Deck 1-3 Behavior Assessment

Experimental Design

The type of sequence of conditions in a study to draw conclusions.

External Validity

The degree to which a study’s findings have generality.

Extraneous Variable

Any aspect of the experimental setting that must be held constant.

Internal Validity

The extent to which the only change in behavior is because of the Independent variable.

Parametric Analysis

Experiment to determine the effects of different amounts of the independent variable.

Practice Effects

Improvements based on opportunity to perform.

Prediction

A statement of the predicted outcome.

Research Question

What the researcher seeks to learn.

Replication

Repeating conditions in an experiment to determine effects.

Single Case Design

A variety of experimental designs that use baseline logic.

Stable Baseline

Data that is not trending upward or downward.

Steady State Responding

A pattern of responding with little variation.

Steady State Strategy

Repeatedly implementing a condition to reduce extraneous variables.

Variable Baseline

Data points that do not consistently fall within a narrow range.

Verification

Demonstration that prior baseline trends would remain if not for the independent variable.

A-B-A Design

Experimental Design with baseline- intervention- baseline.

A-B-A-B Design

Experimental Design with baseline- intervention-baseline-intervention.

Adapted alternating treatment design

A variation of a multielement design to compare instructional procedures.

B-A-B Design

Three phase design that begins with the treatment condition.

Concurrent chains design

Experimental design where participants choose between options based on distinct cues and reinforcement.

DRI/DRA reversal technique

Experimental technique that demonstrates the effects of reinforcement.

Irreversibility

The prior level of responding cannot be reproduced.

Multielement design

Experimental design to compare two or more conditions.

Multiple treatment interference

Effects of one treatment confounded by another.

Multiple treatment reversal design

Using reversal logic to compare the effects of 2 or more conditions.

Noncontingent reinforcement reversal technique

Experimental control technique that uses NCR as a control.

Reversal design

Experimental design that alternates conditions to verify previous effects.

Sequence effects

The subjects behavior is a result of exposure to the prior condition.

Withdrawal design

Synonymous with a A-B-A-B design.

Changing Criterion Design

Experimental Design with changing successive criteria for reinforcement or punishment.

Delayed Multiple baseline design

Variation where baseline and/or intervention starts and other legs are staggered.

Multiple baseline across behaviors

Multiple baseline design applied to different behaviors of the same subject.

Multiple baseline across settings

Multiple baseline design applied to different locations.

Multiple baseline across subjects

Multiple baseline design applied to different participants.

Multiple baseline design

Experimental design where baseline data are recorded and intervention is implemented in a staggered manner.

Multiple probe design

Variation of a multiple baseline with intermittent checks.

Nonconcurrent multiple baseline design

A series of A-B designs conducted in different points of time.

Range bound changing criterion design

A variation of the changing criterion design where each subphase has an upper and lower criterion.

Brief functional analysis

1 or 2 short sessions are conducted for each condition.

Conditional probability

Likelihood that a target behavior will occur in each circumstance.

Contingency reversal

Exchanging the reinforcement contingencies for 2 different responses.

Contingency space analysis

Graphic display of a conditional probability.

Descriptive functional behavior assessment

Direct observation of antecedents, behaviors, and consequences in the natural environment.

Functional analysis

Experimental arrangements of antecedents and consequences.

Functional behavior assessment

Systematic process for identifying the purpose of challenging behavior.

Indirect functional assessment

Interviews, rating scales, or questionnaires used to identify the maintaining reinforcer of problem behavior.

Functionally equivalent

Serving the same purpose.

Interview informed synthesized contingency analysis

A FA variation designed to increase efficiency.

Latency based functional analysis

Each session of the FA is terminated when problem behavior occurs.

Scatterplot recording

Recording the extent to which a behavior occurs more often at some times than others.

Trial based functional analysis

A FA where conditions occur during naturally occurring opportunities.

Anecdotal observation

Recording a descriptive, temporally sequenced account of behaviors, antecedents, and consequences.

Behavioral checklist

List of descriptions of skills and the conditions under which they should be observed.

Behavioral assessment

Indirect and direct procedures to identify and define the target behavior.

Behavioral cusp

A behavior that exposes the learner to new environments.

Ecological assessment

Assessment that acknowledges complex interrelationships between environment and behavior.

Function based definition

Members of a response class based on their common effect on the environment.

Habilitation

Behavior change that has maximum impact on access to reinforcers.

Normalization

Belief of integration to the maximum amount.

Pivotal behavior

Behavior that produces covariation in other untrained behaviors.

Reactivity

The observation affecting the behavior being measured.

Relevance of behavior rule

Only behavior likely to produce naturally occurring reinforcement should be targeted.

Social validity

Target behaviors are appropriate and intervention procedures are acceptable.

Target behavior

Response class selected for intervention.

Topography based definition

Defining behavior by shape or form.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Science of socially significant behavior change.

Behaviorism

The philosophy of the science of behavior.

Determinism

Assumption that the world is lawful and orderly.

Empiricism

Objective observation of phenomena.

Experiment

Controlled comparison of the DV under the IV.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)

Natural science approach to the study of behavior.

Explanatory fiction

A hypothetical variable that falsely claims to explain the observed phenomena.

Functional Analysis (FA)

Demonstration of a functional relation between environmental variables and behavior.

Functional relation

A change in behavior attributed only to the manipulated event.

Hypothetical construct

A presumed but unobserved process.

Mentalism

A faulty explanation of behavior that assumes an inner cause.

Methodological behaviorism

A philosophical approach that views unobservable behavioral events as outside the realm of science.

Parsimony

Ruling out simple explanations before moving to complex ones.

Philosophic doubt

Continually questioning truth and validity of science.

Pragmatism

Truth of a statement depends on how effectively it guides action.

Radical behaviorism

Behaviorism that includes understanding all human behavior, including private events.

Replication

Repeating conditions to determine reliability.

Science

A systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena.

Autoclitic

Two interlocking levels of verbal behavior in one utterance.

Automatic contingencies

Behavior change by environmental variables independent of other people.

Bidirectional naming

Higher order verbal cusp combining speaker and listener repertoires.

Codic

Verbal response under the control of a verbal stimulus with point to point correspondence and no formal similarity.

Compound verbal discrimination

Two or more verbal SDs that independently evoke behavior but combine to evoke a specific response.

Copying text

Written response evoked by a written verbal SD.

Duplic

Verbal behavior with formal similarity under the control of a verbal SD.

Echoic

Vocal response evoked by a vocal verbal SD with formal similarity.

Elementary verbal operant

Five different types of verbal behavior.

Formal similarity

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

Generative learning

Previously acquired skills enable or accelerate the acquisition of other skills without teaching.

Intraverbal

Response evoked by a verbal SD with no point-to-point correspondence.

Listener

Person who reinforces the speaker’s behavior.

Listener discrimination

A verbal SD evokes a specific nonverbal behavior.

Mand

A response of any form evoked by an MO and followed by specific reinforcer.

Motor imitation

A duplic where the form of a motor response is under the control of a visual verbal SD with formal similarity.

Convergent multiple control

A single verbal response is the function of more than one variable.