2. Definitions & Characteristics

Question 1

What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Answer 1

a) addresses only behavior issues that are important to the individual or society
b) has its underlying philosophy in behaviorism,
c) uses a variety of measurement strategies
- defined by Baer, Wolf, & Risley (1968)

Question 2

What is Experimental Analysis of Behavior?

Answer 2

• a basic science methodology

- focuses on discovering principles under very controlled conditions (rather than on application to societal problems)

Question 3

What is a behavioral technology?

Answer 3

• science applied to remedy a problem of social importance
• “the practical application of knowledge”
• the development & evaluation of a treatment package (package is evaluated for efficacy, but not necessarily each component & it’s not necessarily compared to other technologies)
• e.g., a reading program that has been experimentally demonstrated to improve reading
• you need to get results

Question 4

What is a mentalistic explanation?

Answer 4

• alludes to events that are neither observable nor measurable, is exemplified by the “mind,” & is often methaphorical
• these alleged causal antecedent events, when accepted, tend to end the search for physical (observable, measurable) explanations for behavior
• feelings or states of mind as a cause of behavior
• tends to halt further inquiry into causal factors
• is feelings or states of mind as a cause of behavior
• is most like an antecedent analysis
• is supposedly an antecedent analysis

Question 5

Which contribution can be directly attributed to the experimental analysis of behavior?

Answer 5

• the distinction between respondent and operant behavior

- focuses on discovering principles under very controlled conditions

Question 6

What is basic science?

Answer 6

focuses on discovering principles under very controlled conditions
-e.g., a reading program designed to investigate how students learn

Question 7

What is a private event?

Answer 7

• anything that stimulates only one individual
• something within the skin, but not always (could involve action of the muscles or glands)
• could involve thinking (verbal behavior to oneself)

Question 8

What is an explanatory fiction?

Answer 8

• circular reasoning whereby the cause and effect are both inferred from the same information
• words associated: attitude, feeling, ability, talent, expectation, knowledge
• is evident when a cause is another name for an effect

Question 9

Interoceptive

Answer 9

carries stimulation from organs, related to internal economy

Question 10

Proprioceptive

Answer 10

carries stimulation from joints, tendons, muscles, etc., necessary for posture and movement
-the inability to move is a function of proprioceptive

Question 11

Exteroceptive

Answer 11

related to hearing, seeing, feeling (on the skin), smelling, tasting

Question 12

Behavioral speaking, imagining an object that you have seen before is best described as

Answer 12

seeing the thing that is in the absence of the thing being seen

Question 13

Behaviorally speaking, “knowing a fact” is

Answer 13

exhibiting a particular response given a particular stimulus

-the response is controlled by the stimulus

Question 14

Behaviorally speaking, thinking could be thought of as

Answer 14

a covert verbal behavior (and follows the same principles as overt operant behavior)

Question 15

After a great vacation to the shore, you find yourself imaging you are there. Which is the best behavioral description?

Answer 15

Imagining the shore has reinforcing value

Question 16

Recalling from memory and knowing

Answer 16

are not behavioral descriptions

Question 17

A stimulus

Answer 17

occasions the response

Question 18

What is covert verbal response?

Answer 18

it could serve as an SD or EO for the next response and so on

Question 19

What are the 7 dimensions of ABA?

Answer 19

• applied: focuses on bxs that are of social importance (human & nonhumans); involves using basic principles on problems of significance to participants
• behavioral: observable & measurable (talking is a behavior); focuses on the bx of the subject as the target for change; focuses on relevance & reliability of the behavioral measure
• analytic: involves a functional relationship between bx & environmental events (i.e., experimental control)
• maintenance/generalization:
• conceptually systematic: procedures are described in terms of basic principles (i.e., technical terms); it is important to relate findings to their relevance to basic principles; this helps to build technology & identify lawfulness
• technological: one that could be replicated by the reader & the description is specific & detailed; involves complete & precise described procedures
• effective: significant change, cost effectiveness, & efficiency; clinically significant effects provide a meaningful difference

Question 20

Effective treatments must

Answer 20

significant change, cost effectiveness, & efficiency are all ellements of the effective dimension

Question 21

What is an independent variable?

Answer 21

the behavior change procedure or set of procedures

Question 22

What is NOT a threat to internal validity?

Answer 22

unexpected results

Question 23

Internal validity is

Answer 23

• when you can pinpoint the reason for the behavior change

- the variables that effect internal validity include: history, maturation, & testing

Question 24

What is a dependent variable?

Answer 24

behavior change

Question 25

History as a threat to internal validity refers to

Answer 25

events that occur during an experiment

Question 26

Maturation (threat to internal validity)

Answer 26

changes within the individual that occur during the experiment

Question 27

Settings confounds (interval validity)

Answer 27

uncontrolled aspects of the natural environment

Question 28

Testing (internal validity)

Answer 28

repeated testing

Question 29

Procedural (treatment) integrity (interval validity)

Answer 29

treatment not being implemented as planned

-including procedural drift, which occurs when implementation of a procedure deteriorates over time

Question 30

Loss of subjects (internal validity)

Answer 30

participants drop out (attrition)

Question 31

Multiple intervention interference (internal validity)

Answer 31

interaction of multipletreatments; interactive effects

Question 32

Instability (interval validity)

Answer 32

variability in behavior, data

Question 33

Interviewing when behavior changes (internal validity)

Answer 33

coincidence

Question 34

Instrumentation (internal validity)

Answer 34

inaccurate measurement by devices or human observers