BCAT Task List Section B: Principles of ABA

Reinforcer

A stimulus that when presented following a behavior increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring more frequently in the future

Punisher

A stimulus that when presented following a behavior decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring more frequently in the future

Positive Reinforcement

A response is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus and similar responses occur more frequently in the future

• ex: When John finishes his homework, he gets a piece of a candy. He is very motivated by candy and this increase the frequency of completing his homework – What is the candy?

Negative Reinforcement

A response is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus and similar responses occur more frequently in the future

• ex: Cynthia was told by her mother that if she displays calm hands, appropriate responding, and active participation in her therapy session she will not have to wash the dishes tonight — What is her mother using to motivate Cynthia’s behavior?

Positive Punishment

A response is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus and similar responses occur less frequently in the future

Negative Punishment

A response is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus and similar responses occur less frequently in the future

Unconditioned Reinforcer

Reinforcement that is inherent, that you do not have to experience in your past for it to be reinforcing (increase behavior) – Examples include food, clothing, shelter, and sex
Conditioned Reinforcer

Extinction

Observed in both operantly conditioned and classically conditioned behavior – When operant behavior that has been previously reinforced no longer produces reinforcing consequences, the behavior gradually stops occurring

Satiation

The point at which satisfaction of a need or familiarity with a stimulus reduces or ends an organism’s responsiveness or motivation – When a stimulus no longer elicits a previously elicited response

Contingency

Refers to dependent and/ or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables – Describes a consequence that is delivered only after the target behavior has occurred.

Motivating Operation

An environmental variable that a) alters the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event; b) alters the current frequency of that stimulus, object, or event

Principles of ABA

Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Antecedent

The setting events, stimulus presentation, or act that precedes a behavior

Behavior

Any defined, observable, and measurable behavior that is the focus of analysis and intervention

Consequence

The stimulus or event that occurs immediately after the target behavior

3- term contingency

The basic unit of analysis in the analysis of operant behavior; encompasses the temporal and possibly dependent relations among an antecedent stimulus, behavior, and consequence

Discriminative stimulus

Stimulus in the presence of which responses of some type have been reinforced and in the absence of which the same type of response has occurred and not been reinforced – This history of differential reinforcement is the reason an SD increases momentary frequency of behavior.

Stimulus Control

A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus

Response

A single instance or occurrence of a specific class or type of behavior

Discrete trial

Any operant whose response rate is controlled by a given opportunity to emit the response — Each discrete response occurs when an opportunity to respond ends

Stimulus

Anything in the environment (seen, heard, felt, internal) that can influence or change an individual's behavior, acting as a cue or trigger for a response