Exam Study Guide Flashcards
Define behavior
that portion of the organisms interaction with its environment that is characterized by detectable displacements in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of the environment
Explain the Dead-Man’s test
the definition of the behavior of an organism restricts the subject matter to the activity of living organisms, so this is a helpful rule of thumb for determining if something is or is not behavior; if a dead man can do it, it probably isn’t behavior
Explain operant class
the set of responses that result in the same consequence; the operant class of one thing may result in several different response topographies; when it comes to an operant class of behavior the consequence is on the function of the behavior or the consequence of a behavior
Explain three-term contingency
the functional relation among the antecedent conditions, the behavior, and the consequences. A = antecedent conditions that come before the behavior, B= the behavior, and C=the consequences that follow the behavior; describes the functional relationships between behavior and the environment (aka environmental events; context and environment)
What is ABC?
Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence; it is the three-term contingency behavior analyst’s most often look for
What are some other variables (besides what you are measuring) that could affect a client’s behavior?
illness, medication, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, needing to use the bathroom
Compare and contrast voluntary and involuntary
voluntary (aka operant) subject to operant conditioning
involuntary (aka respondent) is all behavior that is reflexive or autonomic and is not learned through consequence
Compare and contrast covert vs overt
covert (aka private behaviors, private events) activities observable only to the individual engaging in the activity
overt (aka public behaviors, public events) activities that are observable to another individual
Compare and contrast direct observation and indirect observation
direct observation - methods for objectively observing and measuring behavior; looking for how environmental events effect behavior; includes continuous and discontinuous procedures
indirect or self-report observation - observer relies on an individual’s memory of the behavior; includes permanent product recording
Provide some problems with self-report observation
people can be very inaccurate in their memories; people don’t know why they behave the way they do; people don’t use the correct terminology and can end up using circular reasoning to explain their behavior
Describe a behavioral assessment
the approach to validly observing, measuring, and recording behavior; the goals are to use observation and measurement techniques that can guide scientifically and ethically sound decisions
What are the four characteristics of a good measurement system of a behavioral assessment?
Sensitive, objective, reliable, valid
Describe the operational definition of behavior
(aka behavioral definition) a statement that specifies exactly what behavior to observe; a statement or definition that specifies exactly what behavior to observe; provides an accurate description of the target behavior; should include objective terms, be unambiguous, and be clear about which responses should be included and which should not be included, will enable countable or measurable behavioral data, a stranger will easily be able to see the behavior when it occurs; will be specific enough that it cannot be broken down into smaller behaviors
Describe permanent product recording
a form of indirect measurement; collect data from the permanent products produced by a behavior rather than collecting data by observing behavior itself; looking at the product or result of the behavior; main weakness is that it does not always guarantee that the specific individual engaged in the behavior (somebody else could have produced the product instead)
Compare and contrast continuous vs discontinuous
Continuous - record all instances of behavior
Discontinuous - sample from all possible occurrences of behavior
What are the procedures for continuous measurements of behavior?
Frequency, duration, latency, intensity
Describe frequency recording
(aka event recording) recording every instance of a response; continuous recording of separate instances of behavior as they occur; useful if the behavior is of uniform duration
Describe duration recording
measuring the entire amount of time that the target behavior is performed; best suited for continuous, ongoing responses rather than short duration behaviors; works best if the onset and offset of the behavior is easy to see; could be used for teaching social skills (ie hugging)
Describe latency recording
the amount of time that elapses between the onset of a specific event and the target response; appropriate when the relationship between a certain event and the initiation of a specific response if of interest
Describe intensity recording
(aka magnitude recording) involves measures of strength, amplitude force, or effort of a response, useful if the volume of a response is of concern
Compare and contrast frequency, duration, latency, and intensity recording procedures
frequency - records every instance
duration - records how long it lasts
latency - records the space between the onset of an event and the target response
intensity - records the strength of a response
When might discontinuous measuring procedures be preferable over continuous measuring procedures?
