Exam 2 Study Guide – Applied Behavior Analysis Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing key terms and definitions from Chapters 5–13 of the study guide, covering reinforcement schedules, aversive control, stimulus control, token economies, rule-governed behavior, verbal operants, stimulus equivalence, the seven dimensions of ABA, and professional issues.

Steady-state performance

Stable, consistent pattern of responding that emerges after extended exposure to a reinforcement schedule.

Transition-state performance

Early, variable responding observed while behavior is moving toward a steady state under a new schedule.

Continuous reinforcement (CRF)

Schedule in which every occurrence of the target response is reinforced.

Stereotyped responding

Highly repetitive, invariant response pattern that often develops under continuous reinforcement.

Intermittent reinforcement

Schedule in which only some responses are reinforced, producing greater resistance to extinction than CRF.

Learning vs. maintenance

‘Learning’ refers to acquiring a new behavior; ‘maintenance’ refers to continuing that behavior over time after acquisition.

Fixed Ratio (FR) schedule

Reinforcement delivered after a set number of responses (e.g., FR-5 = every 5th response).

Variable Ratio (VR) schedule

Reinforcement delivered after a variable number of responses averaged around a mean (e.g., VR-5).

Fixed Interval (FI) schedule

First response after a fixed time period is reinforced (e.g., FI-30 s).

Variable Interval (VI) schedule

First response after varying time intervals averaged around a mean is reinforced (e.g., VI-30 s).

Post-reinforcement pause

Temporary cessation of responding that typically follows reinforcement on ratio schedules.

Limited-hold contingency

Reinforcement remains available for only a brief period after the interval has elapsed.

Ratio strain

Breakdown in responding produced by an abrupt increase in ratio requirements.

Resistance to extinction

Persistence of behavior when reinforcement is withheld; usually higher under intermittent schedules.

Aversive control

Behavior change procedures that involve negative reinforcement or punishment.

Negative reinforcement

Strengthening a response by removing or preventing an aversive stimulus after the response.

Negative reinforcer

Stimulus whose removal strengthens the behavior that precedes it.

Escape response

Behavior that terminates an ongoing aversive stimulus.

Avoidance response

Behavior that prevents or postpones the presentation of an aversive stimulus.

Primary aversive stimulus

Unlearned, inherently unpleasant stimulus (e.g., pain, loud noise).

Conditioned aversive stimulus

Previously neutral stimulus that becomes aversive through pairing with a primary aversive event.

Punishment

Procedure in which a response is followed by a stimulus change that decreases future responding.

Positive punishment

Presentation of a stimulus following a response decreases the response’s future frequency.

Negative punishment

Removal of a stimulus following a response decreases the response’s future frequency.

Intensity of punishment

Magnitude or strength of the punishing stimulus; higher intensity generally produces greater suppression.

Immediate delivery (of punishment)

Punishment is most effective when administered right after the target response.

Positive practice overcorrection

Learner repeats the correct form of the behavior multiple times after an error.

Restitution overcorrection

Learner restores the environment to a better condition than before the misbehavior.

Extinction

Withholding previously delivered reinforcement, leading to a decrease in the behavior.

Risks of punishment interventions

Possible side effects such as aggression, avoidance, emotional responses, and modeling of undesired behavior.

Stimulus control

Degree to which a stimulus reliably evokes or suppresses a specific behavior.

Discriminative stimulus (SD)

Stimulus that signals reinforcement is available for a particular response.

S-delta (SΔ)

Stimulus that signals reinforcement is not available for a particular response.

Differential response

Different rates or forms of responding in the presence versus absence of specific stimuli.

Multiple schedule

Two or more basic schedules of reinforcement presented in alternating, usually sequential, components, each with its own SD.

Compound schedule

Combination of two or more basic schedules operating either simultaneously or successively.

Superstitious behavior

Behavior maintained by accidental or adventitious reinforcement rather than by true contingencies.

Discrimination

Narrowing of stimulus control so behavior occurs only in the presence of specific stimuli.

Generalization

Spread of the effects of training to stimuli that differ from the training stimulus.

Stimulus generalization

Responding similarly to different but related stimuli after training with one stimulus.

Generalization gradient

Graph showing the extent of responding across a range of stimulus variations.

Matching-to-sample

Task in which a subject selects a comparison stimulus that matches a sample stimulus.

Conditional discrimination

Discrimination in which the correct response depends on the context provided by another stimulus.

Differential reinforcement

Reinforcing one class of responses while withholding reinforcement for other classes.

Response chain

Sequence of behaviors in which each response produces a stimulus change serving as SD for the next response.

Choice

Allocation of responding between or among two or more concurrently available options.

