ABA Measurement and Operational Definitions

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, measurement techniques, properties of behavior, and graphing concepts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) based on lecture notes.

Objective Operational Definition

An operational definition that does not include subjective words and language.

Clear Operational Definition

An operational definition that is clear, complete, concise

Complete Operational Definition

A full description of behavior detailing what counts as onset, offset, what is included in the definition, and what should not be counted.

Functional Operational Definition

A type of operational definition that defines behavior by its function.

Topographical Operational Definition

A type of operational definition that defines behavior by its form.

Direct Measures

Measuring the actual behavior of interest as it is occurring.

Indirect Measures

Behaviors measured in such a way that produces a secondhand account of what actually happened.

Product Measures

Measuring behavior by looking at changes of behavior produced on the environment after it has occurred.

Repeatability Measures

The three types of occurrence or repeatability measures: count, rate, and celeration.

Magnitude

A definitional measure depicting the strength, force, or intensity of a behavior.

Topography

A definitional measure that depicts the physical form and shape of behavior.

Duration

A measurement that depicts the length of time that a behavior occurs from onset to offset.

Latency

A measure that depicts the duration of time between presentation of a stimulus and the onset of behavior.

Interresponse Time

A measurement that depicts the duration of the time that elapses between two consecutive instances of a behavior.

Discontinuous Measurement

Recording a behavior occurrence or non-occurrence during intervals/sample moments of time.

Ex:partial intervals, momentary time sampling, whole intervals

Continuous measurement

Captures every instance of behavior during observation

Ex: frequency, rate, duration, latency, interresponse time,

Whole Interval Recording

Interval recording method used to estimate the overall occurrence of a behavior by measuring the number of intervals during which the behavior occurs throughout the entire interval.

Partial Interval Recording

Measuring the number of intervals during which the behavior occurred at any time within the interval.

Momentary Time Sampling

Measuring the number of intervals during which the behavior is occurring at the end of the interval.

Ratio/interval

Fixed/ variable

Trials to Criterion

Method for measuring the number of response opportunities required to achieve a pre-specified level of performance.

Cost Benefit Analysis

Weighing the difference between the cost of implementing an intervention and the possible benefit of the outcomes.

Training Duration

Refers to the predicted time that will be needed for training to occur and for independence and mastery to be reached.

Indicators of Trustworthy Measurement

The three indicators of trustworthy measurement: validity, accuracy, and reliability.

Validity

Measuring the right thing; occurs when measurement reflects the intended dimension of behavior.

Accuracy

The degree to which what was quantitatively measured is representative of what actually occurred.

Reliability

The degree to which repeating a measurement procedure produces the same result.

Interobserver Agreement

A measurement of the degree to which two or more observers report the same values when measuring the same behavior.

Repeatability IOAs

The four types of repeatability interobserver agreement: total, mean, exact, and trial.

Types of ABA Graphs

The five types of ABA graphs: line, bar, cumulative, scatterplot, and standard celeration chart.

Properties of Behavioral Change

The four properties of behavioral change: data, level, trend, and variability.

Level

Represents the median value of data points on a graph.

Trend

A line drawn through the data path on a line graph to depict the overall direction of the data.

Variability

The degree to which data bounce around on a line graph.

Procedural Integrity

The extent to which treatment is implemented exactly as planned and no unplanned variables were inadvertently added to the treatment.