When continuous recording procedures are infeasible or impossible
Describe interval recording
The observation session is dividing into time periods of equal length and the time periods are contiguous; uses shorter intervals (ie 10 seconds). Useful for nonuniform behavior (difficult to clearly see the beginning and end of the response). The observer simply records the occurrence of nonoccurrence of the behavior during the interval.
Name the two types of interval recording
Whole-interval (WIR) and partial-interval (PIR)
What is WIR
whole-interval recording
What is PIR
partial-interval recording
Describe whole-interval recording
an occurrence is recorded only if the target behavior occurs for the entire interval (ie participation during circle time); a nonoccurrence is recording if a response either does not occur during the interval or does not last for the entire duration of the interval; tends to underestimate the occurrence of behavior
Describe partial-interval recording
an occurrence is scored if the target behavior occurs at any point during the interval; a single occurrence is recording for that interval even if the target behavior occurs more than once; if a single response begins at the end of one interval and continues into the next interval a single response is scored for both intervals; a nonoccurrence is scored if the target behavior does not occur in any part of the interval; tends to overestimate the duration of a target behavior but underestimate its rate of occurrence
Describe momentary-time sampling
observation periods are divided into equal intervals but an occurrence or nonoccurrence of the target behavior is recorded only at the end of each interval; useful for observing and measuring multiple target behaviors of a single individual as well as target behaviors of multiple individuals in the same setting
Compare and contrast whole-interval recording, partial-interval recording, and momentary-time sampling
whole-interval recording - occurrence recorded if the target behavior occurs for the entire interval
partial-interval recording - occurrence recorded if the target behavior occurs at any point during the interval
momentary-time sample - occurrence recording only if the target behavior occurs at the end of the interval
Describe reinforcement
the procedure that underlies every skills acquisition program, refers to the procedure where a stimulus is either presented or removed after a response resulting in an increase in some aspect of that behavior
Describe positive reinforcement
occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior in similar conditions
Describe negative reinforcement
occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior in similar conditions
Describe schedules of reinforcement
a rule specifying the environmental arrangements and response requirements for reinforcement; a description of a contingency of reinforcement
Compare and contrast positive and negative reinforcement
positive - adding a reinforcer
negative - removing a reinforcer
Compare and contrast unconditioned and conditioned reinforcers
Unconditioned reinforcer – (aka primary) any stimulus or event that has biological importance and serves as a consequence to increase the probability of behavior immediately preceding its delivery, eg food water oxygen warmth sexual stimulation; necessary to the survival of an organism
Conditioned reinforcer – (aka secondary) any stimulus or event that was initially a neutral stimulus or even that has acquired reinforcing capabilities through pairing with another reinforcer,eg money praise stickers tokens, etc; obtain reinforcing capabilities through learning
What are the different schedules of reinforcement?
continuous reinforcement (CRF)
Intermittent reinforcement
Extinction (EXT)
What are the different types of intermittent reinforcement?
Ratio schedule
Interval schedule
Compare and contrast continuous reinforcement, intermittent reinforcement, and extinction
Continuous (CRF) – reinforces every response
Intermittent – some responses are reinforced; makes it more likely that behavior is maintained over time
Extinction (EXT) – no responses are reinforced; useful if the goal is to decrease the target behavior
Compare and contrast ratio schedules and interval schedules
Ratio schedules – a certain number of responses must occur before a reinforcer is delivered
Interval schedules – a reinforcement schedule in which a reinforcer is delivered contingent on the first response after a certain amount of time
Define extinction burst
an increase in the frequency of responding when an extinction procedure is initially implemented
Define spontaneous recovery
a behavioral effect associated with extinction in which the behavior suddenly begins to occur after its frequency has decreased to its prereinforcement level or stopped entirely
Describe a stimulus preference assessment
a variety of procedures that are designed to determine what an individual’s preferred stimuli are, and to determine the relative preference value of those stimuli in relation to each other (which are more and which are less preferred)
Define preference hierarchy
ranked list of most preferred to least preferred stimuli; useful to determining which stimuli might function as reinforcers
Compare and contrast between direct and indirect preference assessments
Indirect preference assessments – do not involve directly observing the client’s behavior; includes surveys, checklists, and interviews
Direct preference assessments – involve measuring the client’s behavior
What are the two main types of preference assessments?
