Unit 1 (chap 1-4) Flashcards
Behavior
An individual living organism’s activity, public or private, which may be influenced by external or internal stimulation.
Response
A single instance of behavior
Behavior is something ________ do.
individuals
Stimulus event
Things you see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.
External stimulation
Changes outside the body, or knowledge that is passed to us through our senses.
Internal stimulation
Changes, experiences, or feelings that occur within someone.
First goal of behavior analysis
Accurately predict behavior
Why is predictability important?
Predictability allows adaptive behavior.
Adaptive behavior
learned behaviors that reflect and individuals social and practical competence to meet the demands of everyday living.
Second goal of behavior analysis
Discover functional variables that may be used to positively influence behavior.
Functional variable
Is a variable that, when changed, reliably and systematically influences behavior.
What does it mean to say, “behavior is determined?”
It means that behavior has a cause, or multiple causes.
Occam’s law of parsimony
All else being equal, the best explanations of behavior, holds that, all else being equal, the best explanations of behavior are the simplest explanations.
Quantitative
behavior of interest is observed with such precision that it can be counted.
Systematic
implemented exactly as it is supposed to be.
Empirical
Evidence must be observable.
Humans are ____ to many known biases, so any individual behavior analyst cannot be entirely objective.
subject
Behavior analysis is an objective, unbiased, ________ approach to discovering how behavior works.
Scientific
_______ are usually derived from theories
Predicitions
Independent variable
A publicly observable change, controlled by the experimenter, which is anticipated to influence behavior in a specific way.
Replication
How scientific discoveries are evaluated to be true. Repeating the experiment and getting the same outcome.
Determinants of behavior
Nature and nuture
Nature
Innate behaviors the product of the evolutionary past of the species.
Nuture
All the events experienced during an individual’s life.
Environmental events
all of the things you experience through your senses.
Behavioral Epigenetics
Examine how nurture shapes nature.
_____ is defined as an individual living organisms activity, public or _____ which may be influenced by external or _____ stimulation
Behavior; private; internal
Buying a car is an instance of _______ behavior.
public
Changing your clothes is an instance of _____ behavior.
public
The first goal of behavior analysis is to ______ behavior.
accurately predict
The first assumption of behavior analysis is that behavior is ____
determined
Variables
things that are not the same each time
Dependent variable
the objectively measured target behavior.
Biological variables
genetics, brain chemistry
Environmental variables
things we experience through our senses
Independent variable
a publicly observable change, controlled by the experimenter, which is anticipated to influence behavior in a specific way.
How to know if it’s a functional variable
if changing the independent variable produces a systematic and replicable change in behavior, then we can conclude that the independent variable in a functional variable.
Correlation does not imply _____
causation
Functional variable
A variable that, if changed, will reliably and systematically influence behavior.
All causal relations are ______ but not all correlations revel _____
correlated, causal relations
First component of a behavioral experiment
The dependent variable is behavior
Second component of a behavioral experiment
A falsifiable hypothesis
Third component of a behavioral experiment
Manipulation of the independent variable
In behavior analysis, the dependent variable is always ______
behavior
Self-reports
Asks the individual to recall if they have engaged in the behavior.
Self reports are prone to ______ and memory-related inaccuracies
biases
Direct observation
Behavior is recorded as the behavior occurs, or a lasting product of the behavior is recorded at a later time.
Behavioral definition
a precise specification of the topography of the target behavior, allowing observers to reliably identify instances and non-instances
Social validity
the consumer of the intervention or an expert in the field indicates that the behavioral definition accurately reflects the behavior of interest.
When is the best time to assess the social validity of a behavioral definition?
before the study begins.
Interobserver agreement (IOA)
the extent to which two independent observers’ data are the same after having directly observed the same behavior at the same time.
IOA is not the same as _____
accuracy
IOA is not assessing the _______ of the observers
reliablility
The benefit of IOA is that it increases _______
believability
Reification
To treat an abstraction or heuristic as though it were a thing.
Heuristics
An approach that involves a quick and subjective description to describe behavior or behavior patterns.
