What is Behavioral Pay-Per-View?

From The Lansing-Jackson Business Review

By Mark Fellows
mfellows@mbusinessreview.com

Photo by CATHERINE OTTARSON

"I call it behavioral pay-per-view," says Alejandro "Alex" Terrazas, president and chief scientist of startup company MediaBalance Inc.

"The idea is that you use TV, the Internet, cell phone minutes, any electronic media I can get my hands on - iTunes is another one - and you use that as reinforcement," he explains. "I have a point system. So for exercise, I have sensors embedded in a medicine ball - that's my personal favorite - and as you move the medicine ball it cranks out points to your wristwatch, and also to your cell phone."

The Wireless Walden

In his controversial book Walden 2, the psychologist B.F. Skinner wrote about a utopian society based on operant conditioning. MediaBalance allows you to build a utopian society in your own home. We call it Wireless Walden.

Our patent-pending method of wireless embedded behavior modification allows positive behavior to be reinforced with points that can be exchanged for access to televisions, computers, game platforms, and cell phones. Wireless Walden is a media-based behavior economy. Not only will it increase good behavior, but you can say goodbye to the daily battle over screen time.

A Device for Turning Humans into Pigeons?

Not really. But, shaping behavior through operant conditioning is a powerful technique. For example, during WWII, Skinner was able to train pigeons to guide missles with deadly accuracy. And the outrageous Las Vegas act of Seigfried and Roy? Its all based on Skinner. But what exactly is operant conditioning and how do we apply it to humans?

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is not that tough to understand. It's really all about actions and consequences. The key ideas are the operant (an action by an organism that changes the environment) and the consequence that follows. Reinforcement refers to any consequence that increases the operant's future likelihood. If we know what is reinforcing and can control the delivery, then we can use reinforcement to increase the likelihood of some desired operant behavior. It is well known that reinforcement is especially potent when it is delivered immediately following the desired behavior. But this poses a lot of problems. If video games are reinforcing to a kid sitting in class, you wouldn't want to deliver this reinforcement right in the middle of a lesson. You need a way to bridge the gap between the target behavior and the reinforcemnt. Well, bring on the tokens!

The Power of Tokens

In the 1960's, psychologists began to use tokens (tangible indicators that can be traded in for reinforcers) as a practical way to apply Skinner's work to human behavior. Tokens bridge the gap between the desired behavior and the ultimate delivery of reinforcment. MediaBalance's token economy relies on electronic points as tokens. Because Wireless Walden is wireless and embedded, the tokens can be.seamlessly integrated with a wide variety of consumer products. This means the tokens can be delivered anytime and anyplace.

The Reinforcing Properties of Media

Media access is the perfect reinforcer. To understand why, we need to understand a basic rule about reinforcment known as the Premack Principle. This principle is central to MediaBalance's approach to changing behavior. The Premack Principle can be paraphrased as "high probability behaviors will reinforce low probability behaviors". To discover high and low probability behaviors, simply observe what the subject does when the opportunity exists. There is no question that for the vast majority of all humans, media consumptions is a high probability behavior. If a TV is available, people wll watch it (see links to the Kaiser Family Foundation for some rather shocking statistics on the prevalence of media use). And have you been in an airport lately? Its seems that everybody has a cell phone. And here's the topper. You are already paying for media access or getting it for free. Its like the air around you. In fact, media usage is such a high probability behavior that many people are striving to find a balance between screen time and the rest of their life. Wireless Walden lets you tap this ubiquitous resource for good. And what's more

So Many Behaviors, So Little Time

Media access is a high probability behavior that you can harness to increase targeted low probability behaviors. What low probability can we change? There are too many to list, but exercise, homework and chores come to mind. We provide low cost, easy to use tools to make a media access contingent on a wide range of low probability behaviors.