Free-operant, trial-based
Describe free-operant preference assessment
observing with what stimuli the client interacts, can be conducted in a natural or contrived setting; provided with free, continuous access to stimuli during timed sessions; the client is free to interact with whatever stimuli for however long they want; the RBT records the duration of engagement with each stimulus; may not reveal as much information as other preference assessments
Describe trial-based preference assessment
require the RBT to present stimuli and record the client’s behavior across several trials
What are the different types of trial-based preference assessments?
Single-stimulus
Paired-choice (PC)
Multiple stimulus (MS)
Multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO)
Describe a single-stimulus preference assessment
a range of potential stimuli are identified; a single stimulus is presented to the client, the RBT records whether the client approaches the stimulus, then every other stimulus is presented individually, multiple times, the total number of approaches is recording and dividing by the total number of presentations to get a percentage
Describe a paired-choice (PC) preference assessment
(aka forced choice) the RBT identifies stimuli to include in the assessment, the RBT then presents two stimuli together in a pair and asks the client to choose one, another pair of stimuli is then presented; this process continues until each stimuli is presented with each other stimuli; the RBT then calculates a percentage by dividing the number of times the item was selected by the number of times it was presented
Describe a multiple stimulus (MS) preference assessment
a range of potential stimuli are identified, all stimuli are presented together in an array, the client is instructed to choose an item, all stimuli are replaced in the array and the array is shuffled for the next trial; can be conducted more rapidly
Describe a multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment
stimuli are identified, all of the stimuli are presented in an array, the individual is instructed to choose, the first stimulus is scored with a one for most preferred, the chosen stimulus is not replaced, the remaining stimuli are shuffled and the client is asked to choose again, this repeats until all of the stimuli are chosen or the client stops choosing
Compare and contrast single-stimulus, paired-choice, multiple stimulus, and MSWO preference assessments
single-stimulus - each stimulus presented one at a time
paired-choice - each stimulus presented in a pair and rotated out so each stimulus is paired with each other stimulus
multiple stimulus - all stimuli are presented in an array, and each one that is chosen is replaced for each trial
MSWO - all stimuli are presented in an array but each stimulus is not replaced once it has been chosen
Describe a reinforcer assessment
a contrived situation where a preferred stimulus follows a contingency of behavior reliably over of time and the frequency of the behavior is measured to see if it increases
Define behavioral repertoire
all of the behaviors that the individual is capable of performing
What is a skill acquisition plan?
a plan put together by a BCBA that includes individualized assessments (curriculum-based, developmental, social skills), written goal of target behavior, step-by-step teaching procedure, error correction, mastery criterion, teaching materials and reinforcers, individualized based on the unique needs of the client
Name the common components of a skill acquisition plan
attending, receptive language, imitation, expressive language, matching task, additional goals: play, social, and academic skills
Define a prompt
a supplementary stimulus used to increase the probability of the desired response or behavior occurring; signal how to perform a behavior or when a behavior should occur; can be instructional and used to teach the client how to perform a skill or as an indicator for when the skill is or is not appropriate in the context
Name the types of prompts
verbal, gestural, model, textual, pictorial, proximal, physical
Name the types of physical prompts
full-physical, partial-physical
Compare and Contrast the types of prompts
verbal - uses words, verbal instructions
gestural - uses gestures, typically pointing
model - the RBT models the correct behavior to elicit the client to copy; can sometimes resemble verbal or gestural; usually begins with “do this”
textual - written or printed instructions
pictorial - pictures or images, usually used for complex sequences
physical prompts - physically guiding the correct reponse
Compare and contrast full-physical and partial-physical prompting
full-physical - the RBT performs the skill with the client and ensures that they cannot emit anything but the correct response
partial-physical - the RBT does not perform the skill with the client but uses physical touch to try to elicit the correct response
Define prompt hierarchy
when prompts are arranged along a continuum of intrusiveness or level of assistance; the less independent the response, the more assistance the RBT provides
