RBT study guide

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied systematically to improve socially significant behaviors.

· The Seven Dimension of Behavior

Generality, Effective, Technological, Applied, Conceptually Systematic, Analytic, Behavioral.

Generality

Refers to lasting behavior change, meaning the new behavior lasts across time (maintenance), settings (occurs in settings other than those the skill was acquired in), and across people (occurs with people other than those who were included in the intervention.

Effectiveness

The behavior under investigation has improved, and the produced behavior change reaches clinical or social significance.

o Technological - Procedures are well explained in a way that they can be easily replicated by others.

Technological

o Procedures are well explained in a way that they can be easily replicated by others.

Applied

Emphasizes the importance of selecting behaviors to change that are socially significant for the individual and the individual's significant others (parents, teachers, peers, employers) in such a way that they behave more positively toward that individual.

Conceptually Systematic

Refers to the types of interventions used to improve behavior (reinforcement, punishment, extinction).

Analytic

A functional relation between the manipulated events (intervention demonstrate a reliable change in the target behavior.

Behavioral

The behavior selected for change must be the behavior in need of improvement (not a similar behavior) and should be observable and measurable.

What does the term 'Environment' refer to?

Everything around an individual that is not part of their behavior

How can the environment be described?

The physical setting and circumstances in which the individual exists

What are some examples of elements in the environment?

People settings, objects, smells, written materials, sound

Behavior is most affected by:

Stimulus changes that occur prior to (antecedents) and soon after the behavior (consequences).

Behavior

A person's interaction with their environment. It is anything a person says or does.

Overt Behavior

Behaviors that can be observed and measured by others (e.g., eating, writing, scratching your nose, blinking, walking).

Covert Behavior

Behaviors that can only be observed and measured by the person engaging in the behavior (e.g., internal thoughts or feelings such as feeling sad or thinking).

Stimulus Control

Behavior that occurs more often in the presence of a given stimulus than it does in the absence of that stimuli.

Example of stimulus control

When answering the phone, we answer when we hear it ringing, and we do not answer the phone when it's silent. Therefore, our behavior is under the control of a ringtone.

The 4 Functions of Behavior

Access, Attention, Automatic (Sensory), Escape/Avoidance

What is attention in terms of behavior?

Socially maintained behavior where an individual engages in behavior due to social interaction.

Can you provide an example of attention behavior?

A baby crying when their parent leaves the room and stops crying when the parent returns.

What is 'Automatic (Sensory)' in terms of behavior?

It does not require social mediation of others, meaning reinforcement does not depend on another person's actions.

Can you provide an example of 'Automatic (Sensory)' behavior?

The sensory stimulation from scratching an itch.

What is Escape/Avoidance behavior?

Behavior that occurs to escape/avoid some stimulus, item, or event.

Can you provide an example of Escape/Avoidance behavior?

Skipping class because you didn't complete an assignment that's due allows you to escape having to turn in a late assignment.

The three-term contingency

ABC: antecedent, behavior, consequence

Antecedent

Refers to environmental conditions or stimulus changes that exist or occur prior to the behavior of interest.

Behavior

Everything people do that can be observed by another person. Occurs due to a person's interaction with their environment.

Consequence

A stimulus change, or event that follows a behavior.

Motivating Operation (MO)

A procedure or condition that affects learning and performance with respect to a particular reinforcer or aversive stimulus

Establishing Operation (EO)

A motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer. For example, food deprivation makes food an effective reinforcer.

Abolishing Operation (AO)

A motivating operation that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness of a stimulus, object, or event. For example, the reinforcing effectiveness of food is abolished as a result of food ingestion.

Value Altering Effect

Either (a) an increase in the reinforcing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event, in which case the MO is an establishing operation (EO); or (b) a decrease in reinforcing effectiveness in which case the MO is an abolishing operation (AO).

Behavior Altering Effect

An increase (evocative effect) or decrease (abative effect) in the current frequency of a behavior that has been reinforced by some stimulus, object or event in the past.

What is the Evocative Effect?

Once the value of a stimulus object or event has been established as an effective reinforcer, it will evoke behaviors previously associated with producing that stimulus item or event.

How does an establishing operation affect behavior?

It leads to an increase in behavior due to a state of deprivation.

What is the Abative Effect?

Once the value of a stimulus object or event has been abolished as an effective reinforcer, it will abate all behaviors that have previously produced that stimulus item or event.

How does an Abative Effect relate to behavior?

It is the behavior altering effect of an abolishing operation, in which there is a decrease in behavior due to a state of satiation.

What is an operational definition?

A clear and concise definition of a behavior that can be easily observed and measured.

Continuous Measurement

Records every single occurrence of a behavior (e.g., frequency, duration, rate, latency).

What does frequency measure?

Records the number of times a behavior response occurs.

Example of Frequency

Tallying every time a study says, "Uh oh!" during an observation period.

What does rate measure?

Records the number of times a behavior occurs and divides it by the total observation time.

How is rate calculated?

Calculated by dividing the number of occurrences of a behavior by the total observation time.

Can you provide an example of rate calculation?

Sam screamed 8 times in 10 minutes, the rate would be calculated as 8/10.

What does duration measure?

The amount of time that someone engages in a behavior

Can you provide an example of duration?

The child cried for 3 minutes and 15 seconds

What does latency measure?

Records the amount of time that passes between when an SD is delivered and when a response is given.

