Study Guide Test 1

BEHV 4750

Ch 1 Definition and Characteristics of ABA

Levels of scientific understanding
o Description: Collection of facts about observed events that can be quantified,
classified, and examined for possible relations with other known facts
o Prediction: Repeated observation permits calculation of relative probabilities
among events. Demonstrates correlation between events. No causal relationship can be
interpreted
o Control: Able to make things happen in orderly, predictable ways, over and over.
Highest level of scientific understanding. Functional relationships can be derived
Attitudes of Science
o Determinism: Assumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place. Events
do not just occur without causes (willy-nilly)
o Empiricism: Objective observation of phenomena of interest. Independent of
individual prejudices, tastes, or private opinions
o Experimentation: Controlled, careful comparison of measures of the
phenomenon of interest under two or more conditions in which one factor differs across
the conditions
o Replication: Repetition of IV condition within experiments to see if changes in
DV occur reliably. Repetition of experiments to be sure that the same findings will be
obtained (determine reliability)
o Parsimony: Simplest and most logical explanations are preferred. Fitting new
findings within existing knowledge base, introducing new concepts or assumptions only
when necessary. Interpretations contain as few elements as necessary and sufficient for
explanation
o Philosophic Doubt: Continuous questioning of the truthfulness and validity of
all scientific theory and knowledge. ALL knowledge is tentative, set aside our most
cherished beliefs when they are inconsistent with convincing new discoveries
Experimental Analysis of Behavior: Basic research, concerned with the discovery of
fundamental relations, basic principles.
o Distinction between respondent and operant behavior, avoidance
of hypothetical constructs, development through extensive experimentation of a
set of basic principles
Radical Behaviorism: From Skinner. Eschews mentalistic explanations for behavior, does
not deny the existence of private events
Applied Behavior Analysis: Scientific approach to the development of technology for
improving behavior
o Applied: Investigates socially significant behaviors with immediate importance
to the participant. The behavior, stimuli, and/or organism under study are chosen because
of their importance to man and society
o Behavioral: Observable, measurable acts of people as the subject matter, and
THATS ALL
o Analytic: Methods yield convincing conclusions whether behavior change
occurred and if the change was due to the independent variable (intervention).
Demonstrates experimental control.
o Technological: The techniques and methods are completely described so much
so that others can implement the procedures well enough to produce similar outcomes.
o Conceptually Systematic: Extent to which the analysis is consistent with a
conceptual framework. Behavior change interventions are derived from basic principles of
behavior.

Study Guide Test 1

BEHV 4750
o Effective: Applications should be sufficiently powerful that their effects are large
enough to have practical value
o Generality: Capacity to produce outcomes that last over time and generalize to
an appropriate variety of environments and behaviors
o Accountable: The commitment of applied behavior analysts to effectiveness,
their focus on accessible environmental variables that reliably influence behavior, and
their reliance on direct and frequent measurement to detect changes
o Public: The transparent, public nature of ABA whose goals, methods, and
outcomes are of vital interest to many constituencies
o Doable: Others (teachers, parents, coaches) can implement the interventions
found effective in many ABA studies
o Empowering: ABA gives practitioners real tools that work instilling confidence
in practitioners.
o Optimistic: 4 reasons.
1)All individuals possess roughly equal potential
2)Direct and continuous measurement enables
practitioners to detect small improvements in performance that might
otherwise be overlooked
3)Using successful behavioral tactics
4)ABAs peer-reviewed literature provides many
examples of success in teaching student who had been considered
unteachable
Characteristics of the Discipline (Lecture)
The applied characteristic
o Issues associated with determining what issues we should address
o The influence of values (e.g., some people think we shouldnt try to change
autistic behaviors like rocking, etc)
o Research that applies vs. research that addresses an applied issue (translational
research)
Behavioral analyses of ABA
o What are some stimulus controls and reinforcers for our behavior as scientists
and/or practitioners, and what are the implications of these controlling variables?
Be able to discuss Dr. Smiths argument that not all of the dimensions of ABA need to be
present in every effort.
What does it mean to say that ABA is a process, not a set of procedures?

Ch 6 Graphic Displays
Data: The product of careful observation and measurement of behavior, typically presented in
quantified form
Graph
o definition: The display of data in a format that provides a visual
depiction of a series of measurements in the context of relevant variables
o purpose: Effective and efficient method for detecting, analyzing,
and communicating changes in behavior
o benefits: Immediate access to a visual record, allows researchers
to explore interesting variations in behavior as they occur, allows effective and