Are heuristics functional variables that can be used to positively influence behavior?
No
The first problem with reification in behavioral science:
When we explain behavior by pointing to reifications (like sketchy or brilliant) we are using circular logic.
The second problem with reification in behavior science
To positively influence behavior, we need to find functional (causal) variables that we can turn ON and OFF.
First component of a behavioral experiment
The dependent variable is behavior. Important to objectively measure behavior.
Second component of a behavioral experiment
Experiments test falsifiable hypotheses. The hypothesis specifies what happens next. If the behavior does not occur, the hypothesis is falsified.
Third component of a behavioral experiment
Manipulation of the independent variable. A publicly observable change, controlled by the experimenter, which is anticipated to influence behavior in a specific way.
Objectively measuring behavior
Self report measures are to be avoided. People are not always truthful.
Social desirability bias
respondents give answers to questions that they believe will make them look good to others, concealing their true opinions or experiences.
Example of social desirability
Of course, I exercise four days a week.
Good subject effect
Participants want to perform well in the experiments in which they take part, confirming to themselves that they have made a worthy contribution.
Example of good subject effect
Of course, your therapy has made me feel better.
Incentives
a thing that motivates or encourages one to do something.
Consequences
What happens after the behavior.
Recalling
the act of retrieving information or events from the past while lacking a specific cue to help in retrieving the information.
Magnitude
The force or intensity of a behavior
Reactivity
Behavior changes because the individual is aware they are being watched.
Outcome Recording
Record the distinct, observable, and lasting products of behavior instead of the behavior itself.
When can’t you use outcome recording?
When the behavior leaves no outcome.
Event recording
Each instance of the behavior is recorded as it occurs. Each instance of the behavior takes the same amount of time to complete.
Partial interval recording
divide the observation period into equal, contiguous intervals of time. Record if the behavior has occured at least once during the whole interval.
When is event recording useful?
when the behavior happens too quickly to count or when it is of non-uniform duration.
Whole-Interval Recording
Recording behavior occurs throughout the whole interval.
When is whole interval recording useful?
when the behavior of interest is of a longer duration, but the duration of the behavior is not the primary interest.
Duration recording
Used when you are interested in how long a behavior takes to be completed. Start the timer when the behavior starts and stop the timer when the behavior is done.
Independent variable
a publicly observable change, controlled by the experimenter, which is anticipated to influence in a specific way.
Group experimental designs
Evaluate if the behavior of a treatment group is statistically significantly different from that of a control group. If so, then the difference is attributed to the independent variable.
Single subject experimental designs
Expose individuals to baseline (independent OFF) and experimental (independent variable ON) phases to determine if the independent variable systematically and reliably changes behavior.
Internal Validity
when an experiment provides clear evidence that a functional relation exists between the independent variable and the behavior change.
Confounds
variables that influence behavior within an experiment, but are not controlled by the researcher.
Comparison design
Arranges a baseline (A) phase (independent variable OFF) and an experimental (B) phase (independent variable ON)
A-B design
a two-part or phase design composed of a baseline (“A” phase) with no changes and a treatment or intervention (“B”) phase.
When is behavior stable?
when, over repeated observations, there is little “bounce” and no systematic trend.
Quasi-experimental design
aims to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between an independent and dependent variable. However, unlike a true experiment, a quasi-experiment does not rely on random assignment. Instead, subjects are assigned to groups based on non-random criteria.
Reversal design
the individuals behavior is evaluated in repeatedly alternating baseline (A) and experimental (B) phases.
Alternating treatments design
the independent variable is turned ON and OFF rapidly to evaluate if this systematically and repeatedly changes behavior.
Multiple baseline design
evaluates the functional relation between an independent variable and behavior by conducting a series of time staggered A-B comparisons either across behaviors, across situations, or across individuals.
Multiple baseline across participants design
time staggered A-B replications are demonstrated across participants.
First defining feature of a single subject experimental design
The focus is on the behavior of individuals, not groups.
