This paper documents a five-day personal behavior modification experiment designed to increase daily water consumption and reduce reliance on carbonated beverages. Drawing on operant conditioning principles and a positive reinforcement schedule, the author sets incremental daily goals, uses a water bottle as a process tool, and rewards progress with a massage treat. The paper traces each day's successes and setbacks, records baseline data in a chart, and reflects on the broader lessons learned — including the role of physical exercise as a supporting variable, the non-linear nature of behavioral progress, and the reality that lasting lifestyle change requires sustained persistence over time.
Water is one of the most important substances in the human body, constituting approximately 75% of its total composition. As a result, adequate water intake is an essential part of human existence with several major benefits to overall health. Over the past few weeks, I noticed that I was not drinking nearly as much water as I should, despite being aware of its importance to my well-being. I had largely replaced water with carbonated drinks, which carry significant negative health effects. My preference for these beverages was driven by their flavor and taste, since water does not offer the same sensory appeal. This decision was further reinforced by the attractive marketing and promotional strategies used by beverage companies to sell flavored soft drinks.
During this same period, I experienced several troubling physical health issues. I noticed a worrying increase in body dehydration and had a few episodes of constipation, both linked to insufficient water intake. These experiences prompted me to conduct more thorough research on the benefits of drinking adequate water and the side effects of regular carbonated drink consumption. My research drew primarily from medical journals examining the effects of substituting carbonated beverages for water.
One key finding from my research was that carbonated drinks disrupt the digestive process by altering the pH of the intestinal tract. This leads to incomplete food breakdown, while the extra gas from these beverages interferes with nutrient absorption. Prolonged consumption of carbonated drinks can therefore produce long-term consequences such as malnutrition and illness. Despite their appealing taste, the negative health impacts of these beverages stem directly from their ingredients.
Water, by contrast, offers numerous health benefits, including quenching thirst effectively, keeping the skin clear and healthy, and protecting the body from various illnesses (Ko, Hung & Chu, 2007). These findings reinforced my motivation to change my behavior and shift away from carbonated drinks toward consistent daily water consumption.
The central behavioral change I needed to make was to reduce my consumption of carbonated beverages and replace them with water. I determined that I could address constipation and dehydration through focused lifestyle and behavioral changes. As part of this experiment, I chose to apply an operant conditioning learning framework, incorporating positive reinforcement on a fixed interval schedule. This approach was selected because positive reinforcement supports permanent lifestyle and behavior change. To track my progress, I maintained a daily log. Additionally, I planned to reward myself with a massage treat after every two days of meeting my increased water intake goal, in order to reinforce the habit.
The baseline behavior in this plan was to record the amount of water I drank each day. The product goal was to increase daily water consumption over a five-day period, reaching 8 glasses — approximately 2 liters — per day, and to maintain that habit indefinitely. This final outcome was to be reached through a series of process goals: carrying a 1-liter water bottle throughout the day, drinking a glass of water with every meal, and setting a phone reminder each morning to remember the water bottle. The daily glass targets were set incrementally: 5 glasses on Day 1, 6 on Day 2, 7 on Day 3, and 8 glasses for Days 4 and 5. For every two-day period in which I met my goal, I rewarded myself with a massage treat as positive encouragement.
Day 1 (October 23, 2013) was the most difficult day of the entire experiment. I had a craving for carbonated drinks — specifically a Classic Coke — at 11 am, and I went to a nearby grocery store and purchased a 500ml bottle. I drank the Coke simply because I was thirsty and had forgotten that I had brought my 1-liter water bottle with me. Carrying the water bottle also presented a practical challenge, as it felt like extra baggage in addition to my usual belongings, and I briefly considered abandoning the experiment altogether. For most of the day, I had to force myself to drink water by adding ice cubes to make it more refreshing. By the end of the day, I had consumed only 3.5 glasses of water, falling short of my goal of 5 glasses.
Day 2 was somewhat easier than the first. I experienced a craving for a Classic Coke at 2 pm due to hot weather, but I had remembered to bring my water bottle. To remove the temptation of buying a soft drink, I deliberately left my cash at home. With no alternative available, I drank as much water as I could to quench my thirst and reduce the craving. By 5 pm, I had consumed a full liter of water, though I had not taken a glass of water with every meal as planned. By the end of the day I had consumed 4 glasses — an improvement over Day 1, but still short of my goal of 6 glasses.
"Day-by-day account of successes and setbacks"
"Insights on behavioral change and persistence"
"Quantitative summary of water and soda consumed"
You’re 56% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 3 sections.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.