Applied Behavior Analysis Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the experimental analysis of behavior, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles, instructional procedures, and measurement techniques as discussed in the lecture transcript.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

A systematic approach to understanding behavior of social importance.

Empiricism

The practice of objective observation of the phenomena of interest.

Response Class

A group of responses with the same function.

Antecedent

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

Consequence

A stimulus change that follows a behavior of interest.

Free Operant

The duration, rate, frequency, etc. of behavior absent of any restrictions.

Tact

A type of verbal behavior with the response controlled primarily by an immediately prior nonverbal stimulus.

Echoic

A stimulus that is auditory that evokes a response of speaking in a way that sounds similar to that stimulus.

Mand

A type of verbal behavior in which the response form or topography is controlled by a current unlearned or learned establishing operation.

Private Events

Those events that take place within an organism's skin or are otherwise only accessible to the organism.

Baseline

The rate, duration, latency, etc. of the behavior of interest prior to manipulation of the environment.

Confounding Variables

Uncontrolled variables known or suspected to exert an influence on the dependent variable.

Reinforcement

A principle where, if a behavior is followed closely in time by a stimulus event, the future frequency of that type of behavior increases.

Positive Reinforcement

When a response is followed by the presentation of a stimulus, and as a result, similar responses occur more frequently.

Negative Reinforcement

The occurrence of a response produces the removal, termination, reduction, or postponement of a stimulus, which leads to an increase in future frequency.

Conditioned Reinforcer

A previously neutral stimulus change that has acquired the capability to function as a reinforcer through stimulus-stimulus pairing.

Unconditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus change that can increase the future frequency of behavior without prior pairing with any other form of reinforcement.

Fixed Interval (FI)

A schedule where a reinforcer is delivered contingent upon the first behavior following a fixed time period.

Variable Interval (VI)

A schedule where a reinforcer is delivered contingent upon the first behavior following a time period that varies around an average.

Fixed Ratio (FR)

A schedule of reinforcement that requires the completion of a specified, unvarying number of responses to produce a reinforcer.

Variable Ratio (VR)

A schedule of reinforcement that requires the completion of a variable number of responses to produce a reinforcer.

Free Operant Preference Assessment

Providing free access to a variety of stimuli for the purposes of identifying potential reinforcers.

Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment

Providing a learner with a series of choices between two items in an effort to identify potential reinforcers.

Multiple Stimulus Preference Assessment

Presenting an array of items and asking the learner to select one item.

In-the-moment Reinforcer Analysis

A procedure in which the RBT makes assessments of a variety of variables moment to moment to identify potential reinforcers.

Token Economy

A system where a learner earns tokens (e.g., tickets) which are eventually exchanged for a terminal reinforcer or toy.

Punishment

A response followed immediately by a stimulus change that decreases the future probability of similar responses.

Operational Definition

Defining a behavior in observable and measurable terms to ensure accurate and reliable scoring.

Extinction

Discontinuing the reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior, primarily resulting in a decrease in the frequency of the behavior.

Extinction Burst

An initial, but temporary increase in the targeted behavior when implementing extinction.

Resurgence

A situation when a behavior that is no longer reinforced starts to appear again.

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)

Reinforcement contingent upon the learner engaging in a specific behavior instead of the aberrant behavior.

Differential Reinforcement of Compatible Behavior (DRI)

Reinforcement contingent upon the learner engaging in a behavior that cannot be done at the same time as the targeted aberrant behavior.

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)

Reinforcement contingent upon the absence of aberrant behavior.

Behavioral Momentum

Having a student engage in a series of preferred (high-probability) tasks prior to presenting a nonpreferred (low-probability) task.

Script Fading

An audiotaped, written word, phrase, or sentence used to teach conversation and social behavior that is gradually removed.

Video Modeling

Having a client watch a video of an individual displaying the desired behavior; types include basic, self, and POV.

Shaping

The process of systematically and differentially reinforcing successive approximations to a terminal behavior.

Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT)

A structured instructional format consisting of an instruction, a response, and feedback.

Stimulus Generalization

When multiple stimuli evoke the same response.

Response Generalization

When multiple responses result in the same outcome or occur under the same conditions.

Maintenance

Behavior continuing following the conclusion of formal teaching.

Stimulus Control

A condition in which the rate, latency, duration, or amplitude of a response is altered in the presence of an antecedent stimulus.

Task Analysis

Breaking a skill down into its component steps.

Forward Chaining

Targeting each step of a task analysis individually starting with the first step.

Backward Chaining

Targeting each step of a task analysis individually starting with the last step.

Total Task Chaining

Targeting all steps of the task analysis simultaneously.

Teaching Interaction Procedure

A social skills teaching method involving a rationale, modeling, and demonstration of both 'cool' and 'not cool' behavior.

Independent Variable

The environmental variable that is actively manipulated by the researcher or practitioner.

Dependent Variable

The behavior of interest that is measured to determine the effect of environmental changes.

Functional Control

When a change in the behavior of interest is shown to be due to the intervention and no other variables.

Frequency Measurement

A data collection system where every instance of behavior is counted.

Partial Interval Recording

Scoring if a behavior occurred during any portion of an interval; it commonly overestimates behavior.

Whole Interval Recording

Scoring only if a behavior occurred during an entire interval; it commonly underestimates behavior.

Momentary Time Sampling

Scoring if a behavior occurs at a specific moment in time (e.g., the end of an interval).

Latency

Measuring the time between an environmental event (e.g., an instruction) and the start of a behavior.

Observer Drift

A phenomenon in which behavioral definitions gradually change over time.

Pseudoscience

Practices or theories promoting quick and high levels of success without scientific evidence.

Evidence-Based Practice

The integration of best research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient/client values.

Best Outcome Criteria (Lovaas, 1987)

Recovery reaching an IQ in the normal range, school placement in a regular classroom, and loss of diagnosis.