Part 2 - Selecting/Defining/Measuring Bx Flashcards
What are behavioral assessment methods?
observation, interviews, checklists, tests
What are systematic interventions?
assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation
What are the 5 phases/functions of behavioral assessment?
screening and general disposition; defining and generally quantifying problems or desired achievement criteria; pinpointing target behavior/s to be treated; monitoring progress; following up
Which types of questions are most important for behavioral assessment interviews?
What and When questions are most important.
What is an ecological assessment?
great amount of information gathered about person and her living and work environments
What is reactivity?
effects of assessment procedure on behavior being assessed
What is habilitation?
degree to which repertoire maximizes reinforcement and minimizes punishment
What is the relevance of behavior rule?
target behaviors should be selected only when behavior is likely to produce reinforcement in the natural environment
What are important questions regarding potential target behaviors?
Is it a necessary prerequisite for a useful skill?
Will it increase access to environments where other important behaviors can be learned and used? (behavioral cusp; pivotal behavior)
Will changing it predispose others to interact in a more appropriate and supportive matter?
Is it an age-appropriate behavior? (normalization)
If it’s to be reduced/eliminated, what adaptive behavior will replace it?
Does it represent the actual problem/goal, or is it only indirectly related?
Is this just talk or the real behavior of interest?
What if the goal of the behavior change program isn’t a behavior?
What is a behavioral cusp?
behavior with consequences beyond the change itself; e.g., crawling opens up a person to new environments where new contingencies can be learned
What is a pivotal behavior?
behavior that, once learned, produces corresponding modifications/covariations in other adaptive, untrained behaviors; e.g., “self-initiating” is an important skill that can be used across areas
What is normalization?
use of progressively more typical environments, expectations, and procedures to establish/maintain personal behaviors that are as culturally normal as possible
What are important questions regarding the order of addressing behaviors?
Does it pose danger to the client/others?
Will changing it lead to higher reinforcement rates?
What will be its relative importance to future skill development and independent functioning?
How many opportunities will the client have to use this new behavior? or How often does the problem behavior occur?
How long-standing is the problem or skill deficit?
Will it produce reinforcement for significant others?
Will changing it reduce negative/unwanted attention from others?
How likely is success in changing this target behavior?
How much will it cost to change this behavior?
How can target behaviors be defined?
functionally (best for ABA) or topographically
What are 3 characteristics of a good operational definition?
it should be:
objective
clear, technological, unambiguous, and readable by an experienced observer
complete, delineating “boundaries” of what is and isn’t the behavior
What is social validity?
behaviors that positively/meaningfully change one’s life
What are the 2 approaches to determining socially validated performance criteria?
assessing performance of highly-competent people; experimentally manipulating different levels of performance to determine which produces optimal results
What is measurement?
process of assigning numbers and units to particular features of objects or events
What is a dimensional quality?
the particular feature of an object/event that is measured
What are the 3 levels of scientific knowledge?
description, prediction, control
What is summative evaluation?
evaluation of overall effects of behavior change programs