Behavior
Chapter
What is Behavior?
Behavior = external or internal observable and measurable acts of an organism; includes actions like walking, talking, writing, eye contact, and singing. Must be objective acts, not subjective labels (e.g., not just calling someone "aggressive" without specifying the act).
Dead Man Rule: if a dead man can do it, it’s not a behavior. Use this to distinguish possible behaviors.
External (overt/public) vs Internal (covert/private) acts:
External: observable by others (e.g., brushing teeth, talking on the phone).
Internal: physiological (heartbeats, digestion, brainwaves) and psychological (thinking, images, feelings).
Internal behaviors can be measured with instruments but are still behaviors.
Radical behaviorism (Skinner): internal events (thoughts, feelings, images) are behaviors too; they are harder to observe/measure than external acts.
Frequency vs Rate:
Frequency = count of occurrences.
Rate = frequency per unit of time; context matters to provide meaningful interpretation.
Formula:
Example: batting average uses a ratio of hits to at-bats:
The essence: behavior is anything a living person does outside or inside their body that can be observed and counted.
Topography vs. Response Class:
Topography: how a behavior looks (appearance).
Response class: same function/effect; different forms can belong to the same class (e.g., changing a TV station via remote vs turning a dial).
Phrase: there is more than one way to skin a cat; different topographies can have the same function.
How We Measure Behavior
Observing and counting behaviors provides frequency; to be useful, normalize by time or opportunities to obtain rate.
Context matters for meaningful interpretation of data.
Learning Factors and Environment
Three factors shaping human behavior (often acting together):
Heredity/genetic endowment
Physiological changes after conception (maturation, disease, accidents)
Learning experiences (environmental interactions)
Environment concepts:
Natural environment: real-world setting (e.g., mainstream classrooms); can influence behavior both positively and negatively.
Prosthetic environment: highly structured setting to encourage adaptive behavior; helps teach/maintain patterns not reliably performed in natural env.
Therapeutic environment: aims to help student become independent and function in natural settings; may be self-contained at first.
Determining prosthetic vs therapeutic: observe whether behavior persists in the natural environment after naturalization; the effect on behavior determines the classification.
The same environment can be prosthetic for one behavior and therapeutic for another.
Behavior Modification and ABA
Behavior modification: the application of experimentally derived laws of learning to human behavior; based on scientific research.
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis): a subcategory of behavior modification; includes systematic procedures like contingency contracting and point systems when applied correctly.
ABA excludes drugs, psychosurgery, or unproven theories; focuses on observable behavior and environmental change.
Target behaviors: specific behaviors we aim to change; can be to strengthen appropriate behaviors or reduce maladaptive ones.
Response (in ABA): a behavior that immediately and predictably follows something in the environment.
Trial: one attempt or a set of repetitions in a learning situation; many trials are usually needed to achieve mastery.
Verbal, Covert, and Collateral Behaviors
Verbal behavior: encompasses speaking, reading, writing, and sign language; not limited to spoken language; studied in its own right (The Analysis of Verbal Behavior).
Covert behavior: private events such as thinking, imagining, and feeling; not directly observable by others but can be experienced by the person and sometimes measured indirectly.
Collateral behaviors: behaviors that tend to occur together; examples include smiling while eating candy; collateral verbal behaviors express internal states (e.g., "I am happy").
Misinterpretations can occur when adults infer feelings and name them for the child; sometimes direct methods are needed to teach appropriate collateral verbal behaviors.
Adaptive vs Maladaptive Behavior
Adaptive behaviors: socially acceptable, effective, and functional.
Maladaptive behaviors: not effective for goals, may have negative consequences for the individual or others.
Practical Concepts in ABA
Target behaviors and collateral verbal behavior are tracked to assess change.
Observational data guide decisions about whether an environment is functioning prosthetically or therapeutically.
Understanding the distinction between topography and function (response class) helps in designing effective interventions.
Dead Man’s Test
Definition and Criteria
Dead Man's Test: a behavior must be emitted by a living organism; if a deceased person can perform it, it does not pass.
Requirements: the target behavior must be observable, measurable, objective, and concise.
Origin and Rationale
Origin: Ogden Lindsley, .
Created to counter loose measures (e.g., time on task, minutes without a tantrum) that could occur without meaningful engagement.
Practical Application
Reconsider labels like non-compliance; define observable actions instead.
Example: replace non-compliance with active refusal (e.g., vocal "no" when a demand is placed).
Ensure targets are socially significant and actively emitted, not just the absence of behavior.
Criticisms and Limitations
Widely accepted but not critically evaluated by everyone.
Circular reasoning: alive implies behavior; dead implies not; limited empirical support.
Evidence and Research
Some arguments favor the test: certain living behaviors (e.g., yelling for help, throwing a ball) are unlikely for a dead organism.
Field & Shu () suggest living organisms emit behaviors at higher rates than dead; evidence is not conclusive.
