282 Topic 1 Flashcards
In what measurable terms do we define behaviour?
-Frequency
-Duration
-Intensity
-Latency
Frequency
-How many times a behavior occurs
-How often it occurs
Duration
How long a behavior continues to occur for
Intensity
-How strongly a behavior occurs
-Specific to certain scenarios–applying force, pressure, grip strength
-rarely used
Latency
-How long until a behavior occurs
-How long from some defined event until our behavior of interest starts occurring
Target behavior
Behavior you want to change
Behavioral excess
Undesirable behavior you want to decrease
Behavioral deficit
Desirable behavior you want to increase
Experimental analysis of behavior/Behavior analysis
-Originally developed from skinner’s experimental research
-Scientific study of behavior
Applied behavior analysis
-Scientific study of behavior to help change that behavior
-Specifically targeted at human behavior
Behavior modification characteristics
-Clear and detailed description of procedure
-Treatment implemented by non-professionals
-Measure behavior (short and long term)
-No real focus on the past
-reject hypothetical underlying causes of behavior (don’t need an internal explanation when an environmental one will do)
Law of effect
-Edward Thorndike
-if a response is followed by a satisfying event (good outcome/consequence) then the S-R (stimulus response) connected is strengthened
-if a response is followed by an unsatisfying event, the stimulus response connection is weakened
Behaviorism: Watson
-Established the behaviorism movement
-Psychology should be about observable movement
-Stimulus-response psychology
-Environmental events (stimuli) elicit responses
Pavlov
-Classical (respondent) conditioning
-Demonstrated that a reflex (salivation in response to food) could be conditioned to a neutral stimulus (bell)
-Original behavior could be transferred to a new stimulus through association with original stimulus
B.F Skinner
-Stressed that while classical (respondent) conditioning described stimuli that elicited responses, operant was about the consequences of a behavior and determines the future occurrence of the behavior
-Foundation of behavior modification
Applied behavior analysis
-Baer, Wolf, and Risley
-Socially important behavior (how people act with one another)
-Functional relationships between environmental events and behavior
-Clear description of procedures
-Connection of basic behavior principles
-Production of meaningful, generalizable, and long-lasting changes in behavior
Behavioral assessment
-Measuring the target behavior(s) in a given situation
-Useful before, during and after implementation
1) before to determine if treatment is necessary
2) before to provide information to help choose the best treatment for the situation
3) after to determine if your treatment was successful
Indirect assessment
-Measure target behavior with interviews, questionnaires, and/or rating scales after the fact
-Individuals can report their own behavior
-Assessment may rely on testimony from other people (relying on recall is not reliable)
Concerns for indirect assessment
-Testimonials may be biased, inaccurate, unreliable, and/or incomplete due to reliance on recall
-A behavior may occur and you do not notice it
Direct assessment
-Target behavior is measured as it occurs
-Observer can be the individual engaging in the behavior, or another person, or a recording device
-Documenting behavior as it happens removes reliance on recall
-Self-monitoring
Self-monitoring
-Client is trained to observe their own target behavior
-Cons: observing your own behavior may cause you to be hyperaware of it and therefore do it less
Operational definition
-Description that specifies exactly how a term will be measured
-Definition must be precise and quantifiable
-Definition must be objective and unambiguous
-Definition should not reference internal states, feelings, or motivations
Process of behavior assessment
1) define target behavior
2) determine how the behavior will be recorded
Independent observer
Someone besides the person exhibiting the target behavior
Structured observation periods
-Involve arranging for specific events or situations to occur
-Planning the scenario
Unstructured observation periods
-Simply observe behavior as it occurs without intervention
-Monitor behavior in natural environment
Continuous recording
Document every instance of the target behavior during the observation period
Sample recording/Discontinuous recording
Document some of the occurrences of the target behavior
Interval recording
Record whether the target behavior occurs within certain time intervals
Partial interval recording
Document if the target behavior occurred during any part of the interval
Whole interval recording
Document if the behavior occurs during the entire interval
Frequency within interval recording
Document frequency of the target behavior within consecutive intervals of time in the observation period
Time sample recording
-Divide observation period into intervals of time but only observe the behavior during part of each interval
-Periods of recording separated by periods without observation
Momentary time sample recording
Records behavior only if it occurs at the exact instant the interval ends
Product recording/permanent product recording)
-Record tangible outcomes (products) that result from occurrence of behavior
-Not a direct observation of behavior itself
-E.g) submission of assignment implies you completed the assignment
Reactivity
When a persons behavior changes as a result of being observed
How to reduce reactivity
-Wait until person being observed becomes accustomed to the observer
-One-way window
Interobserver Agreement (IOA)
-Is the behavior being recorded consistently
How to evaluate IOA
1) two people independently observe and record same target during same observational period
2) compare recordings
3) calculate percentages or agreements (aim for 90%)
A-B design
-One baseline and one treatment phase
A= Baseline while B= treatment
-Not a true research design due to failure to replicate
-Does NOT demonstrate a functional relationship
-Used in clinical practices, for self-management projects
A-B-A-B Reversal designs
-Remove the treatment and go back to baseline
-Baseline, treatment, back to baseline, treatment again
-Demonstrates a functional relationship
-Gives more certainty but we still cannot make casual claims
Multiple baseline designs
-Multiple baseline subjects
-Multiple baseline behaviors
-Multiple baseline settings
Multiple baseline subjects
-2+ subjects with the same target behavior
-Treatment is staggered over time across subjects
-Rare design due to limited subjects with same target behavior and same treatment needed
-Eliminates confounding variables
-Multiple A-B designs staggered over time
-Cannot make any casual claims
Multiple baseline behaviors
-2+ behaviors of same subject
-Treatment is staggered across behaviors
-Can make a more confident functional claim
Multiple baseline settings
-2+ settings with same subject and same target behavior
-Treatment is staggered across settings (schools, home, office etc)
-Gives us more confidence
Alternating treatment design
-Baseline/Treatment implementing on alternating days or sessions for the same amount of time
-Rapidly alternate between baseline and treatment
Changing-Criterion designs
-Multiple different treatment phases
-Baseline and treatment phase
-Functional relationship is demonstrated when behavior matches performance criteria
How is Changing-Criterion designs different from A-B designs
-Within treatment phase, sequential performance criteria are specified
-Successive goal levels for target behavior
Functional assessment
-goal is to determine why a problem behavior occurs (or why a desirable behavior does not occur)
-Requires functional understanding of stimuli in the environment that influence a behavior
3-Term contingency
A-B-C
Antecedents (A)
-Stimuli that alter the current probability of a behavior
-Behavior is more likely in their presence now
-Behavior altering effect
-When, where, with whom, and in what circumstances does the behavior occur
-Context
Consequences (C)
-Reinforces and punishers
-Strengthen or weaken a behavior
-Behavior is more or loss likely in the future
-Repertoire altering effect
-Assess social and environmental consequences
Behaviors (B)
-Problem behaviors
-Relevant variables (intensity, latency, topography etc)
-Alternative behaviors
Two types of functional analysis
1) Exploratory functional analysis
2) Hypothesis testing functional analysis
Exploratory functional analysis
-Test a range of possible functions
-No clear hypothesis about function
-Test a range of possible functions
-Test condition for each function
-One control condition for all functions
-Identifies function(s) and rules out other functions
Hypothesis testing functional analysis
-Test hypothesis from descriptive assessment
-Have a clear hypothesis from indirect and direct assessment
-Test and control condition for one function
-Identifies function
-Does not rule out other functions
