Vocabulary Flashcards
Confirmation Bias
The tendency to lend credence to facts that support our beliefs and dismiss those that do not
Science
Systematic study of worldly phenomena through observation and experiment
Tenet
A widely held principle or belief
Behavior Analysis
The science of human behavior
Applied Behavior Analysis
The scientific practice of applying the principles of behavior analysis to solve meaningful human problems
Behavior
Any human action that can be observed and measured
Functional Behavior Assessment
A process for determining the environmental events that elicit problem behavior
Function
How a behavior is used to meet the reinforcement needs of the person exhibiting it. The purpose of a behavior
Behavior Reduction Plan (BRP) / Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
Written set of instructions for teaching behavioral skills to replace problem behavior
Skill Acquisition Plan
A set of teaching procedures for achieving goals that have been broken down into benchmark objectives
Empiricism
Theory that knowledge derives from sensory experience
Law of Effect
Behaviors followed by pleasant consequences are likely to be repeated; behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are not likely to be repeated
Classical Conditioning
Learning process in which a neutral stimulus (NS) becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (US)
Stimulus
Any environmental event that elicits a behavioral response
Unconditioned Stimulus (US)
A stimulus that elicits a reflexive response
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that takes on the eliciting properties of an unconditioned stimulus through repeated pairings with that unconditioned stimulus
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
A stimulus that does not elicit the response of interest
Reflex
An automatic response to an unconditioned stimulus that occurs in all members of a species; also called an unconditioned response (UR)
Generalization
Conditioned responding that happens with novel stimuli that was never paired with other conditioned or unconditioned stimuli
Operant Conditioning
Responding is conditioned through manipulation of consequences according to the law of effect
Three-Term Contingency
Behavior is explained by analyzing it according to the antecedent stimuli and the consequences that follow (i.e., antecedent - behavior - consequence)
Reinforcers
Stimulus change that follows a behavioral response and increases the likelihood that response will occur again (strengthens the behavior)
Punishers
Stimulus change that follows a behavioral response and decreases the likelihood of the response recurring (weakens the behavior)
Operant
The basic unit of behavior
Radical Behaviorism
School of behaviorism that views behavior as a neutral event resulting exclusively from interaction with the environment
ABC Recording
A method of descriptive data collection in which the antecedents and consequences surrounding a behavior of interest are recorded
Motivating Operation
An event or condition that alters the value of consequences and the probability of behaviors that have been previously associated with such consequences
Single Subject Design
Research method in which treatment effectiveness is shown by demonstrating change from one condition to the next in an individual or small group
Token Economy
A system of behavior change in which desired behaviors are reinforced with tokens, which can be accumulated and exchanged for other reinforcers
Positive Behavior Support
An approach to supporting people who have challenging behavior that utilizes applied behavior analysis aligned with the values of normalization and person-centered care
Functional Analysis
Direct form of functional behavior assessment in which antecedents and consequences are systematically tested to determine the controlling variables of a specific target behavior
Functional Communication Training
A differential reinforcement technique that teaches the person to engage in communicative responses as a replacement for problem behavior
Delay/Denial Tolerance
A component of functional communication training that teaches the learner to first accept delays in receiving requested items/activities, then to accept denials, without displaying problem behavior
Continuous Data Collection
Captures every possible behavioral occurrence by recording either every instance of behavior or the actual duration of each instance of behavior
Discontinuous Data Collection
Captures a sample of behavior during observation by recording whether the behavior is occurring at designated points in time
Continuous Numbers
Numbers that occur in a range; used for collecting data on behaviors with unclear stop and start points
Discrete Numbers
Whole numbers used for measuring behaviors that have an easily discernible stop and start
Social Validity
The degree to which treatment goals and procedures are acceptable and meaningful to recipients and their communities of support
Dead Man’s Test
If a dead man can do it, it is not behavior
Automatic Reinforcement
Behavior is maintained by sensory mechanisms, independent of the social environment
Pairing
Presenting a stimulus with a highly reinforcing stimulus or highly punishing stimulus in order to condition it to have the same reinforcing or punishing properties. The term is often used to refer to pairing people with preferred items or activities in order to establish the person as a reinforcer
Positive Reinforcement
A behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior occurring in similar circumstances
Negative Reinforcement
A behavior is followed immediately by the removal, termination, reduction or postponement of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior in similar circumstances
Satiation
A decrease in motivating operations resulting from over-exposure to the reinforcer
Positive Punishment
Presentation of an undesired stimulus following a behavior. This leads to a decrease in the future frequency of that behavior
Negative Punishment
Removal of a desired stimulus following a behavior. This leads to a decrease in the future frequency of that behavior
Behavioral Contrast
Changes in consequence delivery in one context that cause behavioral changes leads to opposite changes in behavior in other contexts
Learned Helplessness
Repeated punishment in the absence of reinforcement for alternative behaviors leads to a cessation of all actions
Normalization
Social justice movement designed to make available to all people with disabilities patterns of life and conditions of everyday living which are as close as possible to the regular circumstances and way of life or society
Restraint
Physically holding or securing the individual, either briefly to interrupt and intervene with severe problem behavior or for an extended period of time using mechanical devices to prevent otherwise uncontrollable problem behavior that has the potential to produce serious injury
Seclusion
Isolating an individual from others to interrupt and intervene with problem behavior that places the individual or others at risk of harm
Habituation
A decrease in an individual’s response to stimuli after the stimuli are repeated
Response Blocking
Physically blocking the completion of a problem behavior
Contingent Exercise
Requiring a person to perform movements unrelated to the problem behavior
Overcorrection
Effortful behavior that is functionally or logically related to the problem behavior is required as consequence for the problem behavior
Self-Stimulatory Behavior
Repetition of non-purposeful movement or sounds
Pica
Purposeful ingestion of inedible materials
Non-Exclusion Time-Out
Contingent loss of access to positive reinforcement for a specified period of time, while remaining in the originating environment
Exclusion Time-Out
Contingent removal from reinforcing environments for a specified period of time
Response Cost
Contingent removal of a specified amount of reinforcement (e.g., time, money, tokens)
Verbal Operant
A unit of verbal behavior that responds to motivating operations and/or discriminative stimuli and functions to obtain reinforcement from the environment
Point-to-Point Correspondence
The stimulus and response products match in entirety; that is, the response is an exact duplication of the stimulus
Augmentative & Alternative Communication
Forms of communication that do not require speaking
Sign Language
A mode of communication that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body, to communicate messages
Prompt
A supplement antecedent stimulus that is used when a stimulus does not reliably control a target response
Prompt Fading
Gradually reducing prompting procedures
Response Effort
The amount of ease or difficulty with which a person can complete a task. This influences the frequency with which the task will be performed
Prompt Dependence
Continued reliance on a prompt to initiate the performance of a mastered behavior
Stimulus Control
Behavioral response occurs in the presence of a particular stimulus, but not in its absence
Stimulus Control Transfer
Systematic reduction of prompts and reinforcement to achieve the final goal of stimulus control
Prompt Delay
A stimulus control transfer procedure in which the trainer inserts a pause between the discriminative stimulus and the supplemental prompt in order to give the learner time to respond without depending on the prompt. Delays may be constant (always the same amount of time) or progressive (the pauses are gradually increased)
Stimulus Fading
Gradually decreasing the saliency of a stimulus prompt
Salience
Degree to which an object or characteristic is noticeable
Task Analysis
Breaking a skill down into a sequence of smaller, more manageable components or steps
Chaining
A teaching procedure in which reinforcement is given for completing the steps in a task analysis
Forward Chaining
A teaching process in which reinforcement is delivered upon completion of the first step in a task analysis, then for combining the first and second steps, and so on until responsibility for the entire chain is required
Backward Chaining
A teaching process in which reinforcement is delivered upon completion of the last step in a task analysis, then for combining the last two steps, and so on until the responsibility for the entire chain is required
Total Task Chaining
A teaching process in which reinforcement is delivered upon completion of each step in a task analysis, and prompts are faded at each step as the skill is acquired
Behavioral Momentum
Using a series of high-probability requests to increase compliance with low-probability requests
Clinical Scientist Model
The practice of using a scientific approach to delivering clinical services
Evidence Based Practice
The integration of best available research with clinical expertise while taking into account client characteristics
Pseudoscience
Treatments that are presented as if they have a scientific basis, but have not or cannot be supported scientifically
