Psy 1400 USU Madden Exam 1

Two Goals of Behavior Analysis

To accurately predict behavior

To discover CAUSAL variables that may be used to positively influence behavior

Characteristics of Willed Actions

No triggering event

Goal directed

Will

Typically described as a force that is responsible for behavior

Six Problems with the idea that an uncaused will causes behavior

Explaining one behavior with a second behavior lacks parsimony.

If your behavior is free from ANY influence, then you would be insane.

Most of our voluntary behavior occurs without our willing it to occur.

Spurious reason-making.

The Libet Studies.

If behavior is caused by and uncaused will then there is no point to behavioral analysis because you cannot possibly predict or influence it.

Spurious Reason Making

We make reasons to justify our actions and think that we came up with the reason as if to act.

The Libet Studies

The conscious willing of behavior typically takes place a little bit after the behavior.

Heuristic

Simple and quick rules someone comes up with as a judgement.

Are used as reifications today.

Reification

To treat an abstraction or heuristic as though it were an actual thing. Typically causes circular arguments.

Three Components of a Behavioral Experiment

The dependent variable is behavior.

Experiments test falsifiable hypotheses.

Manipulation of the independent variable.

Self-Report

A subjective method of measuring behavior. Should be avoided because of social desirability bias and recalling our own behavior is hard.

Social Desirability Bias

When you lie to yourself about how much of a certain behavior you preform in order to appear more alike society or your peers.

Direct Observation

Record behavior as it occurs, or record the outcome of behavior at a later time.

Interobserver Agreement (IOA)

IOA quatifies the level of agreement and disagreement. Should be above 90%

Calculation of IOA

Agreements / (Agreements + Disagreements)

Outcome Recording

Instead of recording the behavior as it occurs, record the outcome (distinct, observable, and lasting product) of that behavior. The behavior needs to have an outcome to use this.

Event Recording

Recording each instance of the behavior as it occurs. Each instance should take about the same amount of time to compute.

Interval Recording

A direct-observation method used to estimate how often a behavior occurs by recording whether or not the behavior occurs in each of a series of contiguous time intervals.

Duration Recording

The amount of time spent engaging in a behavior is recorded.

Group Designs

Large numbers of participants, which are randomly assigned to treatment or the control group.

Single-Case Research Design

These allow you to conduct an experiment with a single individual.

Reasons for taking Single-Case Research Design

You need a large group of people to do a group study.

People don't want to be assigned to the Control Group, they want to be treated.

Single-case designs build replication into the design.

Large-group designs require the use of inferential statistics.

Single-subject designs encourage the researcher to present their individual data graphically and let the consumer decide if it was successful.

Internal Validity

If we can say that the intervention caused the behavior change the experiment has internal validity.

Comparison Design (A-B)

When you compare the treatment behavior to the baseline behavior. Can't have internal validity and prove against time coincidences.

Reversal Design (A-B-A-B)

When you compare the baseline behavior to the treatment behavior and compare that to the reversal behavior. Sometimes you even go back into treatment. Can have internal validity and prove against time coincidences.

Multiple-Baseline Design

A design where you implement multiple changes through a time lag to adjust different behaviors. Best when used when the treatment would cause irreversible effects or the treatment is unethical to stop once started.

Multi-Element Design

Alternating the experimental conditions frequently. Treatment effect shows up as different rates of behavior under the two conditions.

Behavior

An individual living organism's activity, public or private, which may be influenced by external or internal stimulation.

Responce

A single instance of behavior.

Private Activity

Activity only the acting organism can observe.

Public Activity

Activity everyone can observe.

Stimulus Events

Things you can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.

Internal Stimulation

Stimulation caused by an internal reaction. (getting hungry, tired, etc.)

External Stimulation

Stimulation caused by an external action. (a loud noise, the smell of popcorn making you hungry, etc.)

What is the utility in predicting the behavior of individuals?

It allows adaptive behavior.

Behavior is determined

Behavior has a cause, or multiple causes.

Mentalistic Explanations of Behavior

Explanations for why you preformed a behavior. (I felt like it, I willed it, etc.)

The Scientific Method

A valid way to reveal the determinants of behavior.

Scientific Method Characteristics

Objective -humans are susceptible to biases and their understanding of behavior is alterable.

Quantitative.

Systematic - implementation is done exactly every time.

Empirical - evidence must be observable.

Falsifiable - hypotheses must be able to be proven wrong.

Independent Variable

A publicly observable change, controlled by the experimenter, which is anticipated to influence behavior in a specific way.

Replication

When your experiment is able to be done over and over again while providing the same results.

Environmental Events

All of the things you experience through your senses.

Experimental Behavioral Analysis

Scientific approach to behavior in a laboratory setting.

Applied Behavioral Analysis

Scientific approach to behavior in a clinical setting.

Behavioral Science Delivery

Delivering the behavioral services found by applied or experimental behavioral analyses.

Dependent Variable

The objective measure of behavior

Correlation vs. Causation

Correlation means there is a relationship between two variables.

Causation means one variable has a direct effect on the other variable.

Correlation does not imply causation.

Behavioral Definition

A specific definition of the behaviors of interest.

Needs refining and finalizing as you go.

Can gain social validity.

Social Validity

The consumer of the interventions, or an expert in the field indicates that the behavioral definition accurately reflects the behavior of interest.

Reactivity

When behavior changes because the individual is aware they are being watched.

Alternative Explanations

Individual Differences

Time Coincidences

Treatment

The method introduced to MODIFY the rate of a behavior.