Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Flashcards
What is science?
A systematic approach for seeking and organising knowledge about the natural world.
What are the basic characteristics of science?
Description, prediction, control
What is description (characteristic of science)?
A collection of facts about observed events, which can then be quantified, classified, and examined for possible relations with other facts.
In other words, systematic observation enhances the understanding of a given phenomenon by enabling scientists to describe it accurately.
What is prediction (characteristic of science)?
When two or more events occur together reliably, the occurrence of one event predicts the likelihood of the other occurring.
What is control (characteristic of science)?
Allows us to demonstrate functional relations.
When do functional relations exist?
Functional relations exist when a well-controlled experiment reveals that a specific change in one event can be reliably produced by specific manipulations of another event, and that the change in the dependent variable was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors.
What are the attitudes of science?
Determinism, empiricism, experimentation, replication, parsimony, philosophic doubt.
What is determinism?
The universe is a lawful and orderly place, in which all phenomena occurs as a result of other events.
What is empiricism?
The practice of objective observation of the phenomena of interest.
What is experimentation?
A carefully conducted comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time differs from one condition to another.
What is replication?
Repeating an experiment, with the same pattern of findings each time. A method used to determine the reliability and usefulness of finding and discovering mistakes.
What is Parsimony?
Requires that all simple, logical explanations for the phenomenon under investigation be ruled out first before complex or abstract explanations are considered.
What is philosophic doubt?
Requires continuous questioning of the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact.
What are the dimensions of ABA?
Applied, behavioural, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, generality
What is applied (a dimension of ABA)?
Investigates socially significant behaviours with immediate importance to the participant.
What is behavioural (a dimension of ABA)?
Precise measurement of behaviour that needs improvement, and documents that it was actually the participant’s behaviour that changed.
What is analytic (a dimension of ABA)?
Demonstrates experimental control over the occurrence and non-occurrence of the behaviour. A functional relations is demonstrated.
What is technological (a dimension of ABA)?
The written description of all procedures used in the study is sufficiently complete and detailed to enable others to replicate it.
What is conceptual systematic (dimension of ABA)?
Behaviour change interventions are derived from basic principles of behaviour.
What is effective (dimension of ABA)?
Improves behaviour sufficiently to produce practical results for the participant or client. Must be clinical or socially significant.
What is generality (dimension of ABA)?
Produces behaviour changes that last over time, appear in other environments, or spread to other behaviours.
What are the additional characteristics of ABA?
Accountable, doable, public, optimistic, empowering.
What are the three branches of ABA?
Behaviourism, EAB, ABA
What is behaviour in general (in broader sense)?
Everything that we can do.
What is behaviour in ABA perspective?
The interaction of a live organism with its environment which involves movements of an organism through time and space and results in a measurable change in the environment.
What does behaviour usually refer to?
A large set of responses that share certain functions or topographies.
What is a response?
A response is a single instance of behaviour.
What is response topography?
The physical shape or form of behaviour.
What is functional analysis?
Identifying the function of a behaviour and their effects on the environment.
What is a response class?
A set of behaviours that share the same function (each response produces the same effect on the environment).
What does the environment include?
Everything except the moving parts of the organism involved in the behaviour.
What is a stimuli?
Particular aspects of the environment.
What terms can stimuli be described as?
By its form, function, or temporal location.
What is temporal location?
When the stimuli occur in relation to the behaviour (can be antecedents or consequences).
What is a stimulus class?
A group of stimuli that share the same form, function, or temporal location.
What are the three term contingencies?
Antecedents -> Behaviour -> Consequences