Module 3 - Chap. 3: Selecting & Defining Target Behaviors Flashcards
Role of assessment in ABA
Methods to identify and define targets for behavior change
Identify relevant factors that may inform or influence intervention
5 phases of assessment
- Screening
- Defining problem or criteria for achievement
- Pinpointing target behaviors
- Monitoring progress
- Following-up
Pre-assessment considerations
Ethical considerations
- authority
- permission
- resources
- social validity
Assessment methods
Indirect measures - interviews, checklists
Direct measures - tests, direct observation
Interviewing the individual
Identify list of potential target behaviors
- what & when
- avoid “why”
Identify primary concerns
Verified through further data collection
- direct observation
- use of questionnaires or self-monitoring
Interviewing significant others
Develop behavior descriptions
- what, when, how
- avoid “why”
- move from general to specific
Determine participation
Checklists
Descriptions of specific behaviors and conditions under which each should occur; alone or with interview
Typically Likert-scale assessments
Ask about antecedents & consequences
- Child Behavior Checklist
- Adaptive Behavior Scale - School
- Adaptive Behavior Scale - Residential and Community
Standardized Tests
Consistent administration
- compares performance to specified criteria
- norm-referenced
Limitations
- do not specify target behaviors
- do not provide direct measure of behavior
- licensing requirements
Direct observation
- direct & repeated
- natural environment
- identifies potential target behaviors
- preferred method
Anecdotal observation
Features of ABC recording
- descriptive
- temporally sequenced
- description of behavior patterns (full attention, 20-30 minutes)
- observations only, no interpretations
- repeat over several days
Ecological assessment
Data on individual and environment
- physical features
- home
- reinforcement history
Evaluate amount of descriptive data required to address current need
Reactivity
Effects of assessment on behavior being assessed
- obtrusive assessment great impact
- self-monitoring most obtrusive
Reduce reactivity
- unobtrusive methods
- repeat observations
- take effects into account
Assessing social significance
Consider whose behavior is being assessed and why
- unacceptable to change behavior primarily for benefit of others
To what extent will proposed change improve the person’s life?
Habilitation
Degree to which a person’s behavior repertoire maximizes short and long term reinforcers and minimizes short and long term punishers
Use to assess meaningfulness of behavior change
Determining habilitation
Relevance of behavior after intervention
Necessary prerequisite skills
Increased access
Impact on behavior of others
Behavior cusp
Pivotal behavior
Behavior cusp
Behaviors that open person’s world to new contingencies
-crawling, reading
Socially valid
Generativeness
Competes with inappropriate responses
Degree that others are affected
Pivotal Behaviors
Once learned produces changes in untrained behaviors
- self-initiation, joint attention
Advantages for both interventionist and client
Age appropriateness
Normalization
Philosophy of achieving greatest possible integration of people with disabilities into society
Replacement behaviors
Cannot eliminate or reduce a behavior without teaching a replacement
Determining Habilitation
Actual target goal or indirectly related
- on task vs. work completion
Talk vs. Behavior of Interest
- primary importance is actual behavior
Focus on behavior, not end product
- weight loss or exercise and diet?
Prioritizing target behaviors
- Threat to health or safety
- Frequency (opportunities to use new behavior, occurrence of problem)
- Longevity
- Potential for higher rates of reinforcement
- Importance (skill development, independence)
- Reduction of negative attention
- Reinforcement for significant others (social validity, exercise caution when considering)
- Likelihood of success (research, practitioner’s experience, environmental variables, available resources)
- Cost benefit (costs include client’s time and effort)
Target behavior ranking matrix
Numerical rating of potential target behaviors
Increase client, parent, & staff participation
- resolve conflict
- build consensus
Role & Importance of target behavior definitions
Definitions required for replication
Replication required to determine usefulness of data in other situations
Necessary for research
Importance of definitions to practitioner
Accurate, on-going evaluation requires explicit definition of behavior
Operational definition:
- complete information
Accurate and believable evaluation of effectiveness
Two types of definitions
Function based: designated according to effect on the environment
Topography based: identifies the shape or form of the behavior
Reasons to use function based definitions
Includes all members of response class
The function of behavior is the most important feature
Simpler & more concise definitions
- easier to measure accurately & reliably
Reasons to use topography based definitions
Behavior analyst does not have direct, reliable, or easy access to functional outcomes because Cannot rely on the function of behavior because each occurrence does not produce relevant outcome
Writing target behavior definitions
Accurate Complete Concise Inclusions Exclusions
Characteristics of good definitions
Objective: refer only to the observable
Clear: readable & unambiguous
Complete: delineate boundaries of definition
Purpose of good definitions
Precise & concise description
Reliable observation
Accurate recording
Agreement & replication
Testing a definition
Can you count the # of occurences?
SHOULD ANSWER YES
Will a stranger know what to look for based on definition alone?
SHOULD ANSWER YES
Can you break the target behavior down to smaller, more specific component?
SHOULD ANSWER NO
Setting criteria for Behavior Change
Selected because of importance to clients
- increase, maintain, generalize, desirable behaviors
- decrease undesirable behaviors
Valued & meaningful behaviors have social validity
Set criteria before modifying
Setting criteria is as important as defining
Range of acceptability
Must identify optimum range prior to modifying
Must know when to terminate treatment
Eliminate disagreements on effectiveness
2 Approaches for setting criteria
Assess performance of highly competent people
Experimentally manipulate different performance levels to determine optimal results
