EFFECTS OF REINFORCING INCREASES IN ACTIVE BEHAVIOR VERSUS DECREASES IN SEDENTARY BEHAVIOR FOR OBESE CHILDREN

This experiment tested the effects of reinforcing obese children to be more active or less sedentary in their choice of active versus sedent ary behaviors. On days 1 and 5, there were no contingencies for sedent ary or active behaviors. During days 2 through 4, children in the Acti vity group were reinforced for being more active, and they significant ly increased their activity and decreased time spent on preferred sede ntary activities. Children in the Sedentary group were reinforced for not engaging in preferred sedentary behaviors, and they significantly decreased time spent on these sedentary behaviors, with time reallocat ed both to being more active and to substitution of lower preference s edentary behaviors. Children randomized to the Control group were rein forced for attendance and made choices among the alternatives as usual , allocating most of their time during all 5 days for their preferred sedentary behaviors. These laboratory results support the idea that ac tivity can be increased by either reinforcing children for being more active or for reducing time spent in sedentary activities.