Defining Target Behaviour

Question 1

-Operational Definition:

Answer 1

a description of variable in terms of operations used to establish or measure that variable

Question 2

interobserver agreement / Interobserver Reliability

Answer 2

when two independent observers can view the definition of the behavior, view the behavior, and agree with the definition of the target behavior

Question 3

Operational Definition characteristics:

Answer 3

• precise
• interobserver reliability: people using the same definitions should reach the same conclusions
• Quantitative
• Objective/unambiguous: not reference internal states, feelings, or motivations
• Practical
• important/Significant

Question 4

category mistake

Answer 4

treating a category label as an instance of a category

• Example:
• Apple, Banana, peach (correct)
• Apple, banana, fruit (incorrect)

Question 5

Measuring Target Behavior

-Behavioral Assessment:

Answer 5

baseline measurement of the target behavior

1. Determine if treatment is necessary and helps you determine the best treatment
2. Determine whether your treatment was successful

Question 6

A-B-A-B Reversal Considerations:

Answer 6

• demonstrates a functional (causal) relationship between the manipulates variable and dependent variable and the dependent variable
• e.g. “Bobs aggressive behavior varies as a function of the teachers demands”
• i.e., “Demands cause aggressive behavior in Bob”

Question 7

Direct vs Indirect Assessment

-Direct Assessment (ideal)

Answer 7

• target behavior is measured as it occurs
• the observer need not be a person, but can also be a camera or some other recording device
• self-monitoring: client is trained to observe their own target behavior. Useful when:
• independent observers are not available
• target behavior is infrequent
• target behavior does not occur in the presence of other people -

Question 8

Indirect Assessment:

Answer 8

(tries to) measure behavior with interviews, questionnaires, and/or rating scales

• may rely on testimony from other people (parents, teachers, etc.)
• requires recall of an individual’s behavior (i.e. behavior is not measured directly)
• concerns:
• testimonials may be biased, inaccurate, unreliable, and/or incomplete

Question 9

Behavioral Recording Plan:

Answer 9

Defining the target behavior

Determining the logistics of recording

Choosing a recording method

Choosing a recording instrument

Question 10

Research Designs

-Populations vs Individuals

Answer 10

-common statistical approaches emphasize average across individuals

-sample mean estimates the true population mean (
μ)
𝝁)

-sample variance: estimate the true pop variance (
σ2
𝝈𝟐

)

Question 11

Follow B.F. Skinner’s advice for internal validity:

Answer 11

-accurately describe the results at the level of each individual subject and then generalize (i.e. average) only when a repeatedly demonstrable truth emerges

Question 12

-Single-Case Designs:

Answer 12

• within-subject research method concerned with discovering the principles and conditions that govern an individual organism. The individual acts as its own control group
• also called the Single-Subjects Design
• NOT the same thing as Case Study

Question 13

-Accuracy

Answer 13

(error reduction / percent correction)

Question 14

-Topography

Answer 14

form that behavior takes, (examining technique when playing an instrument)

Question 15

-Intensity

Answer 15

increase resistance of the action (incorporate dynamics in music)

Question 16

-Latency

Answer 16

the amount of time that has passed before a behavior occurs

Question 17

-Duration

Answer 17

how long it takes to perform the behavior from start to finish

Question 18

-Distribution of behavior (i.e. choice behavior)

Answer 18

choosing a slot machine over another

Question 19

-Rate (amount of behavior / time)

Answer 19

the amount of occurrence of the behavior divided by time

Question 20

-Frequency

Answer 20

counting the number of times the behavior occurs

Question 21

Where to Record / Measure

Answer 21

• Natural Environment – in nature for example
• Analogue Environment – in a laboratory for Example (better control of environment)
• Structured: the observer arranges for specific events or activities to occur during the observation period.
• Unstructured: no specific events or activities are arranged, and no instructions are given during the observation period

Question 22

-Continuous recording

Answer 22

observes the client continuously through the observation period and records each occurrence of the behavior

Question 23

-Real-time recording

Answer 23

method in which the exact time of each onset and offset of the target behavior is recorded. Have a record of the duration and frequency of the behavior

Question 24

-Percentage of Opportunities

Answer 24

the client did the activity as instructed 11 / 15 times for example

Question 25

-Product Recording

Answer 25

also called permanent recording is an indirect assessment method that can be used when a behavior results in a certain tangible outcome that you are interested in. A factory worker could count the number of units assembled in a factory

Question 26

-Interval Recording

Answer 26

is to record whether the behavior occurred during consecutive time periods

Question 27

-Partial-interval recording

Answer 27

the observer scores the interval if the behavior occurred during any part of the interval

Question 28

-Whole-interval recording –

Answer 28

the occurrence of the behavior is marked in an interval only when the behavior occurs throughout the entire interval

Question 29

-frequency-within recording

Answer 29

he observer records the frequency of the target behavior but does so within consecutive intervals of time in the observation period

Question 30

-Time-Sample Recording

Answer 30

you divide the observation period into intervals of time, but you observe and record the behavior during only part of each interval. Time sample is valuable because the person does not have to observe the behavior for the entire interval, rather, the observer records the behavior that occurs during only a portion of the interval or at a specific time interval

Question 31

-Momentary time sample recording

Answer 31

the behavior is only recorded if it occurs at the exact instant the interval ends.

Question 32

Animal Research

-animal research has led to behavioral treatments for:

Answer 32

• depression
• phobia
• dyslexia
• self-injuries behavior
• hyperactivity ‘
• mental retardation
• autism
• brain damage
• Tourette syndrome
• and much more

Question 33

Why do we use Animals?

-control the influence of heredity

Answer 33

3 – Nuremberg Code: the experiment should be designed and based on the results of animal experimentation and a knowledge of the natural history of the disease or other problem under study, that the anticipates results will justify the performance of the experiment

• i.e., know their genetic history
• control the influence of learning
• Practicality
• Need to apply procedures that would be considered unethical with humans

Question 34

Graphing Behavior and Measuring Change

Answer 34

• The primary tool used to document behavior change is the graph
• a graph is visual representation of behavior over time
• the x axis is also called the abscissa
• the y axis is also called the ordinate

Question 35

-independent variable

Answer 35

the manipulated variable

Question 36

-the dependent variable -

Answer 36

the behavior being modified

-the extraneous or third variable, something that was not planned for but affect behavior

Question 37

-multiple-baseline across subject’s design

Answer 37

there is a baseline and treatment phase for the same target behavior of two or more subjects

Question 38

-Multiple baselines across behaviors design

Answer 38

there is a baseline and treatment phase for two or more behaviors of the same subject

Question 39

-multiple baselines across settings design

Answer 39

there is a baseline and treatment phase for two or more settings in which the same behavior of the same subject is measured

-can be used when

You are interested in the same behavior exhibited by multiple subjects

You have targeted more than one behavior of the same subject

You are measuring a subject’s behavior across two or more settings

-and when you cannot use a A-B-A-B design

Question 40

Alternating Treatment Design (ATD)

Answer 40

-also called multi-element design, differs from the other designs in that baseline and treatment conditions (or two treatment conditions) are conducted in rapid succession and compared with each other. For example, treatment is implemented one day and baseline the next day

Question 41

Changing Criterion Design

Answer 41

-typically includes a baseline and a treatment phase. Within the treatment phase, sequential performance criteria are specified; that is, successive goal levels for the target behavior specify how much the target behavior should change during treatment

The occurrence of a particular behavior

Is followed by an immediate consequence

That results in strengthening of the behavior (the person is more likely to engage in the behavior again in the future)