Glossary - Definitions

Question 1

The period of an experiment without treatment

Answer 1

Baseline

Question 2

Anything that a person does.

This implies that the activity is physical.
This includes OBVIOUS, SUBTLE, INTERNAL and PRIVATE events.

Answer 2

Behavior

Question 3

The study of ENVIRONMENTAL events that CHANGE behavior.

The founder of behavior analysis is SKINNER.

Behavior analysis exploded in pouplarity in 1970.

Behavior analysis studies thoughts and feelings as BEHAVIOR.

Behavior analysis sees most behavior as VOLUNTARY BEHAVIOR.

Answer 3

Behavior Analysis

Question 4

A statement that specifies exactly what behavior to OBSERVE.

Creating a behavioral definition is the first step in studying behavior.

It makes communication CLEARER; it maintains CONSISTENCY of observations.

Answer 4

Behavioral Definition

Question 5

The strategy of defining human problems as BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. It involves 5 tactics:

1. Specify the behavior with a BEHAVIORAL DEFINITION.
2. Gather information using the approach of DIRECT OBSERVATION.
3. Check the RELIABILITY and SOCIAL VALIDITY of your observations.
4. Use a single-subject EXPERIMENT to test our treatment.
5. do VISUAL ANALYSIS of your data.

Answer 5

Behavioral Strategy

Question 6

An experimental design comparing the BASELINE condition with the TREATMENT condition.

It rules out INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES but not TIME COINCIDENCES.

Answer 6

Comparison Design

Question 7

Every pair of adjacent conditions must be DIVIDED; every condition must be STABLE.

Answer 7

Convincing Differences

Question 8

The observer personally SEES and immediately RECORDS the behavior.

Answer 8

Direct Observation

Question 9

The ranges of the last 3 points of two conditions are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.

Answer 9

Divided Conditions

Question 10

You record a response when you see an INSTANCE of the behavior.

You use this method when the instances of the behavior are regular or UNIFORM.

Answer 10

Event Recording

Question 11

You record a response if the behavior occurs in one of a series of CONTINUOUS intervals.

Answer 11

Interval Recording

Question 12

An experimental design that introduces the treatment at DIFFERENT times for two or more behavioral variables.

This design rules out alternative explanations.

Answer 12

Multiple-Baseline Design

Question 13

You record a response when you see the RESULT of the behavior.

Answer 13

Outcome Recording

Question 14

Using trained observers for the DIRECT OBSERVATION of behavior.

When a person observes their own behavior with a behavioral definition and immediately records it, behavior analysts regard this approach as DIRECT OBSERVATION.

Answer 14

The principle of Direct Observation

Question 15

Seeking the causes of behavior in ENVIRONMENTAL events.

The problem with using private events to explain behavior is that you still must EXPLAIN the private events.

Answer 15

The principle of Public Events

Question 16

To expose the SAME PERSON to the baseline and treatment.

Answer 16

The principle of Single-subject experiments

Question 17

Finding differences that look CONVINCING.

Differences are convincing if conditions are DIVIDED and STABLE.

Answer 17

The principle of Visual Analysis

Question 18

The percentage of agreement between two independent observers.

Both observers must observe the same RESPONSES and use the same BEHAVIORAL DEFINITION.

The formula for reliability is 100%xA/(A+D).

Trial Reliability is where you compare each OBSERVATION. You can always use trial reliability with INTERVAL and TIME-SAMPLE RECORDING.

You can only use trial reliability with OUTCOME or EVENT RECORDING of complex behaviors with a checklist.

Frequency reliability is where you compare overall FREQUENCIES. You can use frequency reliability with the outcome or event recording of simple behaviors.

Old definitions should reach 90% while new definitions only 80%.

Answer 18

Reliability

Question 19

An experimental design that looks at a behavior during baseline, treatment, and reversal.

It can rule out ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS.

Answer 19

Reversal Design

Question 20

Showing that events other than the treatment are unlikely to have caused an observed difference.

Answer 20

Ruling Out Alternative Explanations

Question 21

The observer relies on their MEMORY of the behavior.

The problem with self-reports such as questionairres and interviews is that they are usually inaccurate or of unknown accuracy.

Answer 21

Self-Report Observations

Question 22

The CORRELATION between ratings by outside judges and observations by trained observers.

Answer 22

Social Validity

Question 23

The last three numbers of one condition are NOT MOVING CLOSER to the numbers in the other condition.

Answer 23

Stable Conditions

Question 24

You record a response if the behavior occurs within one of a series of DISCONTINUOUS intervals.

This method is also used to observe MULTIPLE BEHAVIORS of one person or MULTIPLE PEOPLE performing one behavior.

Answer 24

Time Sample Recording

Question 25

The method introduces to modify the rate of a behavior.

Answer 25

Treatment