How to change problem behaviours: Identify the rules which drive the behaviours

Some clients with whom I work have the goal of changing behaviours which are having negative effects on their lives. Examples of such behaviours include procrastination and substance use. A technique from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which is effective in helping clients change such behaviours toward more favourable ones involves identifying the rules and assumptions which underlie them. In the following sections, I will discuss how this strategy is applied.

What are rules and assumptions which drive behaviours?

Our choice whether to engage in behaviours is driven by assumptions we make, often at an unconscious level, regarding what will happen following the choice. These assumptions focus on whether a good result or a bad result will ensue following the choice to perform or not to perform the behaviour.

Assuming that a good result will follow a behaviour will make it more likely that the person will choose to engage in that behaviour. Assuming that a bad result will follow a behaviour will make it less likely that the person will choose to engage in that behaviour.

These assumptions typically take the form of ‘rules’ framed in an if-then form. One type of rule takes the following form: ‘If I perform Behaviour X, then here is what I hope will happen’. This rule refers to the benefits the person expects to accrue if they perform the behaviour. When the person has this rule in mind, they are more likely to perform the behaviour in anticipation of the benefits which are expected to follow it.

A second type of rule takes the following form: ‘If I perform Behaviour X, then here is what I am afraid will happen’. This rule refers to the costs the person expects to suffer if they perform the behaviour. When the person has this rule in mind, they are less likely to perform the behaviour in anticipation of the costs which are expected to follow it.

Step 1 in using the technique: Identify the ‘current behaviour’ and the ‘new behaviour’

The first step in using the technique is to identify the ‘current behaviour’ and the ‘new behaviour’. The current behaviour is the behaviour which you would like to reduce in frequency or eliminate. The new behaviour is the behaviour which you would like to do more of or with which you would like to replace the current behaviour.

For example, if the current behaviour were procrastination then the new behaviour would be getting things done on time. If the current behaviour were drinking alcohol then the new behaviour would be refraining from drinking alcohol or staying sober.

Step 2: Identify the rules and assumptions which drive the current behaviour

The second step is to identify the rules and assumptions which drive the current behaviour. There are two categories of rules which drive the current behaviour. One category refers to the expectation of benefits for performing the current behaviour.

Using the examples, these rules could be stated as, ‘If I procrastinate, here are the benefits I am expecting’ such as ‘I’ll get to do other things which I enjoy’ and ‘I will have less stress’ or ‘If I drink alcohol, these are the rewards I am hoping I will get’ such as, ‘I’ll be relaxed’ and ‘I’ll get a break from thinking about my problems’.

The second category refers to the expectation of costs for performing the new behaviour. Using the examples, these rules could be stated as, ‘If I get things done on time, here are the costs I am expecting’ such as ‘I won’t get to do other things which I enjoy’ and ‘I will have stress’ or ‘If I stay sober, these are the things which I am afraid will happen’ such as, ‘I’ll be stressed’ and ‘I’ll have to think about my problems’.

Step 3: List the costs of the current behaviour

The third step is to list the costs of the current behaviour. Using the examples, the costs of procrastination could include, ‘I will do a bad job on tasks’, ‘I will have stress from having to scramble or cram to complete tasks’, ‘I will feel badly about myself’ and ‘I will receive negative feedback from others’ while the costs of drinking alcohol could include, ‘My performance at work will suffer,’ ‘My relationships will be hurt’, ‘I will feel badly about myself,’ ‘It will interfere with my doing enjoyable activities,’ ‘I will feel lousy the next day’ and ‘It will be hard on my pocketbook’.

Step 4: Weigh the benefits and costs of the current behaviour

The fourth step is to weigh the benefits and costs of the current behaviour. This entails deciding whether, based on the benefits and costs, it makes more sense to continue the current behaviour or to discontinue it in favour of the new behaviour.

Using the examples, were you to decide that the benefits of procrastination or of drinking alcohol exceed the costs, you might choose to continue these behaviours. On the other hand, were you to decide that the costs of procrastination or of drinking alcohol exceed the benefits, you would likely choose to discontinue these behaviours.

Were you to choose to continue the current behaviour, it would be unnecessary to proceed with further steps. On the other hand, were you to choose to discontinue the current behaviour, you would proceed to the next steps.

Step 5: Identify the rules and assumptions which will drive the new behaviour

The fifth step is to identify the rules and assumptions which will drive the new behaviour. As with the current behaviour, there are two categories of rules which will drive the new behaviour.

One category refers to the expectation of benefits for performing the new behaviour. Using the examples, these rules could be stated as, ‘If I get things done on time, here are the benefits I am expecting’ such as ‘I’ll do a better job on tasks’, ‘I won’t have to scramble and cram to complete tasks’, ‘I’ll feel good about myself’ and ‘I’ll get positive feedback from others’, or ‘If I stay sober, these are the rewards I am hoping I will get’ such as, ‘I’ll perform better at work’, ‘My relationships will be better’, ‘I’ll feel good about myself’, ‘I’ll be able to enjoy more activities’, ‘I won’t feel lousy the next day’ and ‘I’ll have more money to spend’.

