Chapters 1 and 2: Basics

Question 1

DETERMINISM

Answer 1

Scientific attitude that all events, including human behavior, are determined by causes external to the will.

Question 2

EMPIRICISM

Answer 2

Scientific attitude that all knowledge is derived from objective observation of phenomena.

Question 3

EXPERIMENTATION

Answer 3

Scientific attitude that causal relations are derived from the comparison of some objective measure of a phenomenon under at least two conditions.

Question 4

PHILOSOPHIC DOUBT

Answer 4

Scientific attitude that continuously questions what is considered fact.

Question 5

PARSIMONY

Answer 5

Scientific attitude considering simple answers prior to kore complex and abstract ones.

Question 6

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #1
APPLIED

Answer 6

Practice must be APPLIED, in that it addresses changes in behavior that are important to the individual whose behavior is targeted for change.

Question 7

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #2
BEHAVIORAL

Answer 7

Must be BEHAVIORAL in that it focuses on observable changes in behavior rather than what is said about behavior.

Question 8

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #3
ANALYTIC

Answer 8

The practice must be ANALYTIC: it must focus on a clear demonstration of the relation between particular aspects of the environment and changes in behavior.

Question 9

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #4
TECHNOLOGICAL

Answer 9

ABA is TECHNOLOGICAL, as all procedures are described with such detail that they can be implemented by others with limited training in behavior analysis.

Question 10

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #5
SYSTEMATIC

Answer 10

ABA is conceptually SYSTEMATIC in that procedures are derived from and conceptually linked to established principles of behavior analysis.

Question 11

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #6
EFFECTIVE

Answer 11

ABA is EFFECTIVE, as practitioners are expected to seek improvements that have a “practical value.”

Question 12

DIMENSIONS OF ABA #7
GENERALITY

Answer 12

ABA possesses GENERALITY in that improvements are expected to persist over time and across contexts.

Question 13

CLASSICAL (OR RESPONDENT) CONDITIONING

Answer 13

When a neutral stimulus (NS) is presented just before an unconditioned stimulus (US) to elicit an unconditioned response (UR). After repeated presentations, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) and the response becomes a conditioned response (CR).

(Pavlov’s bell and salivation)

Question 14

NEUTRAL STIMULUS (NS)

Answer 14

A stimulus that does not elicit a respondent behavior.

Question 15

UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS (US)

Answer 15

A stimulus that elicits a respondent behavior without prior conditioning.

Question 16

UNCONDITIONED RESPONSE (UR)

Answer 16

Respondent behavior elicited by an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 17

CONDITIONED STIMULUS (CS)

Answer 17

Stimulus that elicits a respondent behavior due to pairing with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 18

CONDITIONED RESPONSE (CR)

Answer 18

A respondent behavior elicited by a conditioned stimulus.

Question 19

RESPONDENT EXTINCTION

Answer 19

Repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus, resulting in a gradual decrease in the respondent behavior.

Question 20

OPERANT BEHAVIORS

Answer 20

Those that occur because of a history of consequences: broadly, ACCESS and AVOIDANCE.

Question 21

THREE-TERM CONTINGENCY

Answer 21

ANTECEDENT-BEHAVIOR-CONSEQUENCE

S-R-S

Question 22

REINFORCEMENT

Answer 22

When a response, followed immediately and contingently by a stimulus, is strengthened in the future (response occurs longer, more often, or with more intensity).

Question 23

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

Answer 23

The contingent presentation of a stimulus.

Question 24

NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT

Answer 24

The contingent and immediate removal of a stimulus.

Question 25

PUNISHMENT

Answer 25

When a response, followed immediately and contingently by a stimulus, is weakened or occurs less frequently in the future. (A relationship between a stimulus and its effect on future behavior.)

Question 26

POSITIVE PUNISHMENT

Answer 26

When an aversive stimulus is presented contingent upon the occurrence of a behavior and, as a result, some characteristic of the behavior is weakened in the future.

Question 27

NEGATIVE PUNISHMENT

Answer 27

The removal of a preferred stimulus contingent on a behavior that also results in a weakening in the future occurrence of that behavior.

Question 28

DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS

Answer 28

A signaling antecedent that comes to control a response because it has been present when the response was reinforced in the past.

Question 29

STIMULUS CONTROL

Answer 29

Presentation of an antecedent stimulus, then immediate reinforcement of either the naturally occurring response or a prompted response.

Question 30

FUNCTIONS OF THE ANTECEDENT STIMULUS

Answer 30

1. Can signal availability of reinforcers for a particular response.
2. Can strengthen or weaken the value of the reinforcer.

Question 31

MOTIVATING OPERATIONS (MO)

Answer 31

Environmental variables that alter the current frequency of behavior previously reinforced by that particular reinforcer.

Question 32

ESTABLISHING OPERATIONS

Answer 32

MOs which have an establishing effect on reinforcers, resulting in an evocative effect on behavior.

Question 33

ABOLISHING OPERATIONS

Answer 33

MOs which serve to abolish stimuli as reinforcers, resulting in an abative effect on behavior.

Question 34

UNCONDITIONED MOTIVATING OPERATIONS

Answer 34

MOs likely to affect the behavior of most individuals and include food/water deprivation, sleep deprivation, oxygen deprivation, pain/heat/cold.

Question 35

CONDITIONED MOTIVATING OPERATIONS

Answer 35

MOs that are conditioned across an individual’s lifetime

Question 36

DISTINGUISHING THE SD FROM THE MO

Answer 36

SD signals that a response will result in a desired outcome (signals availability).
MO increases or decreases a reinforcer value at a particular time.