Technology‐based contingency management for walking to prevent prolonged periods of workday sitting
A remote money-plus-prompt package gets most home-workers walking, but plan for fade-out so gains survive after pay stops.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Erath et al. (2022) tested a remote money system for home-workers who sit too long. The team used a contract, small cash, phone prompts, and step charts.
Six adults worked from home. The goal was to break up long sitting with short walks.
What they found
Four people soon hit the walk goal. Two people barely moved more than before.
The package helps most, but not all, desk workers move more.
How this fits with other research
Stedman-Falls et al. (2020) showed app deposit contracts work as well as face-to-face ones. Erath moves that idea fully remote.
McCullen et al. (2025) built on Erath by adding reinforcement thinning. Steps rose fast, then fell once the money stopped. This flags a gap Erath only began to test: how to keep gains after pay ends.
Heo et al. (2008) used screen time, not cash, to reward teen exercise. Both studies show tokens boost movement, but money may suit adults better while media time fits kids.
Why it matters
You can copy the Erath package tomorrow: sign a brief contract, set a tiny walk goal, and pay a dollar or two right after each break. Expect quick gains in most clients, yet watch for non-responders and plan a fade-out or booster schedule so steps don’t crash when the money stops.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Write a one-sentence contract, set a 5-minute walk goal each hour, and pay $1 immediately via phone app when the client messages DONE.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Sedentary behavior is an emerging public health issue. Frequent, brief bouts of walking are recommended by experts to reduce the health risks correlated with physical inactivity and prolonged sedentary periods. The purpose of the current study was to extend the literature by evaluating a remote, technology-based contingency management (CM) intervention that reinforced frequent, brief bouts of walking to decrease prolonged periods of sitting during the workday. A packaged intervention consisting of a contingency contract, monetary incentives, goal setting, textual prompts, and performance feedback was implemented with individuals with sedentary job responsibilities working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The intervention increased the number of physically active intervals to mastery for 4 participants, thereby disrupting prolonged periods of sedentary time. For 2 participants, the intervention did not meaningfully increase the number of physically active intervals. Results suggest that a remote, digital CM intervention can decrease sedentary behavior in home office environments.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2022 · doi:10.1002/jaba.917