6th Edition TCO Glossary: Domains A, B, and C

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set derived from 6th Edition TCO Glossary sources covering Domain A, Domain B, and Domain C terminology.

Abative effect

A type of behavior-altering effect that causes an in-the-moment decrease in the current frequency of behavior that’s been reinforced by a specific stimulus.

Abolishing operation

A type of motivating operation that is the product of satiation that, at that moment, decreases the effectiveness of the stimulus as a reinforcer as well as the current frequency of any behavior to contact that reinforcer.

Behavior

A large class of responses that share physical dimensions and functions and are the observable actions of a person (what they say or do), as well as their private events, such as their feelings, emotions, thoughts, and memories.

Discriminative stimulus (SD)

A stimulus in the presence of which specific responses have been reinforced in the past and in the absence of which the same responses have not been reinforced in the past.

Establishing operation

A type of motivating operation that is the product of deprivation that, at that moment, increases the effectiveness of the deprived stimulus as a reinforcer and increases the frequency of any behavior to contact that reinforcer.

Evocative effect

A type of behavior-altering effect that causes an in-the-moment increase in the current frequency of behavior that’s been reinforced by a specific stimulus.

Mand

An elementary verbal operant in which the speaker’s verbal behavior is controlled by motivating operations and has a history of specific reinforcement.

Tact

An elementary verbal operant in which a speaker names non-verbal SDs they have direct contact with through any of their sense modes and private experiences that has a history of generalized conditioned reinforcement.

Echoic

An elementary verbal operant in which the speaker vocally repeats the vocal verbal behavior of another speaker that has a history of generalized conditioned reinforcement.

Intraverbal

An elementary verbal operant in which a speaker differentially responds to the verbal behavior of others that has a history of generalized conditioned reinforcement.

Motivating operation (MO)

An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of a stimulus and alters the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus.

Positive reinforcement

A process that occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of that and similar behaviors under similar conditions.

Negative reinforcement

A process that occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the reduction or removal of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of that and similar behaviors under similar conditions.

Positive punishment

A process that occurs when the addition of a stimulus immediately following a behavior results in a decrease in the future frequency of that behavior.

Negative punishment

A process that occurs when a response is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of a stimulus) that results in a decrease in the future frequency of similar responses under similar conditions.

Three-term contingency

Known as the ABCs of behavior and involves an occasion for a behavior (A/SD), the behavior itself (B), and the consequence(C) that follows that behavior. These components (i.e., the antecedent, behavior, and consequence) make up the core unit of the analysis of operant behavior.

Description

The first level of scientific understanding which involves deriving quantifiable and classifiable facts (data) from systematically observed events.

Prediction (in scientific understanding)

The second level of scientific understanding. When repeat observations show a consistent relationship between two events, the identified relationship can be used to predict the probability of one event occurring when the other event occurs.

Control

The third and highest level of scientific understanding. Established through experimentation confirming that manipulating one event (the independent variable) results in a reliable change in another event (the dependent variable), and the change is only attributable to that independent variable.

Determinism

A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that the world is an orderly, predictable, and lawful place where all events occur as a product of cause and effect.

Empiricism

A philosophical assumption underlying the science of behavior analysis that knowledge is built on objective observation and measurement (data).

Analytic

A dimension of ABA, which explains that a functional relationship is demonstrated when manipulated events (independent variables) produce a reliable change in any measurable dimension of the targeted behavior (dependent variables) and exhibit a reliable functional relation.

Applied

A dimension of ABA, which explains that ABA treatment must aim to improve socially significant behaviors in real-world settings.

Behavioral

A dimension of ABA, which explains that ABA treatment must target measurable and observable behavior.

Conceptually systematic

A dimension of ABA, which explains that ABA procedures must be derived from the basic principles of behavior analysis.

Effective

A dimension of ABA, which explains that ABA procedures should result in a practical, socially significant improvement in a person’s life.

Generality

A dimension of ABA, which explains that any behavior change should persist across time, settings, behaviors, and people that differ from the original intervention conditions.

Technological

A dimension of ABA which explains that ABA procedures must be defined clearly and in detail. Hence, they are replicable and can generate the same results as the previous implementation of the same procedures.

Accuracy

The degree to which what was measured (observed value) is representative of what actually occurred (true value); in other words, the data was measured correctly.

Continuous measurement

A measurement procedure in which every instance of a target behavior is recorded during a specific period of time.

Discontinuous measurement

A measurement procedure in which a sample of a target behavior is recorded during a specific period of time, instead of every instance of the behavior.

Duration

A measurable dimension of the amount of time that a behavior persists from onset (i.e., the start) of the behavior to its offset (i.e., when the behavior stops).

Interresponse time (IRT)

A measurable duration of time that elapses between two consecutive instances of a response.

Latency

The measurable duration of time between the onset or appearance of a stimulus and the initiation of the response.

Interobserver agreement (IOA)

A measurement of the degree to which two or more observers report the same values when observing and collecting data for the same behaviors/events.

Momentary time sampling

A time-sampling data collection method used to estimate the overall occurrence of a behavior by measuring the number of intervals during which the behavior occurs at the end of an interval.

Partial interval recording

A time-sampling data collection method used to estimate the overall occurrence of a behavior by measuring the number of intervals during which the behavior occurs at any time within an interval.

Whole interval recording

A time-sampling data collection method used to estimate the overall occurrence of a behavior by measuring the number of intervals during which the behavior occurs for the entire duration of an interval.

Reliability

Measurement is trustworthy when the degree to which repeating a measurement procedure under the same conditions produces the same result.

Validity

Measurement is trustworthy when the measurement that produces data is applicable and specific to the target behavior of interest and the relevant dimension of that behavior; in other words, you measure what you set out to measure.