticed I needed a shave. I
started flossing my usual pattern and worked my way around counterclockwise. As
I hit the bottom left side the floss again got stuck between my molar and
cutting tooth. This was due to my filling that wasn't properly shaven by my
dentist. I thought fine, this only added to my negative feelings toward
flossing. I finally finished but with an uncomfortable feeling in my gums. They
felt unusually tender. This happened before
Sept. 25, 1987 - 12:15 p.m.
Amazingly I didn't forget to floss tonight. I did come across a problem. I am
at my girlfriend's house and I didn't bring dental floss with me. I thought
maybe I shouldn't floss but since this was the last night I should make an
extra effort to complete this task.
I got floss from my girlfriend and went through the routine without trouble. I
timed myself at one minute and thirty sec. I did noticed that I seemed to floss
a bit quicker and more systematically. The task doesn't seem as much as a chore
mow but I still had to push myself to floss. especially when I am ready to
sleep and have completed my bed time preparations but forget to floss I find
myself pushing harder to go back and complete the task. I still have not
imbedded in my mind that flossing is a regular task. That is what I must work
on in the future.
APPENDIX 2
December 6, 1987
I feel I have learned and appreciated how to complete a lengthy research paper
such as this one. I hope I have enough data to satisfy Dr. Jakobovits. I also
wanted to note a change in my data. In reference to my graphs, the time it took
me to floss should be greater due to the fact that my technique of flossing has
changed but results of the graphs are still valid. After doing my
self-observations I read up on how to
(STEELE, 1970) floss. It was then I realized I wasn't flossing efficiently.
Previously I was just slipping the floss in and out between the gaps of my
teeth when instead I should have been concentrating on cleaning the surface of
the teeth. I have reevaluated the problem and after another week of
observations, the time may have increased but they are still in ratio with the
previous data. I felt I should do the whole week of flossing over since I had
done the procedure incorrect.
Another thing that helped me modify my research were the addition of other
opinions and comments on my paper. At first I was ashamed at revealing my paper
to others because I felt they were going to think I did a lousy job on the
paper. I was wrong. They had made tactful criticism that helped me better it
instead.
APPENDIX 3
November 24,19~7
After receiving my paper I was relieved that Dr. Jakobovits was so generous
with the grading and was glad to receive as many points as I got. I know I will
have to work twice as hard to do a decent job on this paper. I know my paper
lacks data and diagrams as compared to my classmates paper who subsequently
received better grades than I did. After looking at several papers I realized
that my paper is lacking in every part except for the title page and table of
contents which is not saying much. I need to get more detail into my paper. I
have to add more data that depicts what my thoughts are and more diagrams so I
can solidify my hypothesis with concrete facts. As for the body of the paper, I
will have to restructure it so it's more coherent. I know I will be stressed
for the next week and panic will probably set in when it gets close to the
deadline. I already feel stressed just thinking about all the work ahead of me.
I shall take a positive approach to the revision and will strive for an "A".
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