RBT certification

These flashcards help me understand key and vital concepts, situations, scenarios, questions, terms, and variables that go into being a registered behavior technician.

what is an RBT?

an RBT is a registered behavior technician.

punishers

responses from the environment that decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated and punishment (usually) weakens behavior

what do RBTs do?

registered behavior technicians implement the behavioral plans of a bcba (a behavior analyst). registered behavior technicians also maintain client confidentiality, collect data on behaviors to apply different techniques to create solutions for client behaviors, collaborate with behavioral analysts to create new behavioral plans, and give direct therapy to their clients. in short - RBTs are enforcers of behavioral therapy that results in positive behavioral change in the clients they work with.

antecedent

a cue that triggers the behavior

behavior

the response to an antecedent

consequence

what follows after the behavior

prompting

an approach that triggers the desired response

shaping

gradually altering behavior by rewarding changes / the desired response

chaining

breaking down tasks into smaller components. keeping tasks simple first until the entire sequence is completed.

discrete trial training

breaking down behaviors into smaller components, each component of the behavior is then systematically taught using reinforcement

aba

applied behavior analysis

what is applied behavior analysis (ABA)?

aba is a type of therapy for children with autism and other developmental disorders that focuses on skills in various domains.

reward systems

technique to create changed behavior where a child receives a reward for it

token economies

are a strategy that uses tokens (an item that the client values) to reinforce positive behavior

aba principles

1. determinism

2. empiricism

3. experimentation

4. replication

5. parsimony

6. philosophic doubt

determinism

all human events and decisions are casually inevitable, occurrence can never stop

empiricism

the theory that all knowledge is derived from experience

experimentation

the act of testing to see how something or someone is influenced or impacted or leads to an event

replication

the repetition of experiments to confirm conclusions

parsimony

explain simple and logical things first, then find complex explanations. only use certain information that is necessary and sufficient.

philosophic doubt

scientists continuously question what they know and find from their experiments to create new outcomes and treatments.

conditioning

the process of training or accustoming a person or animal to behave in a certain way or to accept certain circumstances

conditioning

a behavioral process whereby a response becomes more frequent or more predictable in a given environment as a result of reinforcement, with reinforcement typically being a stimulus or reward for a desired response

classical condiitoning

this is a process where a naturally occurring stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (which is previously neutral). for example: the classical conditioning process involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (the taste of food). this means an involuntary response to a neutral stimuli can become a conditioned response to that stimuli.

unconditional stimulus

something that naturally triggers a response involuntarily

unconditioned response

an unconditioned response is an unlearned response that occurs naturally in reaction to the unconditioned stimulus

conditioned stimulus & response

this is what the unconditional response and stimulus become after association is created. this unconditioned stimulus naturally and automatically triggers salivating as a response to the food, which is known as the unconditioned response. after associating the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, the sound of the bell alone will start to evoke salivating as a response.

the sound of the bell is now known as the conditioned stimulus and salivating in response to the bell is known as the conditioned response.

operant conditioning

operant conditioning (or instrumental conditioning) focuses on using either reinforcement or punishment to increase or decrease a behavior, so that the association to a behavior is with a consequence (whether positive or negative). so someone or something has to act to receive a desired reward or consequence

schedule of reinforcement

how often a response is reinforced

pavlov experiment

dogs heard a sound of a bell and started salivating because they associated the sound of the bell with receiving food

b.f. skinner experiment

he coined the skinner box, also known as an operant conditioning chamber, which a device used to objectively record an animal’s behavior in a compressed time frame. an animal can be rewarded or punished for engaging in certain behaviors, such as lever pressing (for rats) or key pecking (for pigeons).

neutral operants

responses from the environment that neither increase nor decrease the probability of a behavior being repeated

reinforcers

responses from the environment that increase the probability of a behavior being repeated which can be positive or negative

positive reinforcement

a response or behavior is strengthened by rewards leading to the repetition of the desired behavior

negative reinforcement

the removal of an adverse stimulus that is rewarding to an animal or a person

punishment

weakens and eliminates a response and decreases behavior

positive punishment

adding an aversive stimulus immediately following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening

negative punishment

removes a desirable stimulus immediately following a behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening - weakening the behavior through the removal of what is valued / enjoyed

ineffective punishment

you remove a stimulus to control a response but the response is insistent and is thus ineffective as a technique

premack priniciple application

motivating someone or something by offering something they love after they do something for you / or give you desired responses or behaviors

john b watson

conducted an experiment where classical conditioning also applied to humans. created a fear of white rats in a baby by having the pairing of the white rat and a loud nose. the baby cried and avoided. the neutral stimulus (rat) with the unconditioned stimulus (noise) created an unconditioned response of distress, and during the conditioning process, they would present the rat and then make a loud nose repeatedly. the baby associated the rat with the fear he experienced. the rat then became the conditioned stimulus (CS) and created a conditioned response (CR) of fear when he saw the rat - knowing that it would come with the loud noise.

edward thorndike

coined the law of effect. a hungry cat is placed in a box which can be opened if the cat pushes a latch. a food reward ('positive reinforcer') will be obtained by the cat if it figures out how to escape from the box. thorndike discovered that after several trials, the time it takes the cat to escape from the box decreases.

law of effect

the law of effect states that connections leading to satisfying outcomes are strengthened while those leading to unsatisfying outcomes are weakened.

thorndike theory

behavior that is followed by a positive consequence is more likely to be repeated, while behavior that is followed by a negative consequence is less likely to

what makes a good teacher?

they are fun, knowledgeable, provide assistance when necessary, encourage independence and self-sufficiency, engaging, creative, active, tirelessly working, flexible and adaptable, educated and widely competent, executing, disciplined, professional, and respectful.

independent variable

it is the variable that is independent of other factors influencing it.

dependent variable

it is the variable that happens as a result of the independent variable, also known as the “effect”, “outcome”, and “response”

what do bad RBTs do?

they have irrelevant curriculum

only uses food reinforcers

uses unnatural teaching techniques that are not child friendly

eliminate distractions

does not promote parental training

endorses alternative treatments

is not giving children the proper dosage of treatment intensity

what is rigid ABA?

unvarying adherence to protocols

what is lax ABA?

being unaware of the protocols and being inconsistent with the protocols implemented

progressive ABA

combining science with the art of ABA

what is a component of progressive ABA?

clinical judgment

clinical judgment

the ability to make sound decisions based on a thorough assessment of a patient's condition and the application of evidence-based knowledge and critical thinking

what are things to remember about children?

they are innocent

they are not their behaviors

they need proper guidance

they need understanding

they need kindness

they need compassion

they need empathy

they need consideration

they need protection

they need safety

they need security

they need consistency

they need love as an absolute

what are some examples of clinical judgment?

interfering behaviors, knowing that behaviors can have more than two functions, attentiveness, receptivity, recent performance and past performance, motivation, non-verbal behaviors, staff skill level, child’s persistence, and child’s health

Van Houten

everyone deserves the right to a therapeutic environment

what are all of van houten’s rights?

right to a therapeutic environment, overall goal of personal warfare, programs that teach functional skills, behavioral assessment and ongoing evaluation, most effective treatment procedures available

what are the responsibilities of an RBT?

direct instruction and behavioral assessment

what are the core deficits of autism?

social delays, repetitive behaviors, language delays

michael consistently responds with apple when I ask what do you eat. what’s appropriate ways to evoke new responses?

prompt new responses by saying “what else?” and reinforcing new and different responses. have him select an array of snacks and later ask him to label all of them when you ask “What do you eat?”

Continuous Measurement

It means you watch something happen the whole time, without missing anything.

Frequency