Part 7

Question 0

What is a learning set?

Answer 0

a learning-to-learn phenomenon

Question 1

What is imitation?

Answer 1

physical movement as model, imitative behavior immediately follows and has formal similarity with model, and model is the controlling variable for the imitative behavior; models can be un/planned; topography of previous imitated response is not an imitative behavior; model as source of control is demonstrated with novel exemplars; non-examples of imitation are usually discriminated operants

Question 2

What are the steps in Striefel imitation training?

Answer 2

1) assess (and teach) prerequisite skills
2) select models for training
3) pretesting
4) sequence models for training
5) perform imitation training

Question 3

What are the 4 conditions for imitation training?

Answer 3

preassessment, training, post-assessment, probes for imitative behaviors

Question 4

What is attending?

Answer 4

staying seated, looking at teacher, hands in lap, looking at objects

Question 5

What are guidelines for imitation training?

Answer 5

keep training sessions active and brief; reinforce both prompted and imitative responses; pair verbal praise and attention with tangible reinforcers; if progress breaks down, back up and move ahead slowly; keep a record; fade out verbal response prompts and physical guidance; end imitation training

Question 6

What is formal similarity?

Answer 6

model and behavior physically resemble one another and are in the same sense mode

Question 7

What is shaping?

Answer 7

differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a terminal behavior (the end product of shaping)

Question 8

What is differential reinforcement?

Answer 8

reinforcement provided for responses sharing a predetermined dimension or quality and in which reinforcement is withheld for responses that do not demonstrate that quality

Question 9

What is response differentiation?

Answer 9

new response class due to differential reinforcement

Question 10

What are successive approximations?

Answer 10

behaviors progressively more similar to terminal form

Question 11

What features of behaviors can be shaped?

Answer 11

topography, frequency, latency, duration, amplitude, magnitude; shaping can be done across and within response topographies

Question 12

What are limitations of shaping?

Answer 12

can be time-consuming; progress toward terminal behavior is not always linear; requires practitioner to consistently monitor learner for indications to move on; can be misapplied; harmful behavior can be shaped

Question 13

How do shaping and fading change behavior in different ways?

Answer 13

shaping - antecedent stays the same while response progressively gets differentiated
stimulus fading - antecedent changes gradually while response stays relatively the same

Question 14

How can shaping be enhanced?

Answer 14

SD may be combined with shaping; physical guidance, imitative prompts

Question 15

What is clicker training?

Answer 15

science-based system for shaping behavior using positive reinforcement; reinforcement paired with click, and click becomes conditioned reinforcer

Question 16

What are guidelines and steps for shaping?

Answer 16

nature of terminal behavior and resources should be assessed; estimate total time required to shape terminal behavior
steps: select terminal behavior, determine success criterion, analyze response class, identify first behavior to reinforce, eliminate interfering/extraneous stimuli, proceed in gradual stages, limit number of approximations as each level, continue to reinforce when terminal behavior is achieved

Question 17

How are approximations determined?

Answer 17

consult experts, view normative data from past studies, video analyze component behaviors, perform behavior oneself while noting discrete behavioral components

Question 18

How is first behavior identified for shaping?

Answer 18

should already occur at some frequency and should be a member of the target response class

Question 19

What are future shaping applications?

Answer 19

percentile schedules, using computers to teach shaping, combining shaping with robotics engineering

Question 20

What is a behavior chain?

Answer 20

specific sequence of discrete responses, each associated with a particular stimulus condition; each response is associated with a stimulus change that serves as a conditioned reinforcer for the response that produced it and an SD for the next response in the chain (all have dual function but first and last steps)

Question 21

What are 3 behavior chain characteristics?

Answer 21

involves performance of a specific series of discrete responses; performance of each behavior creates reinforcer for itself and SD for next behavior; responses in chain must be done in a specific sequence, close in time

Question 22

What is a behavior chain with a limited hold?

Answer 22

sequence of behaviors that must be performed correctly and within a specific time to produce reinforcement (time requirement for each step or total chain)

Question 23

What is chaining?

Answer 23

various methods for linking specific sequences of stimuli and responses to form new performances

Question 24

What is the rational for chaining?

Answer 24

increase independent living skills; means by which a series of discrete behaviors can be combined to form a series of responses that occasion delivery of positive reinforcement; chaining to add behaviors to existing behavioral repertoire; can be combined into longer series of complex responses; can be combined with other behavior prompting, instructing, and reinforcing procedures to build more complex/adaptive repertoires

Question 25

What is task analysis?

Answer 25

breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable units, the product of which is a series of sequentially ordered steps/tasks

Question 26

How are task analysis components determined?

Answer 26

observe competent individuals or experts skilled in performing the task; perform task oneself

Question 27

How is mastery level assessed for task analyses?

Answer 27

single-opportunity method, multiple-opportunity method

Question 28

What are some chaining procedures?

Answer 28

forward chaining, backward chaining, total task chaining

Question 29

What are the advantages of forward chaining?

Answer 29

can be used to link smaller chains into larger ones; relatively easy to use

Question 30

What is total-task chaining?

Answer 30

variation of forward chaining in which learner receives training on every step every session

Question 31

What are advantages of backward training?

Answer 31

learner contacts terminal reinforcer during every instructional session

Question 32

What is backward chaining with leaps ahead?

Answer 32

like backward chaining without all steps being trained (only probed)

Question 33

When is total-task chaining appropriate?

Answer 33

many tasks can be performed, but the sequence needs to be learned; existing imitative repertoire; moderate to severe disabilities; task sequence/cycle is not very long/complex

Question 34

What is BCIS (behavior chain interruption strategy)?

Answer 34

relies on participant’s skill to perform the critical elements of a chain independently, but the chain is interrupted so that another behavior can be emitted; person can complete chain and becomes distressed when not allowed to continue steps

Question 35

How are inappropriate chains broken?

Answer 35

reexamine the SDs and responses; determine whether similar SDs cue different responses; analyze natural setting to identify ir/relevant SDs; determine whether SDs in natural setting differ from training SDs; identify presence of novel stimuli in the environment; chains can be broken by substituting existing SD with SD for alternative behavior or by extending the chain and building in time delays

Question 36

What are factors affecting performance of a behavior chain?

Answer 36

completeness of the task analysis; length/complexity of the chain; reinforcement schedule; stimulus variation; task analysis planning must occur before training; training should begin knowing adjustments of task analysis and prompts may be needed; teacher should introduce all SDs that may be encountered