Applied Behavioral Analysis - SPSY 6306 Flashcards
What is the science that applies behavioral principles to improve socially significant behavior?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
What is the assumption that the universe is orderly and events occur as a result of other events?
Determinism
What is the objective observation and measurement of behavior in ABA?
Empiricism
What scientific method ensures findings are reliable by repeating experiments?
Replication
What principle states that the simplest explanation should be considered first?
Parsimony
What concept in ABA focuses on practical, real-world applications of behavior principles?
Pragmatism
Who is considered the founder of radical behaviorism?
B.F. Skinner
What is the study of behavior through experimental research called?
Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB)
Which branch of behaviorism rejects mentalistic explanations?
Radical Behaviorism
What are the three levels of scientific understanding?
Description, Prediction, Control
Which dimension of ABA ensures that interventions target behaviors that improve everyday life?
Applied
Which dimension of ABA ensures procedures are clearly defined and replicable?
Technological
Which dimension of ABA requires proving that an intervention directly causes behavior change by demonstrating a functional relation?
Analytic
Which dimension of ABA ensures that behavior change procedures are based on established behavioral principles rather than unrelated techniques?
Conceptually Systematic
Which term describes a functional relation between behavior and environment?
Functional Analysis
Which term refers to an unobservable, hypothetical process used to explain behavior in mentalism?
Hypothetical Construct
What is another term for an explanation based on unobservable mental processes?
Explanatory Fiction
What is the primary goal of ABA?
Behavior Change
What is the term for any observable and measurable act of an organism?
Behavior
What do we call the surroundings and conditions that influence a behavior?
Environment
What type of behavior is elicited by antecedent stimuli?
Respondent Behavior
What type of behavior is controlled by its consequences?
Operant Behavior
Who is credited with the discovery of operant conditioning?
B.F. Skinner
What process involves learning through stimulus-stimulus pairing?
Respondent Conditioning
What process strengthens behavior by adding a stimulus after a response, such as giving a child a sticker for completing homework?
Positive Reinforcement
What process strengthens behavior by removing a stimulus after a response, such as turning off a loud alarm when a button is pressed?
Negative Reinforcement
What process weakens behavior by adding a stimulus after a response, such as scolding a child for running in the hallway?
Positive Punishment
What process weakens behavior by removing a stimulus after a response, such as taking away a toy when a child misbehaves?
Negative Punishment
What is the process of withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, leading to a decrease in that behavior over time?
Extinction
What is the three-term contingency in operant conditioning?
Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence
What is the concept that behavior is shaped by its consequences over time?
Selectionism
What is the term for an event or condition that temporarily increases or decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer or punisher and alters the likelihood of behavior, such as skipping lunch making food more reinforcing?
Motivating Operation
What term describes reinforcement that occurs automatically, without the involvement of another person, such as scratching an itch to relieve discomfort?
Automatic Reinforcement
What is the term for behavior that is influenced by spoken or written instructions, rather than by direct experience with consequences, such as stopping at a red light because you were taught to do so?
Rule-Governed Behavior
What is the term for a stimulus that functions as reinforcement due to past learning?
Conditioned Reinforcer
What is the term for a reinforcer that is inherently valuable without learning?
Unconditioned Reinforcer
What is the process of identifying and defining behavior for intervention?
Behavioral Assessment
What recording method documents antecedents, behaviors, and consequences?
ABC Recording
What type of observation involves recording a detailed, sequential account of behavior, including its antecedents and consequences, as it naturally occurs?
Anecdotal Observation
What tool provides a list of skills and behaviors for assessment?
Behavior Checklist
What term describes a behavior change that opens up access to new environments, reinforcers, and learning opportunities, such as learning to walk or read?
Behavioral Cusp
What type of assessment examines the influence of environmental factors on behavior?
Ecological Assessment
What type of definition categorizes behavior based on its effect on the environment?
Function-Based
What term describes the process of improving an individual’s behavior so they maximize reinforcers and minimize punishers, such as teaching a child to communicate their needs effectively instead of crying?
Habilitation
What principle emphasizes making environments as normal as possible for individuals?
Normalization
What is the term for changes in behavior due to being observed?
Reactivity
What rule states that behaviors should only be targeted if they will be reinforced in the natural environment?
Relevance of Behavior Rule
What is the process of ensuring interventions improve socially meaningful behaviors?
Social Validity
What is the term for the specific behavior chosen for intervention?
Target Behavior
What type of definition describes behavior based on its physical form or movements, such as defining ‘waving’ as raising a hand and moving it side to side?