Critchfield & Shu () with deceased subjects found some behaviors (sitting up, head-turning) did not occur, supporting but not proving the test.
Observability, Measurement, and Behavior Selection
All behavior must be observable and measurable.
Choose socially significant, active behaviors with objective definitions.
Avoid targets like "not doing work"; specify observable participation or task-related communication.
Future Research Directions
Need more empirical data and clearer terminology.
Test which common targets pass the Dead Man's Test (e.g., aggression, non-compliance, property destruction, on-task behavior, attending, elopement).
Takeaways
The Dead Man's Test is a useful heuristic but not definitive.
Prioritize observable, measurable, socially significant, and well-defined behaviors.
Be aware of potential circular reasoning and limited empirical support.
BF Skinner's Radical Behaviorism EXPLAINED
Definition and Core Idea
Radical behaviorism is a thoroughgoing form of behaviorism that seeks to understand all human behavior, including private events such as thoughts and feelings, in terms of controlling variables in the history of the person—i.e., their —and the species or phylogeny of the organism.
"Radical" means all-encompassing; it accounts for the totality of the human experience.
Rooted in evolutionary science; variables are examined by their effects on the organism across its lifetime.
: skills and experiences developed during a lifetime.
: species-typical history and traits.
Examples related to phylogeny: reflexes (e.g., reflexive patellar response) and automatic responses (e.g., blinking to wind).
Radical Behaviorism in Practice
Behavior is everything organisms do; includes non-human animals.
Private events (thoughts, feelings) are included in the explanatory scope.
Explanations rely on empirical data and environmental variables; focus is on controlling variables, not unobservable mind states.
Example: Ghosting Scenario
If someone stops replying, a radical behaviorist would:
Examine what environmental events/contingencies occurred (e.g., phone on silent, new interest).
Gather empirical data to identify controlling variables.
Develop an understanding grounded in environmental factors rather than assumptions about someone’s mind.
Common Questions and Clarifications
Is this approach still viable?
Yes. Originated around 1974; has evolved and includes related perspectives like functional contextualism (linked in description).
Does it make room for the mind or soul?
No; it is a natural science that excludes hypothetical constructs like mind/soul as explanations, though such ideas can be analyzed through a behavior-analytic lens.
Is it the predominant approach among BCBAs?
Many practitioners operate from this stance in journals, but other forms of behaviorism exist.
What comes next?
The next video covers methodological behaviorism.
Viability, History, and Context
Radical behaviorism remains a foundational, empirical framework; emphasizes observable variables and environmental control.
Functional contextualism represents a related philosophical development within the broader tradition.
Quick Takeaways
Comprehensive, environment-driven explanation of behavior including private events.
Key concepts: and .
Grounded in empirical data; avoids untestable mind-based explanations.
Related approaches exist; ongoing study includes methodological behaviorism.
What is Respondent behavior, and what are examples?
Respondent Behavior (Reflexive Behavior)
Definition: automatic, involuntary response to a specific stimulus; also called reflexive behavior; tied to classical conditioning.
Key characteristics:
Innate and phylogenetically based; not learned.
Elicited by specific environmental stimuli; automatic.
Not governed by consequences (unlike operant behavior).
Relationship to operant behavior:
Operant behavior is driven by consequences (reinforcement/punishment).
Respondent behavior is elicited by stimuli regardless of consequences.
Common examples:
Blinking in response to an approaching air puff.
Startle reflex to a sudden loud noise.
Sneezing in response to irritants (dust, pepper).
Withdrawal from hot or painful contact.
Pupil constriction in bright light.
Classical conditioning connection:
Pairing a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that elicits a reflex; after conditioning, the neutral stimulus can elicit the reflex.
Quick takeaway:
Automatic, involuntary, stimulus-elicited responses; innate and not shaped by consequences.
What is Verbal Behavior?
Key Concepts
Verbal behavior is Skinner's analysis of language; language is a behavior; environment shapes it.
Focus on function, not only topography (form) of language.
Language consists of operants; behavior occurs under environmental conditions.
Verbal Operants
Operants include mands (requests), tacts (labels), and intraverbals (conversational responses).
Motivating operations (MO) like thirst create a desire for juice; environmental conditions (e.g., mom present) evoke a verbal response.
Example: Juice, please leads to access to juice; the environment is impacted by behavior.
Autism and Treatment Implications
Treatment guided by verbal behavior principles; consider contexts in which communication occurs.
Not only form but function; deprivation and hunger or thirst as part of conditions.
Historically, early focus on receptive/expressive labels; often insufficient for generalization.
Generalization and Program Design
Must program across verbal operants to promote generalization across situations.
Without cross-operant training, behavior may not occur in new contexts.
Historical Context and Impact
Skinner's Verbal Behavior book from the 1950s; not initially embraced, now seen as evolution of the field.
Many children benefit from applying verbal behavior analysis.
Summary
Core idea: language is environment-influenced behavior; essential to design across operants to achieve generalization; foundational for modern autism treatment approaches.