Can you provide an example of latency?

The amount of time it takes to pick up the phone after it starts ringing.

What are Discontinuous Measurements?

It is used to measure some, but not all instances of behavior.

What are examples of Discontinuous Measurement techniques?

Partial interval, whole interval, momentary time sampling.

What is Partial Interval Recording?

Record whether the behavior was present or absent at any time during the observation interval (you are not concerned with the number of times the behavior occurred). Results in an overestimation of behavior.

Can you provide an example of Partial Interval Recording?

Recording whether the student cried during any part of the 15-second observation period.

How does Partial Interval Recording define occurrence of behavior?

The behavior does not have to occur the entire observation time for it to count as an occurrence.

What is Whole Interval Recording?

A time sampling method for measuring behavior.

How is Whole Interval Recording structured?

The observation period is divided into brief time intervals (typically 5 to 15 seconds).

What does Whole Interval Recording measure at the end of each interval?

Whether the target behavior occurred throughout the entire interval.

Momentary Time Sampling

Records whether the target behavior is occurring at the moment that each time interval ends

Permanent Product

Measuring behavior after it has occurred by measuring the effects the behavior produced on the environment.

Examples of Permanent Product

The number of windows broken, the number of homework problems completed, or graffiti on a wall.

Principles of Behavior

Describe how behavior-environment relations work (e.g., reinforcement, punishment, extinction).

What is reinforcement?

A principle of behavior that increases the future frequency of similar responses.

Reinforcer

The stimulus change that follows a behavior, resulting in increased response rates.

Reinforcers can be:

Added to the environment (or increased in intensity) or an already present stimulus can be removed from the environment (or reduced in intensity).

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding a stimulus to the environment immediately following a behavior, which results in similar responses occurring more often.

Provide an example of positive reinforcement.

A child's independent play increases because of his parent's giving praise and attention when he plays.

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing an already present stimulus from the environment (or decreasing its intensity) immediately following a behavior, which results in similar responses occurring more often.

Provide an example of negative reinforcement.

Jumping out of the shower when the water suddenly becomes too hot is negatively reinforced by escape from the burning water.

What is extinction in behavior analysis?

Discontinuing reinforcement for problem behavior to decrease or eliminate its occurrences.

Provide an example of extinction.

A child screaming in the car to hear the radio, but the adult no longer responds to the screaming.

Punishment

Anything that is applied therefore that decreases the future frequency of a behavior.

What is positive punishment?

Adding an aversive stimulus following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

Provide an example of positive punishment.

A child hits another child, and they are given a time-out.

What is Negative Punishment?

The removal of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

Provide an example of Negative Punishment.

A child throws a tantrum to get a toy, and the toy is removed.

Unconditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus that functions as a reinforcer without prior learning (because it has biological importance or is innately motivating)

Provide an example of an Unconditioned Reinforcer

Food, water, and warmth

Conditioned Reinforcer

Previously neutral stimulus that has been paired with one or more conditioned or unconditioned reinforcers.

Provide examples of Conditioned Reinforcer.

Toys, activities, games. Going to the movie theater and buying popcorn.

What are generalized conditioned reinforcers?

Reinforcers that acquire their reinforcing properties from being paired with other conditioned reinforcers over time.

What are examples of generalized conditioned reinforcers?

Money, tokens, praise, social praise.

Premack Principle

Creating the opportunity to engage in high-probability (preferred) behavior contingent on the occurrence of a low frequency (non-preferred behavior will function as reinforcement for the low-frequency behavior.

Provide an example of the Premack Principle

First do your homework, then you can watch TV.

What is the Token System used for?

When immediate use of tangible and activity reinforcers are not practical or when teaching a child to wait for back-up reinforcers.

What is an example of the Token System?

Token board and tokens.

Schedules of reinforcement

Continuous, Extinction, and Intermittent

What is a Continuous Schedule?

A schedule of reinforcement in which every occurrence of the target behavior is reinforced.

When is a Continuous Schedule best used?

When establishing new behaviors or strengthening previously learned behaviors.

What is an Extinction Schedule?

A schedule of reinforcement in which no occurrence of the target behavior receives reinforcement.

How is an Extinction Schedule used?

It is used to reduce behaviors.

What is an Intermittent Schedule?

A schedule of reinforcement where only some instances of the target behavior are reinforced.

What are the types of intermittent schedules?

Occurs on either a ratio or an interval schedule.

Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement

Fixed Ratio, Variable Ratio, Fixed Interval, and Variable Interval

What is Fixed Ratio (FR) in operant conditioning?

Reinforcers are delivered after a set amount of responses.

Provide an example of Fixed Ratio (FR) schedule?

FR3: Reinforcer is delivered after 3 responses.

What is the difference between FR1 and other Fixed Ratio schedules?

FR1: Reinforcer is delivered after each occurrence of the response, making it a continuous schedule of reinforcement.

What is Variable Ratio (VR) in reinforcement schedules?

Reinforcers are delivered after a variable number of responses.

Provide an example of a Variable Ratio (VR) reinforcement schedule.

VR4: Reinforcer is delivered after an average of 4 responses, meaning sometimes the 2nd, 4th, or 6th response produces reinforcement but the average number of responses is 4.

What is Fixed Interval (FI) in reinforcement schedules?

Reinforcers are delivered after the first response following the expiration of a fixed interval of time.