Describe prompt fading
a technique of eliminating prompts while maintaining client performance
Name the prompt fading strategies
errorless teaching (aka most-to-least prompting), least-to-most prompting, time delay, graduated guidance
Compare and contrast errorless teaching (aka most-to-least prompting), least-to-most prompting, time delay, graduated guidance
Errorless teaching (most-to-least prompting) – a strategy in which prompts are arranged in a hierarchy of most-to-least; the RBT begins with the most assistive prompt level to ensure the client will emit the correct response and experience reinforcement; the benefit is that it avoids the client emitting an incorrect responses Least-to-most prompting – a reverse prompting hierarchy is used, the RBT uses the least amount of assistance to give the client a chance to respond Time delay prompting – an effective prompt level is chosen (which provides enough assistance) and this prompt is provided immediately after a time delay; gradually the time delay is increased until a independent response occurs and the prompt is eliminated Graduated guidance – provides as much assistance as needed to ensure success at each step; the RBT provides more assistance if the client struggles but less if the client is making progress
Define behavior chain
a complex behavior consisting of many component behaviors that occur in a sequence
Define chaining
the use of prompting strategies to train component behaviors in a chain and then link them together
What are the steps of chaining complex behaviors?
- Task analysis
- Identify the terminal reinforcer
- Choose an appropriate chaining strategy
Define task analysis
process of breaking down complex behaviors into smaller teachable units, specifies both the component behaviors and sequence
Define the terminal reinforcer
the reinforcer for completing the whole behavior the chain; either the natural reinforcer the is the direct result of completing the chain and a contrived reinforcer that is delivered by the RBT
Define forward chaining
A chaining method where component behaviors are taught in sequence beginning with the first link; the RBT teaches one link at a time using prompting strategies and reinforcement; when a link is learned the RBT begins teaching the next link in the sequence
Define backward chaining
a chaining method where links are taught in sequence beginning with the last behavior in the chain
Define total task presentation
chaining method where the client progresses through all step of the chain each time; prompting often takes the form of graduated guidance and the RBT uses the least necessary prompt at each level
Compare and contrast forward chaining, backward chaining, and total task presentation
forward - taught in sequence from first to last, one step at a time
backward - taught in reverse, one step at a time
total task presentation - entire task taught at once using graduated guidance to prompt the client
Define stimulus control
a response occurs more frequently in the presence of one stimulus than in the presence of another stimulus
Define discrimination training
the procedure where responses are reinforced in the presence of one stimulus but not in the presence of another stimulus
the procedure where responses are reinforced in the presence of the discriminative stimulus but not in the presence of the delta stimulus
requires one behavior, 2 antecedent stimulus conditions: responses are only reinforced in the presence of the SD and NOT in the presence of the S delta
Define discriminative stimulus (SD)
a stimulus in the presence of which responses of some type have been reinforced and in the absence of which the same type of responses have occurred and not been reinforced
Define stimulus delta
a stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has not produced reinforcement in the past (responding is under extinction)
Define stimulus fading
gradual removal of usually artificial prompts ; a maximal to minimal prompting procedure used to force independence from supplemental prompts; response and reinforcers usually remain constant while the prompts are removed
Define discrete trial teaching
method where tasks are broken down into short, simple trials; a structured approach to teaching; skills are broken down into smaller component and taught to mastery; commonly used for prerequisite and early communication skills; consists of a series of trials which is a single cycle of behaviorally-based instruction; it has a definite beginning and end
Compare and contrast discrete trial teaching and free operant
dtt - a single cycle of behaviorally-based instruction that is highly structured and has a clear beginning and ending
free operant - instructional situation where the reate of free-operant behavior is not dependent on any instruction or prompts
Described the components of discrete trial teaching
- presenting an instruction
- provides a temporary prompt if necessary
- waits for target behavior to occur
- reinforcer delivered immediately after occurrence-ends with a brief pauses called inter-trial interval (only a few seconds)
What are the benefits of discrete trial teaching?
