BCBA test (6th ed)

Description

A collection of facts about the observed events that can be qualified, classified and examine for possible similarities to other known facts

Prediction

Repeated observations reveal that observing other events can consistently result in accurately anticipating an outcome

Control

A specific change in one event can be reliably produced by scientific manipulation of another. This change is not due to other factors or variables.

Selectionism

All life forms naturally and continually evolve through their learning history and evolutionary development. This happens at an individual level and also on his species

Ontogeny

How the environment changes one individual over their lifetime.

Determinism

Events that occur in the universe do not happen out of the blue. instead, they occur in an orderly and predictable manner

Empiricism

Observation of our environment, using information from (and only from) one or more our five senses. It rejects the option of accepting things as true that are only known to channels outside of our senses, such as mystical powers, or someone feeling a certain way, and presenting that evidence for claims outside of their own experience.

Experimentation

Requires the manipulation of the independent variable to see the effects on the dependent variable in order to demonstrate a functional relation.

Replication

repeating of already completed experiments in order to determine the reliability and usefulness of findings

Parsimony

Ruling out all simple, logical explanations before considering more complex or abstract explanations

Philosophical doubt

Continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact.

Pragmatism

A philosophy attitude that something has value, or is true, to the extent that it leads to successful outcomes when practically applied

Radical Behaviorism

A branch of behaviorism that includes thoughts and feelings in addition to observable behavioral events.

Behaviorism

the philosophy of the science of behavior. It emphasizes objective methods of investigation and is rooted in the assumption that behavior results from interactions between the environment and individual variables (such as prior learning history)

Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)

The scientific study of behavior for its own sake

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

The application of behavioral principles to human subjects as it relates to areas that matter to people (e.g, classroom management, generalization, communication, etc)

Practice guided by the Science of Behavior Analysis

Delivery of interventions to clients that are guided by the principles of behaviorism and the research of experimental analysis of behavior and applied behavior analysis

Generality

Behavior change that lasts over time, appears in environments other than the environment which it was taught and/or spreads to other behaviors not targeted by the intervention.

Effective

Behavior that changes in a practical manner that results in clinical or social significance

Technological

All procedures of an intervention, data and results of an experiment or study are clearly outlined in detail so they can be understood, replicated and implemented by anyone with the prerequisite skills.

Applied

The commitment to supporting improvements in people's behavior to enhance their quality of life.

Conceptually Systematic

All procedures used in practice should be related to the basic behavioral principles of behavior analysis from which they were derived.

Analytic

The demonstration of a reliable functional relationship between environmental changes (assessment/intervention) and target behavior changes. Most basically, being analytical means making data

Behavioral

Observable and measurable behavior that should be the focus of our work

Behavior

An organism's interaction with the environment (Dead man's test

Response

A specific instance of behavior.

Response Class

A group of responses that produce the same effect on the environment.

Stimulus

Events in the environment that affect the behavior of an individual

Stimulus Class

A group of stimuli that are similar along one or more dimensions (for example, they look or sound similar, they have a common effect on behavior, or they occur at similar times relative to the response).

Respondent Conditioning

a learning process where in a previously neutral stimulus (which would not alter behavior) acquires the ability to elicit a response (alter behavior).it is also known as as classical conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Consequences that result in an increase or decrease in the frequency of the same type of behavior under similar conditions.

Positive reinforcement

A response is followed by the presentation of a stimulus that results in an increase in behavior under similar circumstances.

Negative reinforcement

A response is followed by the removal of a stimulus that results in an increase in behavior under similar circumstances

Positive punishment

The presentation of a stimulus follows a response, which then results in a decrease in the future frequency of behavior

Negative punishment

The removal of stimulus follows a response which then results in a decrease in the future frequency of behavior

Automatic contingency

Behaviors maintained by it can be said to produce their own consequences without another person changing the environment in any way in response to the behavior of interest.

Socially Mediated Contingencies

Contingency delivered in whole or in part by another person.

Unconditioned Reinforcer

Reinforcement that works without prior learning (in other words, living things come into the world with a need for these things "built in" to their biology).

Conditioned Reinforcer

A reinforcer which becomes reinforcing only after a learning history.

Generalized Reinforcer

A consequence that has been paired with access to many different reinforcing consequences until it took on reinforcing properties itself.

Unconditioned Punisher

Punishment that works without prior learning (in other words, living things come into the world with a need to avoid these things "built in" to their biology).

Conditioned Punisher

A stimulus change that decreases the future frequency and occurrences of behavior that is based on an organism's learning history with other punishers (in other words, organisms are not born wanting to avoid these things).

Generalized Punisher

A consequence that has been paired with many different experiences of punishment until it took on punishing properties itself.

Fixed Ratio (FR)

A schedule of reinforcement where reinforcement is provided after a fixed number of responses occur.

Fixed Interval (FI)

A schedule of reinforcement where reinforcement is provided after a fixed amount of time elapses.

Variable Ratio (VR)

A schedule of reinforcement where reinforcement is provided variably after an average amount of responses are emitted.

Variable Interval (VI)

A schedule of reinforcement where reinforcement is provided variably after an average amount of time has elapsed.

