Chapter 11 (Book)

Summary: What are prompts used to do?

Prompts are used to evoke a behavior and transfer of stimulus control is used to eliminate the prompts and get the behavior to occur in the presence of the SD

• Used for simple discriminations, where one response occurs with one SD

Behavioral Chain

A complex behavior made up of multiple component behaviors that occur together in a specific sequence.

• A sequence of behaviors where each step leads to the next step, and the final step typically produces reinforcement

What is an example of a behavioral chain involving chewing gum?

Chewing gum is an example of a behavioral chain, since to chew gum you have to:

1. Reach into your pocket

2. Pull out the pack of gum

3. Pull a stick out of the pack

4. Unwrap the piece of gum

5. Chew the gum (get to the gum)

What does each behavioral chain consist of?

Each behavioral chain consists of individual stimulus-response components that occur together in a sequence

Why is a behavioral chain often called a stimulus-response chain?

A behavioral chain is often called a stimulus-response chain

• Each behavior or response in the chain leads to the stimulus chain that acts as an SD for the next response in the chain

Under what circumstances does a behavioral chain continue until?

A behavioral chain continues only if the last response in the chain leads to a reinforcing consequence

• Ex. Chewing gum is the reinforcer for the behavioral chain of putting the gum in your mouth

What is the sequence of stimulus and response components involved in the behavioral chain of getting a piece of gum?

The sequence of stimulus and response components involved in getting a piece of gum is:

1. SD1 (gum is in pocket) → R1 (reach into pocket)

2. SD2 (hand in pocket) → R2 (pull out the pack of gum)

3. SD3 (pack of gum in hand) → R3 (pull out a stick of gum)

4. SD4 (stick of gum) → R4 (unwrap stick of gum)

5. SD5 (unwrap stick of gum) → R5 (put gum into your mouth)

Reinforcer= chewing the gum

Each response creates the stimulus that is the SD for the next response

• Next response in the chain depends on the occurence of the previous response

How can you make the outcome of a behavioral chain more reinforcing?

Outcome of a behavioral chain can be more reinforcing if:

• Establishing operaiton makes the reinforcer more reinforcing (ex. gum), incresing the likelihood that you’ll start the behavioral chain

• Stimuli or events function as establishing operations

Task Analysis

The process of analyzing a behavioral chain by breaking it down into its individual stimulus-response components

How to teach someone to perform a behavioral chain using task analysis?

To teach someone to perform a behavioral chain:

1. Identify all the behaviors that are necessary to perform the task in order

2. Identify the SD associated with each behavior in the task

3. Need to have a task analysis that gives you an accurate understanding of each stimulus-response component

How is a task analysis to identify the sequence of behaviors in a chain conducted?

A task analysis to identify the right sequence of behaviors in a chain is conducted by:

1. Observing the person and recording the stimulus- response components

2. Ask a person who performs the task well to explain all the components in the task

3. Perform the task yourself and record the sequence of SDs and responses in the task

Performing the task youself when creating a task analysis gives the best information about each response in the task and the stimulus associated with each response

• Get most information on a task from your own experience with the task

What happens once the task analysis skill has been developed?

Once the task analysis skill has been developed, a strategy is chosen for teaching the skill

• Strategy= called chaining procedures

Chaining Procedures

Strategy for teaching complex tasks uses prompting and fading strategies to each sitmulus- repsonse component in the chain

• Teaches a complex task by teaching its individual steps in sequence using prompting and fading

• 3 types of chaining procedures: backward chaining, foward chaining, and total task presentation

Backward Chaining

Teaching procedure where a multi-step task is taught by starting with the last step of the sequence

• Use prompting and fading to teach the last behavior in the chain first

• Once the last behavior is done in the presence of the SD, the next to last behavior is taught

• Continues until the learner can perform the whole chain of behaviors with the first SD, without any prompts

Forward Chaining

Teaching procedure where a multi-step task is taught by starting with the first step of the sequence

• To start, you present the first SD, prompt the correct response, and provide a reinforcer after the response

• SD1 + prompt → Response → Reinforcer

How are forward and backward chaining similar?

Forward and backward chaining are similar

1. You teach one component of the chain at a time

2. Chain the components together

3. Use prompting and fading to teach the behavior associated with the SD at each step in the chain

For forward training, what is the conditioned reinforcer?

In forward training, the outcome of one response becomes the SD for the next response and can also function as a conditioned reinforcer for the preceding response.

What are the similarities between forward chaining and backward chaining?

Both forward and backward chaining:

• Are used to teach a chain of behaviors

• To use both procedures, you have to conduct a task analysis that breaks down the chain into stimulus- response components

• Both teach one behavior (one component of the chain at once and chain the behaviors together(

• Both procedures use prompting and fading to teach each component

What are the differences between forward chaining and backward chaining?

The differences between forward and backward chaining is that:

• Forward chaining teaches the first component first, whereas backward chaining teaches the last component first

• With backward chaining, the last component is taught first and the learner completes the chain in every learning trial and gets a natural reinforcer

• With forward chaining, the learner doesn’t complete the chain in every learning trial and artifical reinforcers are used until the last component of the chain is taught. Natural reinforcer occurs after the last behavior of the chain

Total Task Presentation

Process where the complex chain of behaviors is taught as a single unit

• Prompting the learner physically to engage in the entire chain of behaviors from start to finish

• Once learner learns to complete the task with prompts, you fade the prompts over learning trials until the learner engages in the task without any asistance

What is one type of physical prompting and fading called?