- fast-paced instruction
- maximizes number of learning opportunities
- structured environment that reduces distractions and provides the RBT with more control over the instruction
Define prompt dependency
when the client waits passively for the prompt rather than performing the target behavior independently
Define generalization
responding in a variety of contexts
Define response generalization
the form of the response varies; being able to achieve the same goal in a variaty of ways
Define stimulus generalization
the response occurs in contexts that resemble the training context
Define overgeneralization
behavior occurs in the presence of new stimuli that are similar but do not share the important or relevant feature
Name the generalization strategies
- train and hope
- sequential modification
- natural contingencies
- multiple exemplars
- train loosely
- indiscriminable contingencies
- program common stimuli
What is train and hope?
A generalization method where the RBT trains a behavior and hopes it generalizes
What is sequential modification?
a generalization method that involves testing for generalization and directly training the response in all the contexts to which it does not automatically generalize ; the training takes the same form the original training but the procedures are modified to include features of the new context
What is natural contingencies?
A generalization method that involves bringing the behavior into contact with the naturally occurring contingencies
What is multiple exemplars?
A generalization method where generalization is built into the skill acquisition from the start by planning to train the response in a variety of contexts in the presence of a variety of stimuli
What is train loosely?
A generalization method that allows the training context to vary; allowing things to change across teaching sessions
What is indiscriminable contingencies?
A generalization method that involves programming schedules of reinforcement that are less predictable
What is program common stimuli?
A generalization method where stimuli from the generalization context is used
Define maintenance
when a behavior persists over time
What are the two forms of generalization?
- response generalization
- stimulus generalization
Compare and contrast discrete trial teaching and naturalistic teaching (NET)
dtt - useful in teaching skills; structured environment; clear beginning and ending
NET - teaching is applied in client’s natural environments; less structured; use naturally occurring motivation
Describe naturalistic teaching procedures
the interaction between a teacher and a client in an unstructured situation in which the teacher uses the student’s naturally occurring motivation to give the student practice in developing a skill; entails embedding teaching strategies within ongoing activities; used for teaching language skills, imitation, academic skills, and leisure skills
What are 2 NET procedures?
- activity-based instruction
- incidental teaching
Described activity-based instruction
the rbt implements instructions and task demands within an ongoing activity in which the client is already engaged
Describe incidental teaching
a form of NET which uses the child’s motivation to facilitate language acquisition in naturally occurring settings; begins when a client shows interest in some stimulus in the environment
; the client initiates the learning opportunity
What is the purpose of a functional assessment?
to identify the cause of an undesirable behavior so that an appropriate intervention can be chosen; the purpose is to determine what function a behavior serves or why it occurs regardless of what it looks like or its topography
What is a social reinforcer?
a consequence that is provided by someone else, ie attention, tangible, escape (or avoiding something)
What is an automatic reinforcer?
a consequence that occurs as a direct of a behavior; ie sensory stimulation, pain attenuation (reducing or eliminating pain)
What are the three types of fuunctional assessments?
indirect assessments - informal interviews, questionnaires, etc with someone who knows the client
descriptive assessments - observation of behavior in natural context (in a narrative recording); ABC recording
functional analysis - observation of behavior under controlled conditions
Describe a functional analysis
experimental analysis of function; it tests contingencies to watch for target behavior; makes the target behavior occur at a high rate to identify the reinforcer that maintains the behavior
What are the experimental conditions of a functional analysis?
- attention
- escape
- tangible
- alone/ignore
- control/play
Why may a behavior be labelled undesirable?
it occurs in inappropriate contexts, interferes with learning, or cause distress or harm to an individual
Name the methods for reducing undesired behavior
- healthy contingencies
- behavior plans
- manipulating motivating operations
- stimulus control
- noncontingent reinforcement
What are healthy contingencies?
a preventative strategy and a broad nontargeted method for reducing problem behavior; a strategy in which rbts avoid reinforcing behavior that should not occur; involves structuring the environment to provide reinforcement
What are the strategies for dealing with problem behaviors (re healthy contingencies)?
- do not provide more or different attention than prior to the behavior occurring
- do not remove the demand or task materials; follow through
- do not provide access to any tangible items until a more appropriate behavior occurs
What is a behavior support plan?