Reliability
The degree to which data is replicable
Interobserver Agreement
Percent agreement between data collection simultaneously by two independent observers recording the same observation
Validity
The degree to which data accurately reflects the phenomenon they are reported to describe
Frequency
The number of times a behavior occurs; also called “count”
Rate
Number of times a behavior occurs in a given time frame; expressed “n occurrences per x time period”
Duration Data
Data that reports the amount of time that passed between the beginning and ending of a behavioral occurrence
Latency
Amount of time that passes between a stimulus and initiation of the behavioral response
Inter-Response Time
The amount of time that elapses between iterations of a behavior
Partial Interval Recording
Method of discontinuous data collection in which behavior is marked as occurring or not occurring at any point during the interval, regardless of duration or frequency
Whole Interval Recording
Method of discontinuous data collection in which the interval is marked if the behavior occurs throughout the interval
Momentary Time Sampling
Method of discontinuous data collection in which the interval is marked if the behavior occurs at a designated point within the interval (usually the beginning of the interval)
Planned Activity Check (PLA-CHECK)
Discontinuous data collection method which applied momentary time sampling methodology to groups. The number of people engaged in the target behavior at the designated time is recorded
Permanent Product Recording
Recording the outcome of a behavior instead of the behavior itself
Trials to Criterion
A count of the number of trials required to achieve a predetermined level of performance
Treatment Integrity Check
Data collection focused on the degree to which program components are implemented correctly
Data Level
The point on the y-axis around which the data converge
Variability
The degree to which data points diverge from the line of best fit on a graph. High variability indicates poor control over behavior
Data Trend
The overall direction of the data
Standardized Assessment
Tests that are developed using psychometric science and are administered and scored in accordance with prescribed procedures
Component Skills
Basic skills that serve as building blocks to larger skills known as composite skills
Repeated Measures
A method of tracking progress by repeating assessments across time
Preference Assessment
A set of procedures used to identify stimuli that might function as reinforcers
Problem Behavior
Behavior that occurs too often, too intensely, or in the wrong context
Dynamic
Characterized by constant responsive change
Epigenetic
A dynamic relationship between biology, genetics, and environment that creates change in all three
Critical Periods
A period of development in which proper development is necessary in order to acquire specific skills
Topography
A description of the behavior’s form
Ecological Assessment
Assessment that seeks to discover the skills required for successful functioning in a given environment
Behavior Function
How a behavior is used to meet the reinforcement needs of the person exhibiting it. The purpose of a behavior
Descriptive Functional Assessment
Method of identifying the antecedents and consequences of a target behavior by observing and recording events as they occur in the natural environment
Shaping
Behavior change method in which reinforcement is delivered for successive approximations toward the target behavior
Discrete Trial Training
An ABA-based intervention in which skills are task analyzed, and each of the smaller (discrete) skills are taught through repetition of stimulus presentation, prompting, and reinforcement; These skills are then systematically recombined into the larger skills or skill sets and are taught for generalization, discrimination, and maintenance
Primary Reinforcement
Unlearned, biologically innate reinforcement that does not require teaching, such as food
Conditioned Reinforcement
Reinforcement that is learned via pairing with primary reinforcement
Discrimination
Behavior occurs in the presence of specific stimuli but not in the presence of similar stimuli
Multiple Exemplar Training
Teaching multiple examples of the SD and the S Delta until the concept is able to be applied to untrained stimuli
Generalization
Behavior that occurs in response to similar stimuli without additional training
Stimulus Control (DTT)
When a stimulus reliably elicits a behavior even without direct, immediate reinforcement
Behavioral Crisis
A situation in which a person’s behavior requires immediate intervention to prevent serious harm
Debriefing
Formal, systematic questioning of participants following a mission or undertaking in order to obtain useful information
Extinction
Eliminating a previously learned behavior by withholding reinforcement
Response to Intervention
A tiered approach to identification and support of students with learning and behavioral needs
Informed Consent
A process by which a potential consumer of treatment services is provided with a full explanation of that treatment, its risks, benefits, and alternatives, and makes a fully informed decision as to whether to accept the service or not; May be revoked at any time
Privacy
The right of a person to determine who has access to personal (health) information
Confidentiality
The duty of a practitioner to ensure no one has access to a client’s personal (health) information without legal consent
