Environment Change for Better Health Behavior
Transcript of Environment Change for Better Health Behavior
Designing Environment Change
How can environment change help college students improve their health behavior?
Kai KightStanford University
College is a CRAZY
environment...
BUSY schedules
A TON OF people
SHARED living conditions
WITH ALL THIS...
WITH ALL THIS...
How can college students change their environment for positive health behavior?
The first question to ask is...
The first question to ask is...
What do college students actually WANT to change?
The first question to ask is...
What do college students actually WANT to change?
I asked them...
Meet INSIYA
Wants to Procrastinate LESS
Meet JOHN
Wants to go to the gym MORE
Meet KAREEM
Wants to Party
LESS
To design environment change for them...
To design environment change for them...
I did some testing on myself first!
For one week, I changed my own college environment so that I would...
For one week, I changed my own college environment so that I would...
1 Procrastinate LESS
For one week, I changed my own college environment so that I would...
1 Procrastinate LESS
2 Go to the gym MORE
For one week, I changed my own college environment so that I would...
1 Procrastinate LESS
2 Go to the gym MORE
3 Party LESS
My method was SIMPLE
My method was SIMPLE
Make the "MORE" behaviors EASIER
My method was SIMPLE
Make the "LESS" behaviors HARDER
Make the "MORE" behaviors EASIER
1.
What makes focusing hard for college students?
What makes focusing hard for college students?
1. Mind Distractions from sources of media
What makes focusing hard for college students?
1. Mind Distractions from sources of media
2. Routine of checking other sources
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...
Re-Organized INTERFACES
Re-Organized INTERFACES
Cleared Bookmark Bar of Facebook, Yahoo, and ESPN
Re-Organized INTERFACES
Cleared Bookmark Bar of Facebook, Yahoo, and ESPN
Cleared iPhone Homescreen of Social Apps
RESULTS
1. My proposed interface change only worked for a couple of days, then I built
new habits to reach distracting sites.
RESULTS
1. My proposed interface change only worked for a couple of days, then I built
new habits to reach distracting sites.(addiction...)
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
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
2.
What makes going to the gym hard for college students?
What makes going to the gym hard for college students?
1. Physical effort of going all the way to gym
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
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...
Brought the gym TO MYRoom
Brought the gym TO MYRoom
Pull up bar on the doorway
Brought the gym TO MYRoom
Pull up bar on the doorway Resistance bands on chair
Brought the gym TO MYRoom
Pull up bar on the doorway
Resistance bands on door
Resistance bands on chair
RESULTS
1. I worked out in my room everyday for at least 20 minutes.
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.
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!
3.
What makes partying less hard for college students?
What makes partying less hard for college students?
1. Socially exclusive feeling of not fitting in or missing
out
What makes partying less hard for college students?
1. Socially exclusive feeling of not fitting in or missing
out
how I made it easier...
Changed my SOCIAL
Environment
Changed my SOCIAL
Environment
Played socially conscious playlist continuously in my room
Changed my SOCIAL
Environment
Played socially conscious playlist continuously in my room
Only parked in back parking lot to avoid intoxicated peers
RESULTS
1. I did not party!
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.
Learnings
Learnings
1. The perceived size of a behavior affects whether or not you will do it
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
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!
Thanks for Viewing!
Kai KightStanford University | 2014B.S. Candidate | Product Design [email protected]
See my other work on Behavior Design