When Students Resist Change: Part II

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A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape - Mark Twain

Who has not experienced changes in her or his life? Some changes are subtle and occur so gradually as to be unnoticeable, the changes in our bodies as we age for example. Others are dramatic and occur with little notice and in what seems like an instant, think - weather. The type of change that presents us with the greatest challenge, however, is adapting to a change in the “status quo,” a change from the way things are…and should remain.

Sandra Anis Barnes wrote in her collection of poems, Life is the Way It Is, “It's so hard when I have

to, and so easy when I want to.” This is the hinge on which the probability of change swings. If I do not want to do something...or think I need to do something, I won't. You can "make me behave differently," but that is manipulated change and all but certainly temporary. What differentiates between “having to do something” and “wanting to do something” rests with the perception of relative value. If what I am doing has more value to me than what you propose I do instead, I am not going to change. It is only when I come to the realization that an alternative to my current behavior proffers greater opportunity or has more value that I will consider changing.

Consider Matthew's New Testament parable about “the treasure” and “the pearl,” (Matthew 13:44-46). In the first, a man finds a treasure in a field and realizing its value, hides it, sells all he owns so he can purchase the field and thereby possess its now hidden treasure. In the second, a pearl merchant finds a gem of immeasurable value. He too sells everything he owns to purchase the pearl. In both cases, the protagonists’ awareness of the value of their newly discovered finds results in their willingness to sell all they own to acquire the new treasure. Their “change” in willingness to part with all they possess occurs because they encounter something of greater value than that already possessed; they alter their behavior to advance their position. In economics, this is referred to as conducting a cost-benefit analysis, that is, asking oneself if what I possess is of lesser or greater value than what I can obtain through change. In the case of Matthew's protagonists, the perceived ROI or return on investment is significant...the value of what is possessed is less than that of the newly discovered alternative and therefore the decision to give up the old in exchange for the new, that is to say “change,” is made.

Everything has value although the exact nature of that value is subjective. Consequently, alcohol as a substance and drinking as a behavior may have great value for the college student who sees them as the antidote for social anxiety or the price of admission to "a good time," or a convenient escape from the stress and demands of collegiate life…or simply believes “that’s what college students do.” When the value of alcohol and its consumption are high, students perceive the cost in changing the behaviors associated with their pursuit as “too great” and they resist making any changes. The challenge for those concerned about high-risk and dangerous collegiate drinking is to engage students in such a way that when they contemplate this exchange, they “want to change” because they recognize it as in their best interest…the value of the "the change" is greater than the benefits of their current pattern of drinking. For this to happen students need to become aware of the benefits associated with a change and how they outweigh the costs associated with making the change.

For change to occur, any change, something must be given up. To expect me to “give up” what to this

point I have valued highly, I need to recognize the potential to realize even more or greater benefits from the new behavior than I am losing by giving up the old one. In other words, when something better comes along and is recognized as being better, it changes the way I evaluate everything. Put another way, change represents receiving something that I did not have before and realizing that it is of greater value or more desirable or less costly than what I must give up to get it. Change, if nothing else, is the act of gaining something while at the same time losing something else. The relative values of the “thing lost” and “thing gained” determine if the change will occur.

Let's look at two examples to illustrate the point I make above. In the first, ask yourself if you would pay $1 to use the restroom. If you have no need for a restroom your answer is likely an emphatic no. If, however, you have dire need to relieve yourself, what do you think now of the $1 charge to use the facilities? In the second example, ask yourself if you would complete a 10-minute survey to save $1 on a $500 purchase; then ask, would you do so to save $1 on a $5 purchase. If I view the $1 discount as .2% savings I am likely unwilling to invest the time necessary to realize such minuscule savings. If, however, taking the 10-minutes survey results in a 20% savings, I may very well look at the time as "well spent."

What is my point...until and unless I perceive the value of change as exceeding the value of what I must give up to make the change, I will likely be unwilling to make the change. So, back to Ottis Redding's lyric cited in the previous essay, I can't do what ten people tell me to do, so I guess I'll remain the same. The operative phrase here is "what ten people tell me to do.” Students are willing to change and do so regularly. We see this in what is referred to as the “maturing out” or “aging out” phenomenon. Student behavior changes as they advance through the subsequent semesters in college as they associate the costs and benefits of their behaviors with their resulting consequences.

In drawing this series of essays to an end, note that I do not advocate just “letting students be students.” This is not an option for two reasons: (1) The aging out phenomenon often takes significant time to occur. Yes, one's behavior fall semester freshman year is quite different from what it is the spring semester senior year but much can happen in 4 years, including significant untoward consequences associated with high-risk and dangerous drinking; (2) regarding the use of alcohol--and other drugs as well for that matter--high-risk use can become a substance use disorder in a relatively short time. For these reasons, practitioners concerned about high-risk and dangerous drinking can consider some or all the following options[1]:

• Instead of "intervening" with students regarding their behavior, intercede. An intervention is confrontation irrespective of how carefully or lovingly it is conducted. An intercession is to present students with the opportunity to conduct the aforementioned "cost-benefit analysis" without feeling as though they need be on the defensive. For example, asking students if they only take 2 Advil or Tylenol for a headache instead of 8 or 10, why do they consume 8 or 10 drinks when out socially;
• Understand that students ascribe meaning to alcohol as a substance and drinking as a behavior and the meaning they ascribe affects the decisions they make regarding consumption. If we understand how they ascribe meaning, then we can use those means to help individuals "re-ascribe" meaning and thereby hasten the aging out phenomenon;
• Consider a solution-focused approach to programming rather than a problem-focused approach. Understanding why students who abstain or use in moderation do so can help campuses to replicate as many of these factors on campus as possible as well as showcase most students who are low-risk in their behaviors; 
• Related to the previous bullet, focusing on low-risk or no-risk students helps convey the message that most students do not present a problem. Remember the Premack Principle: 20% of the (students) create 80% of the problems. If you only talk about the problems then you suggest that the problem is greater than it is. 

Although student behavior…dare I say habits…are influenced by many variables, they generally only change when an individual concludes that doing so is in her or his best interest. Those of us who are interested in affecting student behavior are advised to keep this in mind as we consider how best to approach them in conversations about their alcohol or other drug use, or their predilection to engage in high-risk activities.

As we contemplate conversations with students it may be helpful to revisit the advice of Mark Twin; Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. 

What do you think?

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[1] More on these and other alternative options can be found on my blog – https://robertchapman.blogspot.com