Foundations Concepts And Principles Of Behavior Analysis Flashcards
Behavior
Behavior is everything that an organism does. The interaction of the muscles, glands or other parts of a live organism with the environment
Public behavior
Behavior that can be observed by others even though special instrumentation may be required at times
Private behavior
Behavior that cannot be observed by others; it is only accessible to the organism who was engaging in the private event
Response
A specific instance of behavior
Response cycle
The beginning, middle, and end of a response
Property
A fundamental quality of a natural phenomenon
Fundamental properties
Temporal Locus, temporal extent, repeatability
Temporal locus
A single response occurs in time
Temporal extent
A response occupies time
Repeatability
A response can reoccur
Dimensional quantities
The quantifiable aspect of a property
Latency
The amount of time between a stimulus and response
Duration
The amount of time between the beginning and the end of a response cycle
Countability
The number of responses or number of cycles of the response class
Inter-response time (IRT)
The time between two successive responses
Rate
The ratio of the number of responses over some period of time
Celleration
Change in rate overtime
Topography
Configuration, form, or shape of a response
Function
The effects or results of a response on the environment
Response class
A grouping of individual actions or responses that share those commonalities included in the class definition
Topographical response class
A collection of two or more responses which share a common form
Functional response class
A collection of two or more topographically different responses that all have the same effect on the environment, usually producing a specific class of reinforcers
Environment
The total constellation of stimuli and conditions which can affect behavior
Environmental context
Consist of the situation (set of circumstances) in which behavior occurs at any given time
Stimulus
A change in the environment which can affect behavior
Antecedent
A stimulus which precedes occurs before a response
Consequence
A stimulus which follows a response
Stimulus class
A group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal, temporal, and/or functional dimensions
Functional relation
Changes in an antecedent or consequent stimulus class consistently alter a dimension of a response class
Science
A systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world
Goals of science
Prediction and control
Natural science
Empirical phenomena; direct observation and measurement of phenomena or it’s permanent products
Social science
Hypothetical construct southside of the natural realm; indirect observation and measurement
Philosophical assumptions
Determinism, empiricism, parsimony, philosophical doubt, pragmatism, experimentation
Determinism
The universe is a lawful an orderly place
Empiricism
Objective observation with thorough description and quantification of the phenomena of interest, behavior
Experimentation
Systematic manipulation of an independent variable
Replication
Repeating any part of an experiment
Requires that all simple, logical explanations for the phenomena of interest be ruled out experimentally before more complex or abstract explanations are considered
Parsimony
Philosophical doubt
Continually question the truthfulness of what is regarded as fact
Pragmatism
Assesses the truth of theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application
Behaviorism
The philosophy or worldview underlying behavior analysis. Posits that behavior is the subject matter of our science
Radical behaviorism
Skinners philosophy of the science of human behavior. Most influential type of behavior is in for guiding the science and practice of behavior analysis
Determinants of behavior
Causes of behavior; probabilistic
Selection
The process in which repeated cycles occur of variation, interaction with the environment, and differential replication as a function of the interaction
Cultural selection
Cultural practices evolve as they contribute to the success of the practicing group
Temporal contiguity
The nearness of events in time
Contingency
A dependency between events
Types of contingencies
SS contingencies (pairing)
RS contingencies
SRS contingencies, the three term contingency
Basic operations
Direct observation, repeated measures, graph data, manipulation, systematic evaluation, analysis and interpretation
Consequential operation (+)
Contingently present a stimulus immediately after the response
Consequential operation (-)
Contingently remove a stimulus immediately after the response
Learning
A relatively permanent change in the behavior as a result of experience
Reflex
A simple relation between an antecedent stimulus and a reflex response
Elicit
To strongly, consistently, and reliably evoke
Unconditioned reflex
A simple relation between a specific stimulus and the specific innate, involuntary response
Unconditioned stimulus
A stimulus which elicits an unconditioned response without prior learning
Unconditioned response
A response which is elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior learning
Habituation
A temporary reduction in a reflex response due to repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus
Adaptation
A reduction in the frequency or magnitude of a response or a set of responses as a result of prolonged exposure to a stimulus or an environmental context
Potentiation
A temporary increase in some dimension or intensity of a reflex response due to repeated presentations of an eliciting stimulus
Sensitization