Study Guide Test 1

BEHV 4750
efficient interpretation, conservative, enable independent judgment, provide
feedback for learners
Line graphs: Most commonly used graphs in ABA, used to display successive measurements
of the same behavior across time
o
Multiple data paths
Cumulative records: Developed by Skinner to allow inspection of changes in rate over time.
Graph showing cumulative number of responses on vertical axis, time on horizontal axis
Constructing line graphs
oHorizontal axis: Marks time, consecutive sessions, or trials in equal units
o Vertical axis: Displays measured dimension of DV in equal units
oCondition change lines: Vertical lines signifying change from one phase to another
oData points: Symbols placed at coordinates corresponding to DV value and
appropriate horizontal axis location. Different symbols for different behaviors.
o
Data paths: Lines connecting the data points
Visual analysis w/in conditions
oNumber of data points: Longer the condition, more confidence that data represents
typical responding under that condition
o
Variability: Extent to which measures differ from one another
oLevel: Value on the vertical axis scale around which a set of behavioral measures
converge
o
Trend: Overall direction taken by a data path
oSplit-middle method: Move quarter intersect until there is an equal # of data points
above and below line
Visual analysis btw conditions
oImmediate level changes: Look at difference between last data point in one phase
and 1st data point in next phase
o
Overlap: No overlap means overall difference

Ch 11 Positive Reinforcement
Definition of positive reinforcement: Contingency between a response and the presentation
of a stimulus as a consequence that results in a long term effect in which the response is more
likely to occur in the future in similar situations.
Qualifications
o
Delay to consequence
o
Stimulus conditions
o
Motivation
Positive reinforcer (from class, why does Dr. Smith have a bit of a problem with referring to
stimuli as reinforcers?
Importance of immediacy
o
Influence of verbal rules in mediating delays
Antecedent stimulus conditions
o
SD: Definition (be able to state it!)
o
S: Definition (be able to state it!)
o
3-term contingency of the discriminated operant
Motivating operations (MOs): environmental variables that have two effects on behavior (1)
they alter the operant reinforcing effectiveness of some specific stimuli, objects, or events (the
value-altering effect); and (2) they alter the momentary frequency of all behavior that has been
reinforced by those stimuli, objects, or events (the behavior-altering effect)

Study Guide Test 1

BEHV 4750
o
Establishing operation (EO)
o
Abolishing operation (AO)
o4-term contingency of the discriminated operant made current by an EO
Automaticitywhat does automaticity of reinforcement mean? We dont need to be
aware of reinforcement contingencies for them to affect our behavior
Arbitrariness: whatever produces reinforcing consequences increasesno need for a logical
connection
Automatic reinforcement: when reinforcing consequences are not mediated, or delivered, by
another person
Unconditioned reinforcers (primary/unlearned reinforcers): stimulus changes that
function as reinforcement in the absence of prior learning history
o
From lecture: are they necessarily universal?
o
From lecture: do they necessarily have adaptive significance
oFrom lecture: why is it important from an evolutionary perspective that there be
variation in unconditioned sensitivities to reinforcement?
Conditioned reinforcers (secondary/learned reinforcers): stimulus changes that function as
reinforcement because of a prior learning history in which previously neutral stimuli acquire
the capability to function as reinforcers through stimulus-stimulus pairing with one or more
unconditioned or conditioned reinforcers
o
The conditioning process
oGeneralized conditioned reinforcerswhy dont they depend on MOs for their
effectiveness? They have been paired with many unconditioned and conditioned
reinforcers
Classification of reinforcers by formal properties
o
Edible, sensory, tangible, activities, social reinforcers
oPremack principle and response deprivation hypothesiswhats the difference?
Premack principle: A principle that states that
making the opportunity to engage in a high-probability behavior
contingent on the occurrence of a low-frequency behavior will function
as reinforcement for the low-frequency behavior
Deprivation hypothesis: A model for predicting
whether contingent access to one behavior will function as reinforcement
for engaging in another behavior based on whether access to the
contingent behavior represents a restriction of the activity compared to
the baseline level of engagement
Preference assessmentsknow strengths and limitations of:
o
Asking about preferences
o
Single stimulus assessment
o
Paired stimuli
o
Multiple stimulus (without replacement)
Using reinforcement effectively
o
Initial easy criterion
o
High quality/magnitude of Sr
o
Vary reinforcers (why?)
o
Direct contingencies
o
Response prompts
o
Reinforce each occurrence at first
o
Use contingent attention and descriptive praise
o
Gradually increase delay to Sr

Study Guide Test 1

BEHV 4750
Gradually shift from contrived to natural contingencies

Ch 12 Negative Reinforcement

Definition of negative reinforcement

The establishing operation for escapewhat is it?
Know the elements of the 4-term contingency
Escape vs. Avoidance
o
Free-operant avoidance
o
Discriminated, or signaled avoidance
Characteristics of Negative Reinforcement
o
Unconditioned and conditioned negative reinforcers
o
The source of negative reinforcement (social vs. automatic)
o
Context: how to find out what functions as aversive stimulation
oFactors influencing effectiveness of negative reinforcement (immediacy, magnitude,
consistency, availability of reinforcement for competing responses)
Applications of Negative Reinforcement
o
Using Sr- to establish food acceptance
o
Sr- and error correction
oAcquisition and maintenance of problem behavior (problem behavior maintained by
escape/avoidance)
Behavioral replacement (e.g., DNR)
Ethical issues
o
Inclusion of aversive stimuli in behavior change programs
o
Undesirable side-effects