Malott Ch 7 (Quiz 4) (Psyc 305)

Task analysis

an analysis of complex behavior and sequences of behavior into their component responses

Process versus product

sometimes you need to make reinforcers and feedback contingent on the component responses of the process, not just the product (outcome)

Dimensions

the physical properties of a response

Response dimensions

the potential differences in responses

• topography

• pitch

• force

• duration

• latency

Duration

the time from the beginning to the end of a response

Latency

the time between the signal or opportunity for a response and the beginning of that response

Function

producing the same reinforcing outcome; the way the behavior affects the environment

Effects

the way the environment affects the behavior

Response differentiation

the reinforced response class occurs more frequently than the response class that is not reinforced, usually as a result of differential reinforcement

Differential-reinforcement procedure

reinforcing one set of responses and not reinforcing another set of responses

Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA)

stopping reinforcement for an inappropriate response, while shifting that reinforcement to an appropriate response; when you do differential reinforcement of alternative behavior

• the before and after conditions are the same for the new performance-management contingency as they are for the inappropriate natural contingency

• you’ve just substituted an appropriate behavior in the performance-management contingency for an inappropriate one in the natural contingency

Differential punishment procedure

punishing one set of responses and not punishing another set of responses

• we analyze contingencies in terms of plain punishment when we’re concerned only with decreasing the frequency of one response class; we analyze in terms of differential punishment when we want to decrease one response class and increase or maintain a similar response class

Overcorrection (positive practice)

repeating the correct response after making an incorrect response

Single-subject research design

the entire experiment is conducted with a single subject, though it may be replicated with several other subjects

Group research design

the group is conducted with at least two groups of subjects; and the data are usually presented in terms of the mean (average) of the performance of all subjects combined for each group

Experimental group

a group of subjects exposed to the presumed crucial value of the independent variable

Control group

a group of subjects not exposed to the presumed crucial value of the independent variable

Response induction (response variability)

the response is not done exactly the same way each and every time

• Entirely new behaviors can appear – creativity 

• Shaping takes advantage of this natural variability: molding a behavior to get closer to a behavior of interest

Case of Carl Rogers’ client-centered therapy

• in non-directive therapy, the client determines the course of the therapy and the client is the expert in charge of their own improvement

• Behavior analysis

  • Rogers’ clients were college students with relatively mild adjustment problems

  • Rogers recorded his therapy sessions

• Intervention

  • Rogers used behavioral techniques

    • Differential reinforcement of a student’s positive statements

    • Differential extinction of a student’s negative statements

• Evaluation

  • Behavioral techniques are used in both directive and non-directive therapies

• Analysis

  • Freud’s attention reinforced lurid sexual content of his rich, young female clients; he later came to believe the reports were fantasies that never actually happened

Methodological behaviorism

public and repeatable – others can observe the same phenomena

• all science is methodological behavior; e.g observing particles, chemicals, biology, medicine, etc.

Radical behaviorism

• B.F. Skinner

• unobservable thoughts and feelings also could be conditioned

• ironically, cognitive behaviorists today may be unaware they are actually Skinnerian, radical behaviorists

Case of terrible tennis

• Behavioral analysis

  • Process versus product

• Intervention

  • Task analysis (forehand, backhand, serve)

  • Identified 4-5 subcomponents for each task (see chains (sequence of behaviors), total task presentation)

  • Differentially reinforce with praise for correct subcomponents

  • Differentially ignore (differential extinction) incorrect subcomponents

• Evaluation

  • Improved process results in better play

• Analysis

  • Most of the clinical examples in the single-subject research designs

  • Occasionally there are clinical group research designs

Chain

sequence of behaviors

Case of the weekend warrior

• Injury and strained muscles from excessive physical activity on the weekend

• Behavioral analysis

  • Difficulty finding a comfortable position to sleep in

• Self-intervention

  • Differential escape results in shifting positions until a comfortable one is found

  • Differentially punished for uncomfortable positions

• Evaluation

  • Sleep

• Analysis

  • Most of the clinical examples in the book are single-subject research designs

Case of classical ballet

• teaching students

• Behavioral analysis

  • sequences of ballet moves

  • wrong moves are frequently punishes, right moves rarely praised

• Intervention

  • teahcer differentially reinforces good moves with praise

  • teacher differentially punishes poor positions by having student freeze in an uncomfortable position while drawing attention – an overcorrection procedure

  • ultimately leads to differential avoidance behavior of poor positions and differential reinforcement of good positions

• Evaluation

  • dance better

• Analysis

  • most of the clinical examples are single-subject research designs

• Behavioral science is sometimes criticized for “only” influencing existing behaviors, but in fact the methods are also associated with promoting new behaviors