Measurement in Applied Behavior Analysis

Objective Measurement in ABA

• Objective measurement is crucial in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
• It involves defining the behavior of interest and measuring it appropriately.

Why Measurement is Necessary

• Describe and Compare: To describe and compare the behavior of interest.
• Evaluate Effectiveness: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
• Inform Changes: To inform changes to interventions or behavior measurement.
• Evidence-Based Treatments: To ensure treatments are evidence-based, relying on data.
• Accountability: To ensure accountability for behavior change based on hard data.
• Ethical Codes: Measurement aligns with ethical codes for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).

Data Collection

• Data collection separates ABA from other fields of psychology and interventions for autism spectrum disorder.
• ABA relies on data to ensure the effectiveness of interventions and accuracy of behavior changes.

Dimensions of Behavior

• Repeatability/Countability:
  • Instances of a response can occur repeatedly through time.
• Temporal Extent:
  • Every instance of behavior occurs during some amount of time.
  • Behavior has duration or length that can be measured.
• Temporal Locus:
  • Every instance of a behavior occurs at a certain point in time with respect to other events.
  • Events and behaviors are connected through time.

Process of Measurement

• Define the target behavior.
• Observe the target behavior.
• Measure the target behavior.
• Graph the data.
• Analyze the data.
• Make decisions based on the data.

Defining Behavior

• Operational definitions are crucial.

Video Example: Defining Reading

• Example Dialogue:
  • "Dragon loves diapers."
  • "Taco loves dragons."
  • "Dragon loves tacos."

Examples of Definitions of Reading

• Dictionary Definition (Less Suitable for Measurement):
  • "The action or skill of reading written or printed matter silently or aloud."
  • This definition is hard to observe and measure.
• Operational Definition (More Suitable for Measurement):
  • "Child orienting, looking at book, and saying words out loud that correspond to the text on the page in the correct sequence."
  • Observable behaviors include:
    • Child oriented and looking at the book.
    • Saying words out loud (audible).
    • Verifying correspondence and sequence with the text on the page.

Evaluating Definitions

• The dictionary definition is not bad but is less effective for measurement purposes.
• Operational definitions that specify observable behaviors are better for measurement.