Tree Service: A Behavioral Perspective

Ryan MoreyPSY 460

Fall 2011Lauren Cavalli

Setting and Participant Description

• Settings / participants mentioned are through my family’s business

• The intervention however, is not real =(

Reason to Intervene

• Workers tend to ignore hard hat usage– Big safety issue– Bad company image

Even Bush wears his hard hat!

Analyze the Natural Contingencies

• Wearing a hard hat has a small, potentially improbable outcome– Infinitesimally greater level of

appreciation from boss

Analyze the Natural ContingenciesIneffective Natural

Contingency

Given level of

appreciation from boss

Wears hard hat for entire

duration while

working

Infinitesimally greater level of

appreciation from boss

Analyze the Natural ContingenciesNatural Competing

Contingency

No feelings of

discomfort

Wears hard hat for entire

duration while

working

Feelings of discomfort

Baseline Graph

1 2 3 4 50

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Baseline - Action Tree

Sessions

Perc

enta

ge o

f hard

hat

usage

Baseline Graph Description• Baseline percentages are fairly low– Considering the risk involved–May be because of lack of supervision +

sizable competing outcomes

Specify the Performance Objectives

• To increase percentage of time of hard hat usage

• To decrease probability of potential dangers

Design the Intervention• Assessment made to determine

outcome• Outcome used:– Opportunity for smoke breaks

• Foreman Monitoring + Self-Monitoring– Bucket truck & Before signing timecard

out

Design the Intervention

Performance Management Contingency

Will lose opportunity for smoke

breaks tomorrow

Wears hard hat for entire

duration while

working

Will not lose

opportunity for smoke

breaks tomorrow

Implement the Intervention• Involves all levels within the business– Grounds man– Foreman– CEO

• Contingencies placed within all levels

Evaluate the Intervention

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110

20

40

60

80

100

120

Action Tree

Sessions

Perc

enta

ge o

f har

d ha

t usa

ge

Baseline Intervention

Evaluate the Intervention

• Desired levels were achieved through intervention

• No recycling necessary– Smoke breaks are quite effective among

tree service

Recycle - Hypothetical• If I were to recycle..–More strict and consistent monitoring– Loss of opportunity for bonus + smoke

break

Evaluate the Recycle

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 160

20

40

60

80

100

120

Action Tree

Sessions

Perc

enta

ge o

f har

d ha

t usa

ge

Baseline Intervention Recycle

Evaluate the Recycle• Results indicate positive outcomes– Hard hat usage near 100%– Positive business image

Questions or Comments???