The Strong Why Factor

The Science of Behavior contains many things that make sense but do not work.  There are also several things that, when properly applied, make fundamental differences. Below is a list of 12 of the simplest things that work that we have been discussing so far during our Behavioral Modification Certificate Course:

1. The Law of Little Things

2. Prompting

3. Pairing

4. Net time

5. Practice or Repetition

6. The RFI Triad (Regularity, Frequency, and Intensity)

7. Friction Management

8. Use of Loss Management

9. The Identity Principle

10. Substitution

11. Environment

12. Modeling

One, not mentioned, and which can be controversial, is the Motivation Factor.

Some Scientists find that motivation is overrated. They explain that the power of motivation cannot exist in an environment that does not support it. This body of work, for example, would support the famous triad, “People, Place, and Things,” which we know, does make a difference.

However, there is a small group of scientists who have been able to take the middle road. They explain that it is a fact that environment decreases one’s motivation in creating helpful habits, but motivation, when properly understood, prevails regardless of what the environment looks like.

SWEET Institute is a proponent of the middle road theory, albeit with a slight adjustment, summed up by the following three steps: 1. Acknowledge that the environment is and can be a powerful force; 2. Ensure that the environment is the most optimal possible; 3. Leverage the power of the Motivation Factor at its best.

Once you understand that the environment is a powerful force and can work for you, making it optimal for change is next.  There are many ways to ensure the environment is as optimal as possible, and some of them will be discussed in our Behavioral Certificate Course. We will also be learning different ways to enhance the Motivation Factor and leverage its power. This article will emphasize one of these ways, the Strong Why Factor.

Simply put, we can be motivated but not with the level of intensity that would catalyze a change. However, it is evident that the higher our level of motivation, the more leverage we have. At times we get motivated, but the motivation then soon fades. Many scientists refer to that as motivation being a fluke, and that it is indeed overrated. However, this ceases to be the case when the Strong Why Factor is applied.

The Strong Why Factor, once there, is the driving factor, and it is no longer just about motivation.  Motivation, as a concept, can be vague and wax and wane. However, there is a constant element that is neither based on our psychological state, loss aversion factor, nor on the benefit factor. It goes deeper than that. It is stronger than that. It is more meaningful than that. And, it tends to permeate one’s life at a deeper level.  It is that thing that we would be ready to be or do, no matter what it took. This is the power of the Strong Why Factor.

If you are asking how to then proceed with developing that Strong Why Factor, it means you have been following along. In our last class, we introduced the concept of the Rule of 9, which is a simple, deep, and fun exercise to use for anyone to get to his or her Strong Why Factor. Given the importance of this exercise, a full article will be dedicated to it. In the meantime, unto to you:

1. Have you happened to identify your Strong Why Factor? If so, what do you think it is?

2. How permeating is your Strong Why Factor? How many of the 7 categories of Life Model does it touch?

3. Can you come up with a Strong Why Factor that serves as a constant and consistent powerful motivator for at least 3-4 of the 7 categories of Life Model?

The Behavior Modification Certificate Course is the place where the most practice work is done. As Aristotle says, “To do we must learn, but to learn we must do.” Being fully engaged and doing your best to make use of at least one concept learned from this Certificate Course will help you get the best out of it and will serve as your foundation to get the best out of all other SWEET Certificate Courses. For you will have mastered how to undo any unhelpful habits, how to form any new wanted habits, and how to shape your behavior as you go.

If you are willing to practice each day while being the kindest to yourself, as you would be to a toddler who is learning how to walk, you will, for sure, surprise yourself and be ready to help your loved ones and your patients and clients do the same.  Are you in?

If so, keep practicing, and of course, please join us for our next class on 11/16/20, 7-9pm EST, where we will look into Rules to Go By in Behavioral Modification.

Until then,
Karen and Mardoche

About the Authors:

Karen Dubin-McKnight, PhD, LCSW, is a Columbia-trained Social Worker with wide clinical, teaching, and supervision experience. She also has a background in management, mentorship, and leadership that spans almost 20 years. Her added passion is in advocacy, coaching, public relations, and mediation. Her goal is to ensure that social workers and women feel empowered and have a voice “at the table.” She has previously held Executive level positions, and two other directorships in different organizations. She is currently Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work and Adelphi University School of Social Work. She also maintains a private practice, working with individuals who have experienced loss and trauma, and also provides clinical and management supervision.

Mardoche Sidor, MD is a quadruple board-certified psychiatrist, with board certifications in Psychiatry and Neurology (General Adult Psychiatry), Child and Adolescent, Addiction, and Forensic, Psychiatry. He has training in public and community psychiatry, and advanced training in psychopharmacology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Strategic Intervention. He also has additional training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic psychotherapy, Play therapy, and Couples therapy. He has clinical, teaching, and supervision, experience; he has mentorship, coaching, and management, skills and experience; and he has experience as a primary care physician, in public speaking and writing. His overall purpose is to help heal the world, through an increase in awareness, a shift in belief systems, and an education that empowers. He speaks and writes fluently in four (4) languages—French, English, Spanish, and Creole, with intermediate proficiency in Portuguese and Italian. Dr. Sidor is the author of 3 books and is currently working on several others.