Preference

Relative liking or selection of one option over others when given a choice.

Matching relation

Tendency for relative rate of response to match relative rate of reinforcement across options.

Relative rate of response

Proportion of total responses emitted on one alternative of a concurrent schedule.

Relative rate of reinforcement

Proportion of total reinforcers obtained from one alternative of a concurrent schedule.

Token economy

System in which tokens are earned for target behaviors and exchanged for backup reinforcers.

Backup reinforcer

Primary or conditioned reinforcer that tokens can be exchanged for in a token economy.

Token-production schedule

Specification of how and when tokens are earned for target behaviors.

Token reinforcement

Use of tokens as generalized conditioned reinforcers to strengthen behavior.

Generalized conditioned reinforcer

Stimulus paired with multiple backup reinforcers, maintaining effectiveness across deprivation states.

Tokens as secondary reinforcers

Tokens acquire reinforcing value through pairing with backup reinforcers.

Pairing & exchange

Process of associating tokens with backup reinforcers and later trading tokens for those reinforcers.

Effect of delayed exchange

The longer the delay between token delivery and exchange, the weaker the reinforcing effect.

Generalized social reinforcement

Social stimuli (e.g., praise) functioning as reinforcers through association with many other reinforcers.

Contingency-shaped behavior

Behavior directly shaped and maintained by its immediate consequences, not by verbal rules.

Function-altering event

Stimulus change that modifies the future function of other stimuli or responses.

Rule-governed behavior

Behavior controlled by verbal statements describing contingencies rather than by direct contact with them.

Instructional control

Influence of verbal instructions on the behavior of the learner.

Contingency-specifying stimulus

Rule or instruction that describes the antecedents, behavior, and consequences of a contingency.

Speaker (role)

Individual whose verbal behavior affects the environment to obtain reinforcement.

Listener (role)

Individual who reinforces the speaker’s verbal behavior and acts on it.

Imitation

Behavior that duplicates the form of a model’s behavior.

Spontaneous imitation

Untrained, immediate copying of a novel action.

Immediate imitation

Copying a model’s action right after observing it.

Delayed imitation

Copying a modeled action after a time delay without practice in between.

Generalized imitation

Learner imitates new, untrained models after a history of reinforced imitation.

Operant imitation

Imitative behavior maintained by consequences that follow the imitation.

Observational learning

Acquiring new behavior by watching the performance and consequences experienced by a model.

Verbal operants

Functional units of language defined by antecedents and consequences (e.g., mand, tact, echoic).

Mand

Verbal operant under control of motivating operations, reinforced by specific consequences requested.

Tact

Verbal operant evoked by a nonverbal stimulus, reinforced with generalized or social reinforcement.

Echoic

Verbal operant involving repetition of a verbal stimulus with point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity.

Intraverbal

Verbal operant evoked by other verbal stimuli without point-to-point correspondence; reinforced socially.

Formal similarity

Antecedent and response share the same sense mode and physically resemble each other.

Intraverbal response

Spoken response to a verbal stimulus that does not share form with the stimulus (e.g., answering questions).

Multiple functions (verbal behavior)

Single verbal response can simultaneously serve more than one operant function.

Verbal community

Group that establishes and maintains the verbal behavior of an individual through reinforcement.

Stimulus equivalence

Emergence of untrained relations (symmetry, transitivity) among stimuli after specific training.

Equivalence relation

Set of reflexive, symmetric, and transitive relations among stimuli, demonstrating class formation.

Identity matching

Selecting a comparison stimulus identical to the sample stimulus.

Symmetry

If A→B is trained, then B→A emerges without direct training.

Transitivity

If A→B and B→C are trained, A→C emerges without direct training.

Reflexivity

Untrained matching of a stimulus to itself (A→A).

Applied (dimension)

ABA focuses on socially significant behaviors.

Behavioral (dimension)

ABA measures observable behavior, not verbal reports of feelings.

Analytic (dimension)

Demonstrates experimental control over the behavior of interest.

Technological (dimension)

Procedures are described in detail for replication.

Conceptually systematic (dimension)

Interventions derive from basic behavioral principles.

Effective (dimension)

Intervention produces practical, significant behavior change.

Generality (dimension)

Behavior change lasts over time, appears in other environments, or spreads to other behaviors.

Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)

Organization that credentials behavior analysts and sets professional standards.

Baseline data

Measurement of target behavior before intervention, used for comparison and decision making.

Environmental contingencies

Relationships among antecedent events, behavior, and consequences in the environment.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Science devoted to applying behavioral principles to improve socially important behavior.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)

Basic research branch of behavior analysis focusing on laboratory studies of behavior principles.