Topography-Based Definition
What term describes behaviors that lead to positive changes in many other behaviors?
Pivotal Behavior
What professional organization provides guidelines for behavior analysts?
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)
What assessment phase includes reviewing medical, educational, and historical records?
Record Review
What type of goal-setting ensures behaviors are clearly defined, observable, and measurable so they can be consistently evaluated and applied?
Operational Definition
What is the process of choosing behaviors for intervention based on importance and impact?
Prioritization
What concept ensures that interventions align with client preferences, ethical standards, and meaningful real-world impact, such as teaching communication skills that improve daily interactions?
Social Significance
What is the process of applying quantitative labels to describe behavior?
Measurement
What dimension of behavior refers to the number of occurrences?
Repeatability
What dimension of behavior refers to the duration of a response?
Temporal Extent
What dimension of behavior refers to when a response occurs?
Temporal Locus
What measurement records the total number of responses?
Count
What measurement represents the number of responses per unit of time?
Rate
What is the measure of the change in rate of responding over time?
Celeration
What measurement captures the amount of time from stimulus onset to response initiation?
Latency
What measurement captures the time between two consecutive responses?
Interresponse Time (IRT)
What measurement records the total time a behavior occurs?
Duration
What is a measurement based on the proportion of responses relative to opportunities?
Percentage
What measurement records the number of attempts needed for a learner to reach a set level of performance, such as mastering a skill or completing a task correctly?
Trials-to-Criterion
What term refers to the physical form of a behavior?
Topography
What term refers to the force or intensity of a response?
Magnitude
What recording method captures each instance of behavior?
Event Recording
What measurement method divides time into intervals and records behavior if it occurs during the entire interval?
Whole-Interval Recording
What measurement method records behavior if it occurs at any time during an interval?
Partial-Interval Recording
What sampling method records whether behavior occurs at the end of an interval?
Momentary Time Sampling
What variation of time sampling is used to measure group behavior?
Planned Activity Check (PLACHECK)
What measurement method assesses behavior after it occurs by examining its lasting effects on the environment, such as counting the number of completed math problems on a worksheet to measure task completion?
Permanent Product
What is the term for the extent to which measurement reflects the true value of the behavior?
Accuracy
What is the term for the consistency of measurement across repeated observations?
Reliability
What term refers to measurement that truly reflects the behavior it is intended to measure?
Validity
What is a systematic error that consistently skews data in one direction?
Measurement Bias
What occurs when an observer’s measurement changes over time?
Observer Drift
What is a measurement error caused by an observer knowing they are being evaluated?
Observer Reactivity
What is the process of comparing data to a known standard to improve accuracy, such as adjusting a stopwatch to ensure it correctly measures time intervals?
Calibration
What is the most common method used in ABA to assess measurement quality?
Interobserver Agreement (IOA)
What type of measurement detects all instances of a behavior during observation?
Continuous Measurement
What type of measurement only captures some instances of a behavior?
Discontinuous Measurement
What is the process of training observers to collect data reliably and accurately?
Observer Training
What type of measurement involves using permanent products to assess behavior, such as counting the number of completed assignments to measure productivity?
Permanent Product Recording
What is the process of checking how closely recorded data match true values?
Accuracy Assessment
What is the term for assessing whether two or more observers collect the same data?
Interobserver Agreement (IOA)
What is the simplest method for calculating Inter Observer Agreement using total count comparisons?
Total Count Inter Observer Agreement
What is the most stringent Inter Observer Agreement method for event recording data?
Exact Count-per-Interval Inter Observer Agreement
What term describes the error where data inaccurately reflect behavior due to measurement flaws?
Artifact
What type of Inter Observer Agreement compares agreement on whether behavior occurred per trial?
Trial-by-Trial Inter Observer Agreement
What is the primary goal of assessing measurement accuracy and reliability?
Trustworthiness of Data
What type of observer is unaware of the study’s purpose and expected outcomes?
Naïve Observer
What is the principle that involves presenting a stimulus after a behavior to increase its future occurrence?
Positive Reinforcement
What is the stimulus that increases the future occurrence of a behavior?
Positive Reinforcer
What principle explains that reinforcement strengthens a pattern of behaviors (a response class) rather than just a single instance of behavior?
Operant Conditioning
Who is credited with defining reinforcement principles in operant conditioning?
B.F. Skinner
What type of reinforcer is naturally effective, requiring no prior learning history, as seen with food and warmth?
Unconditioned Reinforcer (Primary Reinforcer)
What type of reinforcer gains its effectiveness through an individual’s learning history, such as money, praise, or tokens?