Second defining feature of a single subject experimental design
Each subject experiences the baseline and experimental (intervention) phases
Third defining feature of a single subject experimental design
Behavior is measured repeatedly in each phase until confident predictions about behavior may be made
Fourth defining feature of a single subject experimental design
Internal validity is asses through replication and evaluating the functional role of confounded variables.
Stable
Over repeated observation there is little “bounce” and so systemic trend
“Bounce”
A lot of variability in behavior from one session to the next.
Three kinds of replication built into single-subject experimental designs
- Within individual
- Across individual
- Across labs or clinics.
Within individual replication
In each of the four single-subject designs, the behavior of the individual is repeatedly observed after the independent variable is turned ON. If behavior is changed by that intervention, each new session conducted within the intervention phase is a test for replication.
Across individual replication
Evaluates if the effects of an independent variable can systematically and reliably influence the behavior of more than one individual. When an intervention effect proves to have good within-individual replication, we will want to see if it can benefit others as well.
Replication across labs or clinics
If the behavior analysts at university A have demonstrated that an independent variable produces within- and across-individual behavior change but researchers at universities B, C, and D cannot replicate the effect, then there is a cause for concern.
Visual analysis
Involves looking at a graph of time-series single subject behavior to evaluate if a convincing change occured when the independent variable was introduced/removed.
Trend
A systematic change in behavior over time.
Level
The prevalence of the behavior during the stable portion of the phase/condition.
First step to guide visual analysis
1- Draw a trend arrow through the baseline data to predict what will happen if the independent variable is never turned ON.
Second step to guide visual analysis
2- Evaluate if behavior in baseline is too variable (bouncy) to have confidence in the prediction of the trend arrow.
Third step to guide visual analysis
3- Draw trend or level lines through the intervention data. Evaluate if there is a convincing change in trend or level (whichever change is of interest).
Phylogeny
the history of the natural evolution of the species
Pavlovian (classical) conditioning
the experimental pairing of a conditioned and unconditioned stimulus.
-Elicit
Behaviors (operant conditioning)
-the response that the animal displays
-the animal’s behavior
-anything the animal does after the antecedent
- Evoke
Identifying comparison A-B
only two “sections”
Baseline (A)
Experiment (B)
Identifying reversal A-B-A
multiple sections
can reverse more than once (A-B-A-B-A-B….)
identifying alternating treatments
not divided into sections but rather type of intervention goes back and forth across sessions.
Identifying multiple baseline
multiple participants contexts or behaviors are being studied.
section takes up different numbers of sessions starting treatment at different times in the experiment.
four kinds of single subject designs:
Comparison (A-B) design
Reversal (A-B-A) design
Alternating treatments design
Multiple baseline design
Moro reflex
if you grab a baby and let it go, it will automatically extend its arms and legs. They do this in response to losing the support of an adult.
Palmar grasp reflex
If you hang the baby from a small thing it can grasp onto, it will hold itself up to prevent falling.
Swimming reflex
if you throw a baby into the water it should be able to float.
Antecendent stimulus
something that comes before behavior stimulus –> response.
Elicit
when a specific stimulus occasions a specific reflex response
Habituation
gradual reduction in response following repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus.
Example of habituation
lemon juice in the participants mouth. The more you do it, the less the participant salviates because they have habituated. If you introduce lime, they will have the same rate of salivation as they did in the earlier trials of lemon.
Neutral stimulus (NS)
a stimulus that does not elicit a response. (whistle)
Unconditioned stimulus (US)
a stimulus that elicits a response without any prior learning. (food)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
a formerly neutral stimulus that now evokes a conditioned response.
Unconditioned response (UR)
the response (eg salivating) is reliably elicited by the US.
Conditioned response (CR)
the response evoked by the CS. This may not be the same as the UR.
example of pavlovian conditioning
Dog conditioning.
Pavlovian extinction was first used to treat a phobia by _________
Mary cover jones.
spontaneous recovery
after the extinction of the Cr, and following the passage of time, the CS recovers its ability to evoke the CR.
