Unit 1

Introduction toBehavioral Psychology

In our first unit of study, we will begin to familiarize ourselves with each other, the course policies, and with some of the common terms and definitions used in ABA.

Take a moment to type in your introduction to myself and your classmates (c:

Please share your experience (or future plans) in the ABA field.

Applied Behavior Analysis aims to modify behaviors that are negatively affecting one's social, emotional and physical health.

Behavior modification, which is the systematic application of behavior principles to improve behavior and psychological well-being, is the cornerstone of ABA.

Reading: This week, we will read about the history of behaviorism and explore the key concepts involved in understanding ABA theory and practice. This week's reading will introduce you to the concepts and terminology used in ABA. Additionally, the history of the field will be covered.

Read Chapters 1 and 2 in your text, Applied Behavior Analysis.

Discussion: You will post a brief bio and introduce yourself to your classmates.

Review the quote from your text (p. 9) by John B. Watson, one of the early founders of the field of behaviorism.

Think about his statement in light of our readings for this week. Do you agree with Watson's beliefs about the strength of the environment in shaping behavior? Why or why not?

Please review the Unit 9 Final Project information.

Post any questions under the Course Questions tab.

Seminar Discussion: The seminar discussions for this week will be about the course policies, strategies for succeeding in the class, and the field of ABA.

The seminar PowerPoint will be available following each seminar under our doc sharing tab.

What do you hope to gain from the course?

Please discuss your experience (or future plans) in the ABA field.

ABA I will provide you with the foundations for understanding and applying basic behavioral principles in preparation for more advanced topics and assessment techniques that are presented in ABA II.

Science is foremost a set of attitudes that set an overriding set of assumptions and values that guide the work of all scientists.

The attitudes include: determinism, empiricism, experimentation, replication, parsimony, and philosophic doubt.

Determinism is the attitude upon which science is predicted; the presumption that the universe is a lawful and orderly place in which all phenomena occurs as the result of other events.

Determinism provides the framework in the field of behavior analysis that all behavior is the result of specifiable conditions, and once identified, these conditions can be used to some extent to determine the future occurrence of behavior.

These principles and attitudes serve as a basis for behavior analysis.

Behavior analysis consists of three major branches of study: behaviorism, basic research or the experimental analysis of behavior, and applied behavior analysis or the development of a technology for improving behavior.

Behavior analysis can be traced back to John B. Watson with what became known as Watsonian behaviorism or stimulus-response psychology.

B.F. Skinner is credited though as being the founder of the experimental analysis of behavior and wrote extensively on the science. This behaviorism differs significantly from prior approaches to the study of behavior, most of which involved mentalism.

Mentalism is an approach that assumes behavior is the result of inner causes and hypothetical constructs.

Behaviorism aims to explain behavior in terms of measurable and observable events.

Skinner’s radical behaviorism incorporates private events into an overall conceptual system of behavior, where as other types of behaviorism do not include private events.

Applied behavior analysis is: A scientific approach to improving

socially significant behavior… In which procedures derived from

the principles of behavior are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior…

And to demonstrate experimentally that the procedures employed were responsible for the improvement in behavior

Six key components:1. Guided by attitudes of methods of scientific inquiry2. All behavior change procedures are described &

implemented in a systematic, technological manner

3. Only procedures conceptually derived from the basic principles of behavior are circumscribed by the field

4. Focus is socially significant behavior5. Seeks to make meaningful improvement in

important behavior6. Seeks to produce an analysis of the factors

responsible for improvement

Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) recommended the following seven defining dimensions for research or behavior change programs: Applied Behavioral Analytic Technological Conceptual Effective Generality

Applied Investigates socially significant behaviors

with immediate importance to the participant(s)

Examples include behaviors such as: Social Language Academic Daily living Self-care Vocational Recreation and/or leisure

Behavioral Precise measurement of the actual

behavior in need of improvement & documents that it was the participant’s behavior that changed

The behavior in need of improvement and it is a study of behavior (not about behavior)

The behavior must be measurable Important to note whose behavior has changed

Analytic Demonstrates experimental control over

the occurrence and non-occurrence of the behavior (a functional relation is demonstrated)

Functional & replicable relationships

Technological Written description of all procedures in the

study is sufficiently complete and detailed to enable others to replicate it

All operative procedures are identified and described in detail & clarity

Replicable technology

Conceptually systematic Behavior change interventions are derived

from basic principles of behavior Better enable research consumer to derive

other similar procedures from the same principle(s)

Assist in integrating discipline into a system instead of a “collection of tricks”

Effective Improves behavior sufficiently to produce

practical results for the participant(s) Improvements in behavior must reach

clinical or social significance Extent to which changes in the target

behavior(s) result in noticeable changes

Generality Produces behavior changes that last over

time… Appear in other environments (other than

the one in which intervention was implemented)…

Or spread to other behaviors (those not directly treated by the intervention)

Behavior analysts study behavior – the activity of living organisms.

Although the study of behavior includes single responses, applied behavior analysts are interested in larger sets of socially significant behavior referred to as response classes.

Behaviors of interest include both respondent and operant behaviors.

Respondent behaviors are elicited by antecedent stimuli.

Respondent conditioning occurs through stimulus-stimulus pairing procedures.

Respondent behaviors include reflexes, for example, an eye blink to clean the eye and are considered “ready-made” behaviors where no “learning” is required.

On the other hand, operant behavior is any behavior whose future frequency is determined by its history of consequences.

Operant behaviors are defined by their effects, not by the form of the behavior.

Operant conditioning is an automatic process that refers to the selective effects of consequences on behavior.

Operant conditioning includes both reinforcement, the effect of which is a behavior increase and punishment, the effect of which is a behavior decrease.

The term positive refers to the presentation of a stimulus event. The term negative refers to the removal of a stimulus event.

Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a stimulus event and the future frequency of the behavior increases under similar environmental conditions.

Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the removal of a stimulus event and the future frequency of the behavior increases under similar environmental conditions.

Positive punishment occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a stimulus event and the future frequency of the behavior decreases under similar environmental conditions.

Negative punishment occurs when a behavior is followed by the removal of a stimulus event and the future frequency of the behavior decreases under similar environmental conditions.

Consequences – either positive or negative – only affect future behavior.

Consequences select response classes, not individual responses.

Reinforcing or punishing consequences are most effective when they are immediate.

Consequences select any behavior that precedes them whether or not a behavior change tactic is being practiced.

Behavior change tactics are the methods derived from one or more basic principles of behavior and utilized by applied behavior analysts.

A principle of behavior is a description of the functional relation(s) between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables that has generality across organisms, species, settings, and behaviors.

Association for Behavior Analysis Internationalhttp://www.abainternational.org/The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a professional organization for members committed to the philosophy, science, application, and teaching of behavior analysis. The website provides a vast array of services including events, job placement services, journals, field support, and additional resources for purchasing.

B.F. Skinner Foundationhttp://www.bfskinner.org/The B.F. Skinner Foundation was founded in 1989 with the intent to publish literary and scientific works in the analysis of behavior, and to educate professionals and the public about the science of behavior. This website offers information and resources for educational, research, and service purposes.

Behavior Analyst Certification Boardhttp://www.bacb.com/The Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation that was established to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, government, and consumers of behavior analysis services. This website offers a wide variety of information from ethical practices in the field to continuing education opportunities and a registry of certified behavior analysts.

Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysishttp://www.abainternational.org/saba/index.asp

The Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the welfare and future of behavior analysis. SABA’s website offers financial support to individuals within the field of behavior analysis and opportunities to donate to continue supporting research and application of behavior analysis.

Closing Thoughts or Questions?