Wireless Walden and the Classroom

Behavior Mod is common practice in the classroom. Ask any teacher and they will tell you about behavioral contracts and other methods of reinforcing students for desired behavior. Unfortunately, most behavior modification programs are a hassle to implement and end up costing the parent a heavy price in toys and candy. Plus, having the teacher walk over to give your kid a poker chip for raising his hand is embarrasing for the kid and disruptive to the class. MediaBalance's Wireless Walden for the classroom makes it easy. The teacher pushes a button on a laptop, cell phone or PalmTop and voila! Instant reinforcement. When your child returns home, you won't have to worry about TV time, your kid will have earned it.

Remote Reinforcement

MediaBalance's Remote Reinforcer allows a teacher, therapist, or parent to deliver reinforcement to any number of students in the home and in the class. A teacher can simply touch a button and send points to any student in the class wearing one of our keychains or wristwatches. The wristwatch gives a small vibration or tone whenever points arrive. The student and the teacher know but no one else has to.

Diet, exercise and weight Loss

MediaBalance has a Plan to Increase Behavior X.

At MediaBalance, we call exercise Behavior X because is first and foremost a behavior (plus, doesn't the phrase Behavior X sound really cool).

There is no question that we, as a society, need to increase Behavior X. Lack of physical activity (above and beyond its related role in obesity) costs the U.S. taxpayer at least $24 Billion in 2002 (1) costing an astounding $175 per taxpayer. That's just Government outlays, the costs in increased insurance and other non-governmental expenditures are even higher. It is estimated that 1-in-5 dollars spent on health care in the U.S. goes to obesity and obesity-related costs.

And its not just about money. Quality of life is stolen by obesity and lack of physical activity. An individual who is obese at the age of 40, can subract 15 years from his/her life expectancy. And that shortened life will probably a lot of sickness and ailment.

MediaBalance's approach the problem of increasing Behavior X is through the use of low-cost, high technology exercise equipment and measurement devices that give you points for exercise. Your points can then be transfered for access to media devices in the home.

Importantly, Behavior X can occur anytime and anyplace. You get to choose. Therefore, MediaBalance works with your lifestyle and help you find your balance. Sure you can do it on your own, but why take a chance? The vast majority of people who begin an exercise program fail. How often have you seen this.

Ending the Sedentary Lifestyle

Obesity has become epidemic in the developed world and lack of physical activity is the major contributor.

While the public is preoccupied with the minute differences between fad diets, the scientific literature is clear: diet without exercise shows little to no efficacy in long-term weight loss.

More importantly, even if a person were to miraculously have all the excess fat sucked out of their body, they would still not receive the health benefits provided by regular exercise. Exercise contributes to cardiovascular health, develops muscle and bone strength to prevent osteoporosis, serves to improve mental health and possibly even generate new brain cells. And that's just a few of the benefits.

Not only that, exercise makes dieting easier. Losing weight by reducing calories alone takes unbelievable (unrealistic) will power. Studies show that the taste preferences of runners is tuned to healthier foods, thereby making it easier to stick with a diet. Certain forms of exercise can increase the number of calories you burn at rest (resting metabolic rate). If you are dieting but not exercising, you're fighting a losing battle.

Why is exercise a "low probability behavior"?

Your brain is 100,000 years old. Its the same brain used by your ancient ancestor Homo Habilis (Tool Man). When Tool People get a chance to veg out or eat, they take it. That was a major reason Tool People were able to survive before agriculture and modern transportation. Resting and eating are built in to the Tool Person's brain (look on your couch right now and see if you see any Tool People).

It's as simple as that: Make media access dependent on Behavior X

Recall that according to time-tested research in psychology, making a high probability behavior contingent of a low probability behavior will almost always increase the low probability behavior. Wireless Walden provides an easy-to-use and convenient method to make media usage contingent upon exercise.

Behavioral Economies and Exercise

Landmark studies have already shown the power of using television time to reinforce exercise and physical activity(1,2,3). The problem has been making this type of system work.

MediaBalance provides the technology to increase physical activity and decrease media usage. Either approach alone produces good effects. But the power of the two together is much greater.

MediaBalance's system to increase Behavior X is easy to use and removes the daily hassles of fighting the TV, Internet and Cell Phone from parents' lives. We bring balance between behavior and media usage.