The tendency of a stimulus to elicit a reflex response following the elicitation of that response by a different stimulus
Respondent conditioning
A stimulus-stimulus pairing procedures in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response
Conditioned reflex
A simple relation between a specific condition to stimulus and the conditioned involuntary response
Neutral stimulus
A stimulus which has no eliciting effect on behavior prior to being paired contingently with an unconditioned stimulus or other condition stimulus
Condition stimulus
A stimulus which elicits a conditioned response due to prior learning; that is due to ontogenic provenance
Conditioned response
A response which is elicited by a conditioned stimulus due to prior learning
Short delay conditioning
The onset of the CS must come first, before the onset of the US; very effective
Long delay conditioning
The onset of the CS must come first, before the onset of the US; usually effect
Trace conditioning procedure
The offset of the CS must come before the onset of the US; sometimes effective
Simultaneous conditioning procedure
CS and US occur at the same time; usually not effective
Backward conditioning procedure
The onset of the US must come before the onset of the CS; almost always ineffective
A neutral stimulus is paired with a previously conditioned stimulus rather than a US
Higher order conditioning
Respondent extinction
The process through which a conditioned reflex is weakened by discontinuing to pair the CS with the US
Respondent spontaneous recovery
The sudden reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned reflex
Respondent stimulus generalization
The spread of the effects of respondent conditioning to stimuli other than the conditioned stimulus
Phylogenic provenance
The effect of a stimulus on a specific response may be innate, due to the evolutionary history of that species
Ontogenic Provenance
The effect of the stimulus on a specific response may be learned, due to the experiential history of the individual organism in the environment
The law of effect
Organisms learn through the consequences of their actions
Edward Lee Thorndike
Discovered the law of effect
BF Skinner
Discovered EAB, operant chamber, principles of operant conditioning, radical behaviorism, analysis of verbal behavior, the cumulative recorder, programmed instruction
Operant behavior
Behavior that has an effect on the environment and is primarily under the control of its consequences
Operant selection
This process of behavioral variability, selection by consequences, and behavioral reproduction occurs throughout the organisms life time
Simplest type of operant contingency
Response stimulus or RS
Reinforcement
Environmental change that follows a response and increases or maintains the future frequency of that behavior
Punishment
Occurs when a stimulus change immediately follows a response and decreases the future frequency of that type of behavior in similar conditions
An environmental change in which a stimulus is added or magnified following a response, that increases or maintains the future frequency of that response
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
An environmental change in which a stimulus is subtracted or attenuated following a response, and which increases or maintains the future frequency of that behavior
S R+
Unconditioned positive reinforcement
S r+
Conditioned positive reinforcement
S R-
Unconditioned negative reinforcement
S r-
Conditioned negative reinforcement
S P+
Unconditioned positive punishment
S p+
Conditioned positive punishment
S P-
Unconditioned negative punishment
S p-
Conditioned negative punishment
Extinction
The discontinuing of a reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior
Automaticity
Behavior is modified by its consequences irrespective of the person’s awareness
Premack principle
If the opportunity to engage in a preferred or high probability behavior is made contingent on engaging in a less preferred behavior, the future duration or frequency of the less preferred behavior will increase
Reinforcer
A stimulus that, when presented following a response, increases or maintains the future frequency of that response
Unconditioned reinforcer
Stimulus that, usually, is reinforcing without any prior learning
Conditioned reinforcer
A stimulus that initially has no innate reinforcing properties, but requires reinforcing properties through pairing with unconditioned reinforcer’s or powerful conditioned reinforcers
Generalized conditioned reinforcer
A conditioned reinforcer that has been paired with a variety of other reinforcers and which is effective for a wide range of behaviors
Escape
Behavior that terminates an aversive stimulus
Avoidance
Terminate a warning stimulus; prevents or delays the onset of the aversive stimulus
Warning stimulus
A conditioned aversive stimulus whose presence is correlated with the upcoming onset of an unconditioned aversive stimulus
Unsignaled avoidance
No clear warning stimulus, but a response can still delay or prevent the occurrence of the aversive event
Automatic reinforcement
The response itself directly produces the reinforcing consequence, that is the consequence is not mediated by another person
Socially mediated reinforcement
The consequence is mediated by another person
Planned reinforcement
A person explicitly arranged the contingency
Unplanned reinforcement
The contingency was not explicitly arranged
Operant extinction
The process by which a previously reinforced behavior is weakened by withholding reinforcement
Operant spontaneous recovery
The sudden and temporary reappearance of a behavior following extinction
Resurgence
The reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior during the extinction of a more recently reinforced behavior
Unconditioned punisher
A stimulus that, usually, is punishing without any learning
Conditioned punisher
Stimulus that initially has no innate punishing properties, but acquires punishing properties through pairing with unconditional punishers or powerful conditioned punishers
Positive punishment
An environmental change in which a stimulus is added or magnified following a response, that decreases the future frequency of that response
Negative punishment
Environmental change in which a stimulus is subtracted or attenuated following response, which decreases the future frequency of that response
Timeout from positive reinforcement
A procedure based on the principle of negative punishment; the organism cannot access reinforcers
Recovery from punishment
The process by which a previously punished behavior is strengthened by withholding punishment
Stimulus control
A group of stimuli in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of the behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus
Unconditioned motivating operations
A motivating operation whose value altering effect does not depend on a learning history
Conditioned motivating operations
A motivating operation whose value altering effect depends on a learning history
Discriminative stimulus
An antecedent stimulus which evokes or abates a specific behavior, due to a past history of differential availability of reinforcement or punishment for that behavior, depending on their presence versus their absence
Motivating operation
An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event; and alters the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus, object, or event
Operant conditioning
The basic process by which operant learning occurs
Evoke
Behavior is likely to occur now, under the current conditions
Abate
Behavior is not likely to occur under the current conditions
Differential reinforcement
Reinforcing only those responses within a response class that meet a specific criterion along some dimension and placing all of the responses in the class on extinction
Differentiation
When differential reinforcement consists of reinforcing some responses and not reinforcing other responses
Discrimination
When differential reinforcement consists of reinforcing a response when certain stimuli are present and not reinforcing the same response when the stimuli are not present
Discriminative control
The tendency of behavior to occur more frequently in the presence of a particular stimulus because the behavior has been reinforced only or mostly in the presence of that stimulus
Discriminated operant
An operant class that is established through the process of differential reinforcement with respect to the presence or absence of antecedent stimuli
S D for SR
Discriminative stimulus for reinforcement; evokes behavior because in the past that behavior has been reinforced in his presence
S delta for no SR
Discriminative stimulus for extinction; abates behavior because in the past that behavior has not been reinforced in its presence
S DP for SP
Discriminative stimulus for punishment; abates behavior because in the past that behavior has been punished in its presence
S delta P for no SP
Discriminative stimulus for withholding punishment; evokes behavior because in the past that behavior has not been punished in his presence
S DR+
Discriminative stimulus for positive reinforcement
S DR-
Discriminative stimulus for negative reinforcement
S delta R+
Discriminative stimulus for extinction of behavior maintained by positive reinforcement
S delta R-
Discriminative stimulus for extinction of behavior maintained by negative reinforcement
S DP+
Discriminative stimulus for positive punishment
S DP-
Discriminative stimulus for negative punishment
S delta P+
Discriminative stimulus for unavailability of positive punishment
S delta P-
Discriminative stimulus for unavailability of negative punishment
Conditional discrimination
A discrimination in which reinforcing a response is contingent on another stimulus
Stimulus generalization
The tendency of a learned response to occur in the presence of stimuli which were not present during training but which either have some similar physical properties to the SD or have been associated with the SD
Evocative effect
An increase in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in reinforcing effectiveness by the same motivating operation
Value altering effect
An alteration in the reinforcing effectiveness of the stimulus, object, or event as a result of a motivating operation
Abative effect
A decrease in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in reinforcing effectiveness by the same motivating operation
Behavior altering effect
An alteration in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is altered in effectiveness by the same motivating operation
Establishing operation
A motivating operation that establishes the effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event as a reinforcer
Abolishing operation
A motivating operation that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness of the stimulus, object, or event
Omnibus terms
Cover various functions of stimuli; used to categorize stimuli that have multiple functions
Aversive stimulus
Its presentation evokes behavior that terminates.
Its onset weakens behavior that precedes its onset.
Its offset strengthens behavior that precedes its offset.
It may elicit smooth muscle and gland responses
Appetitive stimulus
Its onset strengthens behavior that proceeds its onset.
Its offset weakens behavior that proceeds its offset.
It abates behavior that removes it.
