Principles of Behavior Change

Research Methodology

Stimulus - Response

Overt and Covert Behavior

Appetitive, Aversive Stimuli

Establishing Operation

A procedure that affects the appetitiveness or

aversiveness of a stimulus

Satiation, Deprivation

Contiguity and Contingency

Properties of Behavior

1) Rate 2) Intensity 3) Duration 4) Latency 5) Number of Errors 6) Topography

Research Designs Descriptive

Naturalistic Case Studies

Experimental

Control Group Single Subject

Descriptive

Naturalistic Observation

• Watch others

• Advantage• can record

spontaneous behavior

• Disadvantage• Observer bias

Participant Observation The observer interacts with the

individuals being observed.

Observer tries not to alter situation.

Archival AnalysisArchival Analysis

Examine the documents of a culture Diaries, novels, newspapers

Inter-judge agreement important Control for bias, missing information

Case Study

Aileen Wournos

Life and Death a Serial Killer(Broomfield & Churchill, 2002)

Aileen (2002)

Jan 9, 1991 – arrested in Florida paranoid, borderline personality disorder admits that she lied on the stand about self defense did it to “come clean” killed because of robbery and to eliminate a witness plan murders, selected the men “there was no self-defense”

Aileen (2002)

“the world is full of evil” made 200-300 a day as prostitute met Tyria in bar, lesbian relationship Tyria made a state’s witness Tyria not charged in the murders participated with police sorry about her actions

Aileen

“doing lying biz to beat the system” her report of Richard Mallory was convincing Mallory spent 5 years in jail for sex crimes

“you have to kill Aileen Wournos because she will kill again”

talked about conspiracies in early 1990s tended to sabotage own defense

Aileen oral sex for cigarettes at age of 9 incestuous relationship with brother

Keith Aileen’s grandfather beat her with black

belt rumored that he was her biological father Biological mother abandoned her at 6

months “father” sent to jail for sodomizing a boy later he committed suicide

Aileen Had baby boy at age 13 two years living in the woods survived by hooking

treated poorly by neighbourhood kids Chief, thought to be father of Aileen’s

child Was local pedophile

Aileen Left Michigan at age 16 Doing drugs at time (LSD) know for violent temper knocked a man out with beer

bottle and another with billiard ball

Aileen

Married Lewis Fell age 76 restraining charges, beat Lewis with walking stick starting dating women in late 20s Tyria described Aileen as –fantasist, jealous and

possessive who could be violent and frightening had fantasies of being raped

Aileen believed police had

known about the first murder but allowed her to continue

mind is being controlled by radio waves, poisoned food, threatened of rape while in prison

Aileen

I am so burning f..in mad about how I am being… I’ve got to wait for my execution I want to get in the f..ing chamber tomorrow and leave And then they play, since I waived off I have nothing

but Psychological and physical f… problems, playin with it because I am on hold with my execution. I’m so f..in mad I can’t see straight And they’re just daring me to kill again They got me pissed…United States Supreme court you

f…in I’m telling you man, you motherf…. Keep f..ing with my goddamn execution and there’s

going to be blood shed. I’m sick of this, get that f..ing warrant signed.

Aileen They were using sonic pressure on my head since 1997 (this

was stated on Oct 8th, 2002).

Believes had eye in cell, believes that the TV or mirrors were rigged. Crushing my head, using sonic pressure. Believes that the pressure was increased as a form of torture. They tried to make me look crazy.

Had to wash food off, almost died.

Believes that police had surveillance, before she killed. It was the cops that made her do it.

executed Oct 9th, 2002

Case Studies advantages

observations are recorded behavior is described

disadvantages sometimes you record what you want

to see there are no associations there is no cause and effect established

Experiments

Experiments

Advantage

Establish causalityX causes change in Y

Disadvantage

May be artificial

Can drugs increase IQ?

How would you establish this?

You need at least 2 groups Control Experimental

Control Group

IQ tested before intervention This group receives a placebo IQ tested after receiving placebo

Experimental Group

IQ test prior to administering drugThis group then gets the drugIQ tested again

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Experimental IQ Control IQ

Time 1Time 2

Single Subject Designs

Internal Validity

the degree to which X causes a change in Y

External Validity the degree to which results can be

generalized

1) to other people 2 to other situations

established by replications generalizability across cultures is powerful

why? a law may be universal some effects are culture bound

Ethics

What does it mean to be ethical?What does it mean to be ethical?

“do the right thing”

EthicsEthics ethics are standards regarding the treatment of others

these standards apply to both research and clinical practice

many disciplines have ethical codes

we adhere to the CPA (Canadian Psychological Association)

APA (American Psychological Association) ethical codes

CPA Ethical Code

Principle 1: respect for the dignity of persons

Principle 2: responsible caring

  Principle 3: integrity in relationships

  Principle 4: responsibility to society

Principle 1

respect for the dignity of persons

confidentiality, informed consent minimize harm, freedom to withdraw debriefing

Principle 2 responsible

caring being competent

Principle 3

 integrity in relationships

being honest avoidance of conflict of interest

Principle 4 responsibility to

society pro bono work public service