APPL 6005 - ch 1

Science

A systematic approach to seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world using objective evidence → A behavior analyst collects and analyzes aggression data rather than relying on personal opinions about a student's behavior.

Phenomenon

An observable event, fact, or occurrence that can be seen, heard, or felt → A student engaging in 10 instances of hitting during a two-hour period is a phenomenon being studied.

Scientific knowledge

Knowledge developed through systematic observation, objective evidence, and scientific investigation → A behavior analyst concludes that a procedure reduces aggression after collecting and analyzing repeated data.

Description

The systematic observation and recording of events; the first level of scientific understanding → A behavior analyst records that a student engages in aggression 10 times during a two-hour session.

Prediction

The ability to anticipate the likelihood of an event based on a consistent relationship between events → A behavior analyst predicts that aggression is more likely when difficult tasks are presented because aggression has repeatedly occurred under those conditions.

Control

Demonstrating that systematically manipulating one variable reliably produces a change in another variable → A behavior analyst changes task difficulty and observes that aggression reliably increases under high-demand conditions and decreases under low-demand conditions.

Correlation

A relationship in which two events systematically vary together, allowing one event to help predict the probability of another → A behavior analyst observes that aggression occurs more often during difficult tasks, but has not demonstrated that task difficulty causes aggression.

Causation

A cause-and-effect relationship in which one variable produces a change in another → A behavior analyst systematically manipulates task difficulty and demonstrates that the change reliably affects aggression.

Objective evidence

Information based on observable, measurable events rather than opinions, assumptions, or personal beliefs → Recording that a student threw materials six times is objective evidence; saying the student was being difficult is not.

Systematic observation

Observing and recording events in an organized, consistent manner → A behavior analyst records aggression during every 30-minute observation period using the same measurement procedure.

Determinism

The assumption that behavior and other phenomena occur lawfully as a result of other events, rather than randomly → A behavior analyst assumes that a student's aggression is influenced by identifiable environmental or other variables that can be investigated.

Empiricism

The objective observation of phenomena; conclusions are based on direct evidence and measurement → A behavior analyst records eight instances of aggression rather than assuming the student is frustrated.

Experimentation

The controlled comparison of a dependent variable under different conditions in which the independent variable differs → A behavior analyst compares aggression under high-task-demand and low-task-demand conditions.

Replication

Repeating experiments or experimental conditions to determine whether findings are reliable and useful → A behavior analyst repeatedly alternates task-demand conditions and observes whether the same pattern of aggression occurs.

Parsimony

Starting with the simplest reasonable explanation for behavior and ruling it out before considering more complex explanations → Before assuming a student refuses homework because of a psychological issue, the analyst checks whether the assignment is too difficult or the instructions are unclear.

Philosophic doubt

Continually questioning the truthfulness and validity of scientific knowledge and theories → A behavior analyst questions whether a previously effective intervention is still working and examines current data rather than assuming it will always be effective.

Independent variable (IV)

The variable manipulated by the researcher to determine its effect on behavior → A behavior analyst changes the amount of reinforcement delivered after correct responses.

Dependent variable (DV)

The behavior or phenomenon being measured to determine whether it changes as a result of the independent variable → A behavior analyst measures the number of correct responses following different reinforcement conditions.

Confounding variable

An uncontrolled factor that may influence the dependent variable, making it difficult to determine whether the independent variable caused the change → A student's performance improves after a new teaching procedure is introduced, but the teacher also changed at the same time.

Experimental control

The demonstration that changes in the dependent variable are reliably related to the systematic manipulation of the independent variable, rather than other variables → A behavior analyst repeatedly changes task demands and observes corresponding changes in aggression.

Functional relation

A relationship in which systematically manipulating one variable reliably produces a change in another variable, with confounding variables ruled out as explanations → A behavior analyst demonstrates that changing task demands reliably changes the frequency of aggression.

Functional analysis (FA)

An experimental process used to identify environmental variables and contingencies that maintain behavior by demonstrating functional relations → A behavior analyst systematically manipulates attention, escape, and other conditions to identify which conditions produce problem behavior.

Environmental variable

A condition or event in the environment that can influence behavior → The difficulty of a worksheet, the presence of attention, or the removal of a task may influence a student's behavior.

Contingency

A relationship between behavior and its environmental consequences or conditions → A student completes a task and receives a preferred item contingent on that response.

Manipulation

Deliberately changing a variable to examine its effect on another variable → A behavior analyst changes the task difficulty from high to low to evaluate its effect on aggression.

Behavior analysis

The scientific discipline concerned with understanding behavior, including its philosophical foundations, basic research, applied research, and professional practice → Researchers study behavioral principles while behavior analysts apply those principles to improve socially significant behavior.

Behaviorism

The philosophy of the science of behavior → A behavior analyst uses a behaviorist perspective to understand behavior through scientific principles rather than relying solely on mentalistic explanations.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)

The basic research branch of behavior analysis, which discovers, extends, and clarifies fundamental principles of behavior → A researcher conducts laboratory experiments to study how different reinforcement schedules affect responding.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

The applied research branch of behavior analysis that applies behavioral principles to socially significant behavior and uses experimentation to identify variables responsible for behavior change → A researcher evaluates whether a teaching procedure improves communication in children with developmental disabilities.

Professional practice

The use of behavior-analytic science and principles to provide services to consumers → A BCBA develops, implements, and monitors a behavior intervention plan for a student.

Translational research

Research that bridges basic and applied research by connecting fundamental behavioral findings to practical applications and allowing applied problems to inform basic research → A researcher takes findings about reinforcement from laboratory research and investigates how they can inform classroom teaching procedures.