It may elicit smooth muscle and gland responses
Behavior chain
A sequence of responses in which each response produces a stimulus change that functions as conditioned reinforcement for that response and as a discriminative stimulus for the next response in the chain
Chained schedule
A schedule of reinforcement in which the response requirements of two or more basic schedules must be met in a specific sequence before reinforcement is delivered
Induction
The spread of the effects of reinforcement to responses outside the limits of an operant class
Shaping
The differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a target behavior
Shaping across topographies
The terminal target response is a distinct topography than the response that is currently occurring
Shaping within topographies
The terminal target response is similar in form to the initial response, but varies across some dimension, such as rate or duration
Parameters of reinforcement
Magnitude, quantity, duration
Schedule of reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement is the rule which describes or specifies which responses will be followed by reinforcement and which will not
Continuous reinforcement
Each and every single response that is emitted is reinforced; that is, reinforcement occurs each and every single time the behavior occurs; used to establish or strengthen behavior
Intermittent reinforcement
Some responses are reinforced and some are not; used to maintain already established behavior
Ratio
Reinforcement is delivered after a certain number of responses
Interval
Reinforcement is delivered for the first response after a certain amount of time since the previous reinforcement
Fixed
The number of responses, or amount of time, remains the same
Variable
The number of responses, or amount of time, is random, but centers around a particular value
Limited hold
A restriction placed on an interval schedule requiring that the response occur within a specified time limit following the interval to be eligible for reinforcement
FR schedules
All or none schedules, as they produce a pause in responding immediately after reinforcement which is followed by a burst in responding. Pauses tend to be longer the thinner the schedule
VR schedules
Produce steady and high rates of responding
Ratio strain
A behavioral effects associated with abrupt increases in ratio requirements when moving from denser to thinner reinforcement schedules
FI schedules
Scalloped; produce a pause in responding immediately after reinforcement which is followed by a gradual increase in the rate of responding, with the highest rates at the time closest to reinforcement
VI schedules
Produce steady, low to moderate rates of responding
Time-based schedules
A preferred stimulus is delivered at a point in time without a response requirement
Differential reinforcement of a high rate of responding (DRH)
Reinforcement occurs if and only if the rate of response is equal to or greater than a specified value
DRH-IRT schedules
The contingency for reinforcement is governed by the time elapsed between successive responses
Concurrent schedules
Consists of two or more schedules operating simultaneously but independently of each other, each for a different response
Multiple schedule
Consists of two or more alternating schedules, each associated with a different stimulus
Mixed schedule
The same as a multiple schedule except there are no different stimuli associated with each component schedule
Tandon schedules
No discriminative stimuli in the links of the chain
A change in one component of a multiple schedule that increases or decreases the rate of responding on that component is accompanied by a change in the response rate in the opposite direction on the other, unaltered component of the schedule
Behavioral contrast
Matching law
The allocation of responses to choices available on concurrent schedules of reinforcement
Verbal behavior
Operant behavior reinforced through the mediation of other persons
Elementary verbal operants
Tact, mand, duplic, Codic intraverbal
Tact
Under the antecedent control of a non-verbal stimulus
Mand
Under the antecedent control of an establishing operation
Duplic
Under the antecedent control of verbal stimuli with point-to-point correspondence and with formal similarity to the response
Types of duplic
Echoics, copying text, mimetics
Echoic
The repeating of a vocal verbal unit
Copying a text
Has point-to-point correspondence and formal similarity to the written verbal stimulus
Mimetic
The imitation of a physical movement that is also a nonvocal verbal unit
Codic
Under the antecedent control of verbal stimuli with point to point correspondence but without formal similarity
Intraverbal
Under the antecedent control a verbal stimuli without point to point correspondence and with no formal similarity
Receptive language
Under the antecedent control of a mand to comply
Selection based verbal behavior
The speaker selects a stimulus in the environment by pointing or finding a picture and handing it to the listener
Topography based verbal behavior
The listener discriminates what the speaker is saying based on the topography of the verbal behavior
Higher order class
An operant class that includes within it other classes that can themselves function as operants
Rule governed behavior
A higher order operant response class that is under the control of verbal antecedent stimuli
Function altering effects of rules
Alter the evocative or abative effects of other antecedent stimuli
Contingency shaped behavior
Behavior acquired via immediate reinforcement contingencies
Domains of behavior analysis
EAB, ABA, behavior analysis service delivery, conceptual analysis of behavior
Experimental analysis of behavior
Basic research; provides the scientific method for studying behavior by using cumulative records, manipulation of variables, and automated recording
Applied behavior analysis
Applied research that applies the basic principles derived from EAB to solve problems of social significance
ABA practice
To help other persons to achieve their outcomes with the implementation of procedures validated by ABA researchers to make a difference in peoples lives
Methodologies of EAB
Direct, repeated measurements of behavior.
Rate of response as the basic datum.
Visual inference with graphing.
Within subject comparisons.
Seven dimensions of ABA
Applied, behavioral, analytic, technological, conceptually systematic, effective, generality
Applied
The implementation of basic principles to change behaviors of significance to clients
Behavioral
Directly observed and measured
Analytic
Seeks to identify functional relations between manipulated environmental events and behavior through systematic and controlled manipulations
Technological
Procedures are completely identified, and precisely described and defined
Conceptually systematic
Procedures are linked to, and described in terms of, the basic principles of behavior
Effective
And accountable discipline in which changes in procedure are databased
Generality
Behavior changes achieved should maintain, transfer to other settings and situations, and spread to other behaviors
Conceptual analysis
Deals with philosophical and theoretical issues
Behavioral technology
A set of assessment and behavior change procedures validated by ABA researchers
Environmental explanations
Past and current behavior is explained as a function of environmental contingencies
Explanatory fictions
Mentalistic explanations, teleological explanations
Mentalistic explanations
Explain behavior by referring to hypothetical constructs from a dimension that is inferred to be inside the organism
Mentalisms
Summary labels of behavior and other hypothetical constructs are used to explain behavior. Such as traits, states, attitudes, diagnostic categories
Behavior analysis
A natural science that studies functional relations between behavior and environmental events