The second category refers to the expectation of costs for performing the current behaviour. Using the examples, these rules could be stated as, ‘If I procrastinate, here are the costs I am expecting’ such as ‘I’ll do a bad job on tasks’, ‘I’ll have stress from having to scramble or cram to complete tasks’, ‘I’ll feel badly about myself’ and ‘I’ll receive negative feedback from others’ or ‘If I drink alcohol, these are the expected costs’ such as ‘My performance at work will suffer,’ ‘It will hurt my relationships’, ‘I will feel badly about myself,’ ‘It will interfere with my doing enjoyable activities,’ ‘I will feel lousy the next day’ and ‘It will be hard on my pocketbook’.

Step 6: Make the rules which drive the new behaviour more cognitively accessible

The sixth step is to make the rules which drive the new behaviour more ‘cognitively accessible’. This term refers to the extent to which information is ‘top of mind’. Information which is more cognitively accessible has been found to have more of an influence on behaviours, emotions, judgments and other variables.

One of the reasons people engage in the current behaviour so often is that the rules which drive the current behaviour have become highly cognitively accessible through continually thinking about them. Therefore, the next step is to make the rules which drive the new behaviour more cognitively accessible. Doing so will make it more likely that the person will behave based on the rules driving the new behaviour compared with behaving based on the rules which drive the current behaviour.

There are straightforward methods to make the rules which drive the new behaviour more cognitively accessible. One way is to read them twice a day—once earlier in the day and once later on. To use the examples, this would entail reading twice a day the rules driving the new behaviour of getting things done on time—that is, the expected benefits of getting things done on time and the expected costs of procrastinating and the rules driving the new behaviour of staying sober—that is, the expected benefits of staying sober and the expected costs of drinking alcohol.

Rules which drive the new behaviour can also be made more cognitively accessible by reading them in situations in which you have the opportunity to engage in the current behaviour or the new behaviour. Using the examples, this would entail reading the rules driving getting things done on time in situations in which you are tempted to procrastinate or reading the rules driving staying sober in situations in which you are tempted to drink alcohol. Putting these rules on an index card or a smartphone will allow you to have them with you when you need to consult them in these situations.

Step 7: Collect data from behavioural experiments to ‘strengthen’ the rules driving the new behaviour

The seventh step is to collect data from behavioural experiments to strengthen the rules driving the new behaviour. This entails doing experiments in which to test the validity of the rules which drive the current behaviour and the new behaviour. The more data you collect from these experiments which support the validity of the rules driving the new behaviour and which do not support the validity of the rules driving the current behaviour, the more likely you are to engage in the new behaviour rather than the current behaviour going forward.

Using the examples, this would entail ‘tracking’ the benefits accrued when getting things done on time and when staying sober as well as tracking the costs of procrastinating and of drinking alcohol. The more data collected which show these benefits and costs actually occurring will make it more likely the person will choose to engage in these new behaviours going forward.

In a similar manner, you can also track the benefits accrued when procrastinating and when drinking alcohol as well as tracking the costs of getting things done on time and of staying sober. The more data collected which show these benefits and costs either not occurring or proving to be not as great as the benefits and costs which drive the new behaviour, the more likely it is that the person will choose to engage in the new behaviour rather than the current behaviour going forward.

Step 8: Develop additional rules which drive the new behaviour

The eighth step is to develop additional rules which drive the new behaviour. These additional rules focus on identifying ways to obtain the benefits which have been derived from the current behaviour while engaging in the new behaviour. These rules can be stated in the following way: ‘If I perform the new behaviour, I can still obtain the benefits which I previously derived from performing the current behaviour by taking the following steps…”

Using the first example, these rules would take the following form: ‘If I get things done on time, I can still derive the benefits which I previously derived from procrastinating by taking the following steps…’ Taking these steps would entail examining each benefit which was derived from performing the current behaviour and identifying ways it can be obtained by performing the new behaviour. So for the benefit of procrastinating, ‘I’ll get to do other things which I enjoy’ one would look for ways to get things done on time and also get to do other things which the person enjoys. Targeting the benefit of procrastinating, ‘I’ll have less stress’ would entail exploring ways to get things done on time while keeping stress relatively low.

Using the second example, these rules would take the following form: ‘If I stay sober, I can still derive the benefits which I previously derived from drinking alcohol by taking the following steps…’ Taking these steps would entail examining each benefit which was derived from performing the current behaviour and identifying ways it can be obtained by performing the new behaviour. So for the benefit of drinking alcohol, ‘I’ll be relaxed’ one would look for ways to stay sober and also be relaxed. Targeting the benefit of drinking alcohol, ‘I’ll get a break from thinking about my problems’ would entail exploring ways to stay sober while getting a break from thinking about one’s problems.

A psychologist who specializes in CBT can help you to implement the steps which were discussed in this article.

May you change behaviours by identifying the rules which drive those behaviours,

-Dr. Pat