Exam 1 Flashcards
What is behavior, generally and technically?
Generally: anything a person says or does
Technically: any muscular, glandular, or electrical activity of an organism
Synonyms for behavior
activity, action, performance, responding, response, reaction
Overt behaviors
visible behaviors that could be observed and recorded
Covert behaviors
private, internal behaviors, that cannot readily be observed
Cognitive behaviors
imagining and private self-talk
Duration of behavior
length of time the behavior lasts
Frequency of behavior
number of time the behavior occurs in a given time period
Intensity/force of behavior
amount of energy or effort involved in emitting the behavior
What are three disadvantages of using summary labels?
May lead to false explanations for behavior
Can affect how the individual is treated
May direct our attention to a persons problem behaviors instead of their strengths
Behavioral deficit
too little of a behavior
Behavioral excess
too much of a behavior
Stimuli
the people, objects, and events currently present in one’s immediate surroundings that can affect behavior
Behavior modification
systematic application of learning principles and techniques to assess and improve individuals’ covert and overt behaviors in order to enhance their daily functioning
target behavior
behavior to be improved
Behavioral assessment
collection and analysis of information and data in order to identify and describe target behaviors, identify possible causes of the behavior, guide the selection of an appropriate behavioral treatment, and evaluate treatment outcome
Behavior analysis
the scientific study of laws that govern behavior of human beings and other animals
Behavior therapy
behavior modification carried out on dysfunctional behavior
Cognitive behavior therapy
treating dysfunctional behavior by changing unproductive, debilitating thought patterns that were considered to be responsible for the dysfunctional behavior
Health psychology
considers how psychological factors can influence or cause illness and how people can be encouraged to practice healthy behavior to prevent health problems
Community psychology
applications to socially significant problems in unstructured community settings where the behavior of individuals is not considered deviant in the traditional sense
Organizational behavior management
the application of behavioral principles and methods to the study and control of individual or group behavior within organizational settings
Baseline
the observation phase prior to the reinforcement program
Positive reinforcer
a stimulus that, when presented immediately following a behavior, causes the behavior to increase in frequency
Principle of a positive reinforcer
if, in a given situation, somebody does something that is followed immediately by a positive reinforcer, then that person is more likely to do that same thing again
Operant behavior
behaviors that operate on the environment to generate consequences that are in turn influenced by those consequence