One type of physical prompting and fading is called graduated guidance

• Used hand over hand guidance to lead the learner through the task

• Gradually, you provide less and less assistance and shadow (keep hand close to the learner’s hand as they engage in the behavior)

When do you use total task presentation?

You use total task presentation when:

• The task is not too long or complex (since the procedure requires you to guide the learner through the entire chain of behaviors)

• Learner’s ability is advance

• Teacher’s ability is advanced (to not force the learner through the behavior and to teach the learner how to engage in the behavior independently)

What are the similarities between forward and backward chaining and total task presentation?

Chaining (forward and backward) and total task presentation are:

• Used to teach complex tasks or chains of behavior

• Task analysis must be done before training with all 3 procedures

• All 3 use prompting and fading

What is the difference between forward and backward chaining and total task presentation?

The difference between chaining and total task presentation is that:

• TTP- the learner is prompted throughout the entire task in each learning trial

• Chaining- the trainer teaches one component of the chain at a time and then chains the components together

What are the ways of teaching complex tasks that result in a lot of time in performing the prompting and fading procedures with the learner?

The ways of teaching complex tasks that take a lot of time include:

• Forward chaining

• Backward chaining

• Total task presentation

What are other strategies used to teach complex tasks that take less trainer time and involvement?

The strategies to teach complex tasks that take less trainer time and involvement include:

• Written task analysis

• Picture prompts

• Video modeling

• Self instructions

They all involve the independent use of prompts to guide the completion of the chain of behaviors

Written Task Analysis

Strategy used to teach a chain of behaviors that includes a step by step breakdown of a complex skill into teachable actions

• The skill is broken down into individual actions

• The trainer presents the leaerner with a list of the behaviors and the learner uses the list to perform the task correctly

• Must clearly and specifically list every component behavior in the chain

Picture Prompts

Strategy used to teach a chain of behaviors using pictures and visuals

• Pictures are taken of the outcome of each behavior or of someone engaging in each behavior in the task

• Pictures prompt the learner to engage in the behaviors in the proper sequence

• The learner has to look at the photos in the specific sequence and each picture must have stimulus control over the behavior that it shows

Video Modeling

Strategy where a chain of behaviors is taught when the learner watches a video of someone engaging in the chain of behaviors immediately before engaging in the same task

• Learner is able to complete the chain of behaviors

• The video of the task may need to be broken down into steps before the learner can complete the chain

Self Instructions

Strategy where the learner is guided through a complex task using self- generated verbal prompts (self instructions)

• You teach the learner how to give themselves verbal instructions to engage in the correct sequence of behaviors in the chain

• Learner has to remember the instructions, say them at the right time, and follow the self instructions (have stimulus control over the behavior)

What are all of the chaining procedures listed together?

The chaining procedures listed together are:

• Backward chaining: Teaching the last behavior in the chain first and then teaching each previous behavior in the chain

• Forward chaining: Teaching the first behavior in the chain first and then teaching the following behavior in the chain

• Total task presentation: Prompt the whole stimulus-response chain in each learning trial

• Written task analysis: Use written descriptions of each step in the task analysis as prompts

• Picture prompts: Use pictures of each step in the task analysis as prompts

• Video modeling: Use video of the task (or parts of the task) as prompts to complete the task

• Self- instructions: Give yourself verbal prompts to engage in each component behavior in a behavioral chain

What are the steps for teaching and using a chaining procedure?

The steps for teaching and using a chaining procedure are:

1. Determine whether a chaining procedure is appropriate

• Chaining procedure is used when the a skill hasn’t been taught

2. Develop a task analysis (breaks down the chain of behaviors into individual stimulus-response parts)

3. Get a baseline asessement of the learner’s ability (single- opportunity method and multiple- opportunity method)

4. Choose the chaining method you’ll use

5. Implement the chaining procedure

6. Continue reinforcement after the task has been learned

Single-opportunity method

Baseline assessment technique where:

• The learner is presented with the opportunity to complete the task

• Record which components the learner completes without assistance in the correct sequence

• Present the frst SD and look at the learner’s response

• Stop the assessment as soon as the learner makes an error or can’t perform a step independently

Multiple-opportunity method

Baseline assessment technique where:

• The learner’s abillity to complete each individual component in the chain is assessed

• Present the SD and wait for the learner to respond, if the learner doesn’t respond, you present the following SD, until the learner has had the opportunity to respond to every SD in the chain

• Assess every step even if the learner makes an error or cannot perform a step independently

What is another word for a behavioral chain?

Another word for a behavioral chain is a stimulus response chain

• Behavioral chain is a behavior made of 2 or more stimulus-response components

What does a task analysis identify?

It identifies the stimulus and response in each component of the chain

• Important to conduct a task analysis so that all the SDs and responses are identified clearly

What are chaining procedures used to teach?

Chaining procedures are used to teach a person to engage to perform a complex behavior (behavioral chain) by learning a sequence of smaller behaviors

• Involves prompting and fading to teach each component of the chain

• Backward vs forward chaining

What happens in total task presentation?

In total task presentation, the entire chain of behaviors is prompted in each learning trial

• Graduated guidance (leading someone through the steps physically is used)