Chapter 1 - Introduction to Behavior Modification

What is behavior?

An action that involves movement through space and time. Includes both what a person does and what a person says.

How is behavior described?

Using action verbs (ex. smiled, punched, read)!

It is NOT a static characteristic of a person (ex. happy, angry, hardworking).

What are the 5 characteristics of behavior?

1.) Behavior is an action.

2.) Behaviors have dimensions that can be measured (frequency, duration, intensity, and latency).

3.) Behaviors can be observed, recorded, and described.

4.) Behaviors have an impact on the environment.

5.) Behaviors are lawful.

What are the four dimensions of the 2nd characteristic of behavior?

1.) Frequency

2.) Duration

3.) Intensity

4.) Latency

What is frequency?

Count how often a behavior occurs (ex. a student raises their hand 5 times during a 30-minute lesson).

What is duration?

Time a behavior stops and starts (ex. a child spends 20 minutes reading independently).

What is intensity?

Physical force involved in the behavior (ex. a student slams the door with enough force to make a loud noise, compared to gently closing it).

What is latency?

How long it takes for a behavior to occur (ex. after a teacher gives a direction, a student begins working 10 seconds later).

What is the 3rd characteristic of behavior?

Behaviors can be observed, described, and recorded by others or by the person engaging in the behavior.

What is overt?

An action that can be observed and recorded by a person other than the one engaging in the behavior (think: overt → open).

What is covert?

Cannot be observed by others, also called private events (ex. thinking in your head).

What is the 4th characteristic of behavior?

Behaviors have an impact on the environment, physically and socially. When you engage in “X”, “Y” happens (ex. you smile at someone, and they smile back).

What is the 5th characteristic of behavior?

Behavior is lawful. Its occurrence is systematically influenced by environmental events (casual relations).

What is behavior modification?

The applied science and practice concerned with analyzing and modifying human behavior.

What is analyzing in behavioral modification?

When you identify functional relations between environmental events and a particular behavior - why did this behavior occur?

What is modifying in behavior modification?

When you develop/implement procedures to help people change their behavior by altering environmental events.

What was Ivan Pavlov known for?

The classical conditioning paradigm.

What was Edward L. Thorndike known for?

He emphasized on consequences of behavior. The “Law of Effect” (behavior that produces favorable effects on the environment is more likely to be repeated in the future).

What was John B. Watson known for?

He emphasized on stimulus-response psychology where environmental events elicit responses. He founded behaviorism.

What was B.F. Skinner known for?

He emphasized the experimental analysis of behavior. Distinguished between respondent and operant conditioning. He founded radical behaviorism.

Where can ABA be applied?

To socially relevant problems like substance use, education, developmental disabilities, mental health, gerontology, management in organizations, etc.

What are the seven dimensions of ABA?

1.) Applied

2.) Behavioral

3.) Analytic

4.) Technological

5.) Conceptual systems

6.) Effective

7.) Generality

Explain the applied dimension in ABA?

• It must change behaviors that improve people’s lives.

• Asks: is the behavior change socially significant? Will it improve the life of the subject?

Explain the behavioral dimension of ABA?

• It must target observable and measurable behavior.

• Ex. Instead of saying “be more respectful”. Define the target behavior and say, “raise your hand before speaking during class discussions”.

• Whose behavior has changed? Sometimes the observer’s behavior has changed or become limited due to another person’s behavior.

Explain the analytical dimension of ABA?

• It must demonstrate a functional relation between the behavior and the environment.

• A functional relation between the manipulated events and a reliable change in some measurable dimension of the targeted behavior.

• Turning the behavior on and off.

• Ex. using experimental designs to verify intervention effectiveness.

Explain the technological dimension of ABA?

• The procedures must be clearly described and replicable.

• Can other individuals read and replicate your procedures? (this includes what the behaviors, contingency, and reinforcement schedules are).

Explain the conceptual system dimension of ABA?

• The procedures must derive from behaviorism.

• The procedures must be described in terms of the relevant principles from which they are derived.

• Ex. Providing positive reinforcement through praise or tokens. This designs a behavior intervention based on principles of reinforcement.

Explain the effective dimension of ABA?

• The behavior change must be clinically and socially significant.

• Was the behavior change enough?

Explain the generality dimension of ABA?

• The behavior must occur over time, in different contexts, or spreads to other related behaviors.

• The behavior change is durable over time (meaning it continues to occur).

• Ex. teaching a kid to look left and right before walking out the door. This should generalize to when they are crossing the street and continue for weeks, months, and years.

• Ex. teaching a child to read some words should generalize to reading similar words (teaching “cat” can generalize to “car”, “bat”, or "pat”).

What is BATCAGE?

B = behavioral

A = analytical

T = technological

C = conceptual systems

A = applied

G = generality

E = effective

What are the 8 characteristics of behavioral modification?

1.) Focus on behavior, rather than disorder or characteristics.

2.) Guided by theory and philosophy of behaviorism.

3.) Procedures based on behavioral principles.

4.) Emphasis on current environmental events.

5.) Precise description of behavior modification procedures.

6.) Treatment implemented by people in everyday life.

7.) Measurement of behavior change before and after.

8.) De-emphasis on past events as causes of behavior.

9.) Rejection of hypothetical underlying causes of behavior.