Concurrent Schedules of Reinforcement

This requires that three conditions be met. (1) Two or more contingencies of reinforcement/basic schedules (2) operate independently and simultaneously (3) for two or more behaviors. Each schedule has an Sd.

Multiple Schedules of Reinforcement

More than one schedule of reinforcement (including none

Mixed Schedules of Reinforcement

the schedules of reinforcement are not signaled. Basically, it is two or more basic schedules presented one after another with no Sds.

Chained Schedules of Reinforcement

it must occur in a specific order. At least two basic schedules each have a signal. The end of one means the start of another, until the person gets to the end of the chain and accesses reinforcement. Topographies (what the behaviors look like) in each step of the chain may be the same or different from the previous ones, and the presentation of each step serves as reinforcement for having completed the previous one, as well as an Sd for completing the new step.

Operant Extinction

Withholding all reinforcement from a previously reinforced behavior maintained by its consequences.

Stimulus Control

Rates of responding happen exclusively, or at a higher rate, in the presence of a stimulus rather than in its absence.

Discrimination

Occurs when a limited number of stimuli occasion a response. It is skills that we are demonstrating when we put our food in the oven and not in the dishwasher.

Stimulus Generalization

A learner using the same behavior (taught topography) in a new context (under a different set of stimuli).

Response Generalization

A learner using new behavior (a topography that was not taught) with the same function as the original response that was taught during intervention.

Maintenance

Following the removal of an intervention, the extent to which a response remains in an individual's repertoire over time.

Motivating Operations (MOs)

is an umbrella term that captures both EOs and AOs within it. They are environmental variables that alters the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of a stimulus. Essentially, it alters the value of things for a particular person in a particular context and time.

Establishing Operations (EO)

A type of motivating operation that makes a stimulus more desirable (more effective as a reinforcer).

Abolishing Operations (AO)

A type of motivating operation that makes the stimulus less desirable (less effective as a reinforcer).

Conditioned Motivating Operation Reflexive (CMO-R)

A condition or object that signals a worsening or improving of conditions.

Conditioned Motivating Operation Transitive (CMO-T)

An environmental variable that establishes/abolishes the effectiveness of another stimulus as a reinforcer.

Conditioned Motivating Operation Surrogate (CMO-S)

A stimulus that acquired its effectiveness as an MO by being paired with another, previously established, MO.

Motivating Operation

A motivational state that alters the value of something as a reinforcer, such as deprivation of food (commonly known as hunger!)

Rule Governed Behavior

Behavior that is under the control of a verbally mediated rule; behavior insensitive to immediate contingencies.

Contingency Shaped Behavior

Behavior selected by direct consequences.

Mand

A type of verbal operant in which the speaker asks/requests what they need or want.

Tact

A type of verbal operant which the speaker names things and actions that the speaker has direct contact with through any of their senses (e.g., see, feel, smell, touch). labeling

Echoic

A type of verbal behavior that occurs when the speaker repeats the word of another speaker.

Intraverbal

verbal behavior that is under the control of someone else's verbal behavior.

Functional Relations in Verbal Behavior

the strength of a single response may be, and usually is, a function of more than one variable and a single variable usually affects more than one response.

Emergent Relations

Responding that is not directly taught. Instead, it is learned (or derived) by "putting together" multiple bits of learning acquired through direct teaching.. They are sometimes called "derived relations."

Generative Performance

This is when a learner engages in responses based on emergent relations, instead of based on what was directly taught.

Imitation

Copying another person's behavior (either a real person or a symbol like a video or picture).

Observational Learning

Observing other people' behavior, as well as what happens as a result, and then using that information to make choices about own behavior.

Operational Definition

An observable, measurable description of a target behavior.

Direct Measures

A way of taking data on a behavior of interest by observing the behavior itself and recording observable and measurable information about it.

Indirect Assessment 

Data that are obtained by interviews, checklists and rating scales which include an individual’s subjective experience of target behavior. Indirect measures still gather information about the behavior of interest using interactions with people, but not through direct observation. Depending on the case, information could be gathered from the primary client themselves as well as other stakeholders.

Product Measures 

Measuring a behavior after it occurred by examining the effects the behavior produced on the environment. Unlike direct and indirect measures, product measures sometimes do not involve people at all.

Frequency

How often a behavior occurs.

Rate

A measure of how often a behavior occurs over an amount of time. 

Percentage

A measurement expressed as a portion of each hundred. 

Duration

The amount of time during which a behavior happens; long long the behavior takes.  

Latency

The time between an opportunity to emit a behavior and when the behavior is initiated. 

Interresponse Time (IRT)

The amount of time that elapses between two consecutive instances of a behavior. It is measured from the end of the first response to the beginning of the second response (and so forth if there are more than two responses).

Continuous Measurement

Measurement procedures that may detect all instances of a behavior.

Examples: Duration, Frequency. Latency, Inter Response Time (IRT)

Discontinuous Measurement

Measurement procedures that may not detect all instances of a behavior.Examples: Partial Interval, Whole Interval, Momentary Time Sampling