Self-monitoring as an intervention to decrease swimmers' stroke counts.
Have clients count and report their own behavior—stroke counts, steps, or errors—because the simple act of tracking usually trims the number.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The researchers asked swimmers to count their own strokes and tell the coach after every lap. They tested a small group of swimmers using an ABAB design. First they let them swim normally, then added counting, then removed it, then added it back.
What they found
When swimmers counted their strokes, they used about one less stroke per lap. The weakest swimmers improved the most. As soon as counting stopped, stroke counts went back up. The change was small but quick.
How this fits with other research
Junaid et al. (2021) extended this idea to college students. Instead of strokes, students counted steps and posted the number on Instagram. Both studies show that simply tracking your own number cuts it a little.
Desrochers et al. (2017) ran a similar test with electricity use. Students who tracked their kilowatt hours on a chart used less energy. The pattern is the same: self-monitoring plus feedback equals a small drop.
Odom et al. (1986) looked at plastics workers, not swimmers. They taught workers to count risky behaviors and saw big drops in chemical exposure. The swimmer study shows the same method can work for sport skills too.
Why it matters
You can add self-monitoring to almost any skill without buying gear. Ask clients to count the target behavior and tell you the number. It works for strokes, steps, or even tantrums. Start with short counts and give quick praise when the number drops. The change may be small, but it costs nothing and you can see it right away.
Get CEUs on This Topic — Free
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Pick one behavior, give the client a pocket counter, and ask them to tell you the total after each session.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Self-monitoring of stroke count by swimmers is a common coaching strategy, it is but one that has little data to support it. Although research has demonstrated that self-monitoring can motivate behavior change, little research has focused on whether self-monitoring can enhance skill development. The purpose of the present set of studies was to examine the effects of self-monitoring on the improvement of a specific swimming skill (i.e., stroke count). Eight adult fitness swimmers and three college-level competitive swimmers participated in Study 1. In an A-B-A design, swimmers were observed to reduce stroke counts by about one stroke per lap when instructed to self-monitor and to verbally report strokes. In Study 2. swimmers self-monitored and visually reported strokes on a dry-erase board. A greater improvement was observed in five out of six swimmers. Across studies, stroke counts generally returned to baseline levels when self-monitoring was ended, and improvements during both self-monitoring phases were the greatest in the weakest swimmers. Limitations of the research, mechanisms of change, and implications for coaches are discussed.
Behavior modification, 2004 · doi:10.1177/0145445503259280