ABA SAFMEDS

Radical Behaviorism

A form of behaviorism that attempts to understand all human behavior, including private (covert) behavior, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person, or ontogeny, and the species, or phylogeny

Behaviorism

A psychological approach that emphasizes the study of observable behavior and the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior, excluding internal thoughts and feelings. There are various forms of behaviorism (e.g., radical, methodological)

Experimental Analysis of Behavior

The branch of behavior analysis concerned with examining basic processes and procedures, typically via basic lab research.

Applied Behavior Analysis

The branch of behavior analysis that examines application of basic processes and principles to socially significant behaviors. Experimentation is used to identify variables responsible for behavior change.

Professional Practice

The delivery of behavior analytic services to clients guided by the principles of behaviorism, informed by the experimental analysis of behavior, and applied behavior analysis.

Response

A specific instance of behavior.

Behavior

Any observable or measurable action done by an organism.

Description

A collection of facts about the observed event that can be quantified, classified, and examined for possible relations with other known facts.

Prediction

A statement of the anticipated outcome of a presently unknown or future measurement.

Control

Systematic arrangement of events through experimental design to show a functional relationship between two variables.

Response Class

A group of behaviors of different topographies that serve the same function.

Unconditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus change that increases the frequency of a behavior without any previous learning history. EX: food, water, sex, regulated body temperature

Unconditioned Punisher

A stimulus change that decreases the frequency of a behavior without any previous learning history. EX: Heat, pain, loud noises

Conditioned Reinforcer

A stimulus change that increases the frequency of a behavior because of prior pairing with one or more other (conditioned or unconditioned) reinforcers.

Conditioned Punisher

A stimulus change that decreases the frequency of a behavior as a result of a person's conditioning history (pairing with some other punisher).

Generalized Reinforcer or Punisher

A reinforcer or punisher that is created by being paired with many other conditioned or unconditioned reinforcers or punishers. EX: tokens, money, praise (GR); reprimands, social disapproval (GP).

Respondent conditioning

The process of pairing a neutral stimulus (NS) with an unconditioned stimulus (US) and the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response (CR). Also called Pavlovian and/or Classical conditioning.

Operant conditioning

The process of learning through reinforcement and punishment. Behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on the consequences of that behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions in the future.

Positive reinforcement contingency

The occurrence of a response is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus change that increases the likelihood of similar responses in the future.

Negative reinforcement contingency

The occurrence of a response is followed immediately by the termination, reduction, avoidance of a stimulus that increases the likelihood of similar responses in the future.

Schedules of reinforcement

A rule specifying the enviornmental arrangements and response requirements for reinforcement.

Positive punishment contingency

The occurrence of a response is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus (or an increase in the intensity of an already present stimulus) that decreases the likelihood of similar responses in the future.

Negative punishment contingency

The occurrence of a response is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of the stimulus) that decreases the likelihood of similar responses in the future.