Conditioned Reinforcer (Secondary Reinforcer)
What type of reinforcer remains effective across multiple situations because it has been paired with various other reinforcers, such as money, tokens, or social praise?
Generalized Conditioned Reinforcer
What reinforcement principle states that a high-probability behavior can reinforce a low-probability behavior, such as allowing a child to play video games after completing homework?
Premack Principle
What hypothesis states that reinforcement occurs when access to a preferred behavior is restricted, making the opportunity to engage in that behavior more valuable?
Response-Deprivation Hypothesis
What is reinforcement that occurs without social mediation?
Automatic Reinforcement
What is reinforcement that is delivered by another person?
Socially Mediated Reinforcement
What type of assessment identifies potential reinforcers based on individual preferences?
Stimulus Preference Assessment
What type of assessment measures the effectiveness of specific reinforcers?
Reinforcer Assessment
What is the reinforcement contingency in which rules control behavior rather than direct reinforcement?
Rule-Governed Behavior
What reinforcement contingency occurs when behavior is shaped through direct experience with consequences, such as a child touching a hot stove, feeling pain, and learning not to touch it again?
Contingency-Shaped Behavior
What term describes reinforcement given after every occurrence of a behavior?
Continuous Reinforcement
What term describes reinforcement given after some, but not all, occurrences of a behavior?
Intermittent Reinforcement
What is the term for the unintentional strengthening of behavior due to accidental reinforcement?
Adventitious Reinforcement
What factor makes reinforcement more effective by increasing the reinforcer’s value?
Motivating Operation
What reinforcement technique gradually shifts from artificial to naturally occurring reinforcers?
Reinforcer Fading
What is the process of strengthening behavior by removing or avoiding an aversive stimulus, such as silencing an alarm by fastening a seatbelt?
Negative Reinforcement
What type of contingency involves terminating an ongoing stimulus after a response, such as turning off a loud alarm by pressing a button?
Escape Contingency
What type of contingency involves preventing or delaying an aversive stimulus before it occurs, such as a student raising their hand to avoid being called on unexpectedly?
Avoidance Contingency
Who is credited with defining operant conditioning, including negative reinforcement?
B.F. Skinner
What is a stimulus that, when removed, naturally strengthens behavior without the need for prior learning, such as moving your hand away from a hot stove to stop the pain?
Unconditioned Negative Reinforcer
What is a stimulus whose removal strengthens behavior due to past learning, such as completing homework to avoid a teacher’s reprimand?
Conditioned Negative Reinforcer
What is a form of avoidance in which a warning signal precedes the aversive stimulus, such as a fire alarm sounding before smoke spreads, prompting people to exit the building?
Discriminated Avoidance
What type of avoidance occurs without a warning signal, where a behavior prevents an aversive stimulus based on past experience, such as leaving home early to avoid traffic?
Free-Operant Avoidance
What term describes an environmental event that increases the effectiveness of negative reinforcement, such as an increase in temperature making escaping to an air-conditioned room more reinforcing?
Establishing Operation (EO)
What is the term for a stimulus that signals that negative reinforcement is available, such as a teacher’s frown signaling that a student can avoid reprimand by correcting their behavior?
Discriminative Stimulus (SD)
What type of reinforcement occurs when a behavior directly removes an aversive stimulus from the environment, such as rubbing your eyes to relieve itchiness?
Automatic Negative Reinforcement
What is reinforcement that occurs through the actions of another person?
Social Negative Reinforcement
What process weakens behavior by withholding reinforcement, such as ignoring a child’s tantrum instead of giving them attention?
Extinction
What principle states that behavior will persist if it effectively escapes or avoids aversive stimuli?
Negative Reinforcement Principle
What behavioral function often maintains problem behaviors such as aggression or self-injury by allowing the individual to escape or avoid a demand or aversive situation?
Escape
What ethical concern arises when using negative reinforcement?
Use of Aversive Stimuli
What reinforcement strategy strengthens socially acceptable behaviors by allowing escape from an aversive situation, rather than reinforcing problem behaviors like aggression or tantrums?
Differential Negative Reinforcement
What concept explains how negative reinforcement can maintain maladaptive behaviors by allowing a person to avoid an aversive situation, such as a student skipping school to avoid bullying?
Avoidance Learning
What is a potential side effect of negative reinforcement, similar to punishment, that can cause distress or agitation, such as a student becoming frustrated and refusing to work when repeatedly asked to complete a difficult task?
Emotional Responding
What is a key factor in determining the effectiveness of negative reinforcement?
Consistency