A document that outlines strategies for reducing problem behaviors
What are motivating operations?
an environmental stimulus change that changes the value of a reinforcer and changes the likelihood of behavior that has resulted in obtaining that reinforcer in the past; conversely having access to something can decrease it’s value
Define satiation
when an RBT provides access to a reinforcer for a period of time before a session so that the disruptive behavior does not occur during teaching sessions
What are salient signals?
Stimuli that are used to indicate the the learner when it is appropriate to engage in certain behaviors
Describe the principle of contingency
the effectiveness of a reinforcer is dependent on a contingent relation between response and consequence
What is noncontingent reinforcement (NCR)?
a method for reducing problem behavior that disrupts the contingent relationship between the behavior and the consequence
Describe extinction
the procedure where reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued;
provided zero probability of reinforcement;
What are the procedural and functional forms of extinction?
procedural - ignoring
functional - withholding maintaining reinforcers
What is escape extinction?
behaviors maintained with negative reinforcement are placed on escape extinction when those behaviors are not followed by termination of the aversive stimulus; must follow through with demands
What is extinction by automatic reinforcement?
reinforcement that is produced by the behavior itself
what is sensory extinction?
the process by which behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement are placed on extinction by masking or removing the sensory consequence
Define differential reinforcement
reinforcing one response class and withholding reinforcement for another response class
What are the two main components of differential reinforcement?
1 providing reinforcement contingent on either the occurrence of a behavior other than the problem behavior or the problem behavior occurring at a reduced rate
2 withholding reinforcement as much as possible for the problem behavior
What is differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA)?
reinforcing an alternative to the unwanted behavior while withholding reinforcement from the unwanted behavior
What is differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI)?
reinforcing a response that cannot be emitted simultaneously with the unwanted behavior, while withholding reinforcement from the unwanted behavior
What is differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO?)
reinforcement of the absence, omission, or non-occurence of the target behavior
What is whole-interval DRO?
a reinforcer is delivered at the end of an interval during which the individual has not engaged in the target behavior
What is momentary DRO?
reinforcers are delivered at the end of an interval provided the target response is not occurring at that moment
Compare and contrast whole-interval DRO and momentary DRO
whole-interval DRO: target behavior absent completely between time 1 and time 2 -> reinforcement
momentary DRO: target behavior absent at the moment when the interval is over -> reinforcement
What is functional communication training (FCT)?
a special type of DRO that teaches communication response to access same reinforcer as undesired behavior; teaches an appropriate communication response to access the reinforcer
What is self-injurious behavior (SIB)?
any of a number of behavior by which the individual produces damage or their own body; scratching, biting, head banging, punching, face slapping, pinching
What is aggressive behaviors?
harmful behaviors targeted towards others; includes scratching, biting, punching, slapping, pinching, kicking
When does a behavioral crissi occur?
when an individual’s behavior reaches dangerous levels that place the individual or others in danger of harm
compare and contrast restrain and seclusion
restraint - physically holding or securing the individual
seclusion - involves isolating an individual from others to interrupt and intervene with problem behavior that places the individual or others at risk of harm
What are the agencies that adopted policies about the use of restrain and seclusion?
aaidd (american association on intellectual and developmental disabilities),
council for exceptional children, american psychological association,
abai,
apba (association of professional behavior analysts)
What are the guiding principles for restraint and seclusion?
1 the welfare of the individual served is the highest priority 2 individuals (and parents/guardians) have a right to choose 3 the principle of least restrictiveness (the least restrictive treatment is defined as that treatment that affords the most favorable risk to benefit ratio; with specific consideration of probability of treatment success; anticipated duration of treatment; distress caused by procedures; and distress caused by behaviors themselves)
Where will you find restrictive procedures for a client?
in the behavior intervention plan
when should restrictive procedures be implemented?
these procedures should be considered only for dangerous or harmful behavior that occurs at unpredictable times that make the behavior not amenable to less restrictive behavioral treatment interventions and that place the individual or others at risk of significant injury or loss of life
