Chapters 1-5 Flashcards
Intro and basic concepts
What are the dimensions of ABA?
Generalizability, Effective, Technological, Applied, Conceptually Systematic, Analytical, Behavioral (See article notes)
3 levels of scientific understanding
Description, Prediction, and Control (p 3)
Empiricism
the practice of objective observation of the phenomena of interest (p 5)
Determinism
Philosophic position that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all events occur as the result of other events (p 5)
Experimentation
Carefully conducted comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest (DV) under two or more different conditions in which only one factor at a time (IV) differs from one condition to another (p 6)
Parsimony
rule out simple, logical explanations before considering more complex or abstract explanations (p 6)
Philosophic Doubt
Continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact (p 6)
Trend
Overall direction taken by a data path. (Direction, degree (steep or gradual), and variability) (2/6)
Level
The value on the vertical axis around which a series of behavioral measures converge (2/6)
Variability
The frequency and extent to which multiple measures of behavior yield different outcomes (2/6)
Functional Relation
Exists when a well controlled experiment reveals that a specific change in one event (DV) can reliably be produced by specific manipulations of another event (IV), and that the change in the dependent variable was unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors (confounding variables) (p 4)
Stimulus class
A group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal, temporal, and/or functional dimensions
Response Class
A group of responses of varying topography, all of which produce the same effect on the environment
Operational definition
Precise description of bx generally described by its common function or topography. Accurate, objective, complete, concise (straightforward), exclusionary criteria
Topography-Based
identifies instances of the target behavior by the shape or form of the behavior.
Reactivity
The effects of an assessment procedure on the behavior being assessed (p 55)
Describe why and how to write an operational definition
How: objective, clear, and complete
Why:
-specific instances are observed and recorded reliably
-accurate and believable evaluation of program effectiveness
-technological-meaning that it enables other to use and replicate it. Also discriminates between what is and what is not an instance (p 65 & 68)
Questions to ask about an operational definition
- Can you score frequency or duration? Yes
- Could a stranger read definition and score R? Yes
- Can definition be reduced to simpler Rs? No
Describe the fundamental dimensions of behavior
Repeatability, Temporal extent, Temporal locus
Repeatability
Countabliltiy; instances can occur repeatedly through time