Basic research

Research designed to discover and clarify fundamental principles of behavior → A researcher studies how reinforcement schedules affect responding in a controlled laboratory setting.

Applied research

Research that investigates socially significant behavior and evaluates variables responsible for meaningful behavior change → A researcher evaluates whether a communication intervention increases independent requesting in a classroom.

Stimulus-response (S-R) psychology

An early form of behaviorism associated with John B. Watson that emphasized relationships between stimuli and responses → A researcher studies how a specific stimulus is followed by a particular response.

Stimulus

An environmental event or change that can affect behavior → A teacher presents a worksheet to a student.

Response

A specific instance of behavior → A student pushes the worksheet away after it is presented.

Methodological behaviorism

An approach that distinguishes observable behavioral events from private mental events and generally excludes private events from direct scientific study → A researcher measures a student's observable responses but does not include private thoughts as part of the scientific analysis.

Radical behaviorism

B. F. Skinner's philosophical approach that includes both public behavior and private events, such as thoughts and feelings, within a behavioral account → A behavior analyst recognizes that a student's feelings are real private events but still investigates the environmental variables related to the student's behavior.

Public behavior

Behavior that is observable by others → A student raises their hand, walks to the door, or says "help."

Private events

Events that occur within an individual and are not directly observable by others, such as thoughts, feelings, and remembering → A student privately experiences anxiety before a classroom presentation.

Mentalism

An approach that explains behavior by appealing to an internal mental dimension as its cause or mediator, without identifying the relevant variables responsible for behavior → Saying "the student hits because he is angry" without investigating the conditions associated with hitting.

Hypothetical construct

An unobservable theoretical concept used to explain behavior → Explaining a student's performance by saying they have low intelligence without identifying the variables affecting their performance.

Explanatory fiction

An explanation that appears to explain behavior but merely labels it without identifying the variables responsible for it → Saying a student does not complete work because they are lazy, rather than investigating task difficulty, instructions, or consequences.

Pragmatism

a core philosophical assumption that judges the value of an idea, theory, or intervention entirely by its practical, real-world usefulness → A behavior analyst evaluates whether a communication intervention actually improves the student's everyday ability to communicate.

Applied

The study or intervention focuses on behavior that is socially significant and important to the participant → Teaching a student to independently request help because it improves their ability to communicate needs in everyday life.

Socially significant behavior

Behavior that is important to the individual's life and has meaningful practical value → Communication, safety skills, academic performance, independent living, and employment-related skills.

Behavioral

The actual behavior targeted for improvement is precisely measured, and the researcher demonstrates that the participant's behavior changed → Instead of measuring "confidence," a behavior analyst measures how often a student independently initiates interactions with peers.

Operational definition

A clear, objective, and measurable description of a behavior that specifies what counts as an occurrence → Aggression is defined as any instance of hitting another person with an open or closed hand.

Measurement

The process of quantifying or recording behavior using defined measurement procedures → A behavior analyst records the frequency of a student's independent requests during each session.

Analytic

Demonstrating experimental control by showing that the intervention or manipulated variable is responsible for the observed behavior change → A behavior analyst systematically introduces and withdraws an intervention under appropriate experimental conditions and demonstrates a reliable relationship between the intervention and behavior change.

Experimental control (in ABA)

Evidence that the independent variable is responsible for changes in the dependent variable → A student's aggression decreases when an intervention is implemented and increases when the intervention is withdrawn, with the pattern replicated under appropriate conditions.

Technological

Procedures are described clearly and completely enough that another trained person could replicate them → A behavior analyst specifies exactly when reinforcement is delivered, what reinforcement is used, and how long access lasts.

Replication of procedures

The ability of another person to implement the same procedure based on its detailed description → A second behavior technician reads the written intervention protocol and implements it as described.

Conceptually systematic

Behavior-change procedures are derived from and connected to established principles of behavior → A behavior analyst uses differential reinforcement and explains how the procedure relates to the principle of reinforcement.

Behavioral principle

evidence-based methods used to understand how behavior works and to teach new skills or reduce challenging actions → A behavior analyst uses ABC data to look at why aggression is happening

Conceptually systematic

Behavior-change procedures are derived from and connected to established principles of behavior → A behavior analyst uses differential reinforcement and explains how the procedure relates to the principle of reinforcement.

Behavioral principle

A fundamental scientific relationship or process that helps explain behavior and informs behavior-change procedures → A behavior analyst uses the principle of reinforcement to explain why a consequence may increase future responding.

Effective

The intervention produces behavior change that is sufficiently meaningful to have practical importance for the participant → A student's independent communication increases enough to meaningfully improve their ability to request assistance throughout the school day.

Practical significance

The extent to which a behavior change meaningfully improves the individual's life or functioning → A student goes from rarely requesting help to independently requesting help across daily classroom activities.

Generality

Behavior change lasts over time, transfers to other environments or situations, and/or spreads to other behaviors → A student learns to request help in therapy and continues doing so at home, at school, with different people, and over time.

Maintenance

The continued occurrence of behavior change over time after the original teaching or intervention conditions have changed or ended → A student continues independently requesting help weeks after direct teaching on the skill has ended.

Generalization

The occurrence of learned behavior across different people, settings, stimuli, or situations beyond the original teaching conditions → A student who learns to request a break with one teacher also requests a break with other teachers.

External validity

The extent to which a demonstrated functional relation continues to operate across different conditions, settings, or circumstances → An intervention that reliably improves communication in a therapy room also produces improvements in the classroom.