BCACA Set 1-3

You see a picture of rotten food and you gag immediately. This is an example of:

A conditioned reflex -You have to learn to gag to the sight of rotten food. Since gagging can be a reflex response, this is an example of a conditioned reflex.

A conditioned response is a reflex response elicited by ___ due to ___.

A conditioned stimulus; ontogenic provenance (prior learning) -A conditioned stimulus is not elicited by an unconditioned stimulus (the unconditioned stimulus only elicits the unconditioned response). A conditioned response is elicited by a conditioned stimulus because it is part of a conditioned reflex, and this is due to prior learning (through pairing).

Behavior Analysis is:

A natural science -Behavior analysis is not a social science (like psychology) but is a natural science (like biology); it is not restricted to human learning, and is much broader than a simple set of therapeutic interventions.

An unconditioned reflex is:

A simple unlearned relation between a specific stimulus and a specific involuntary and innate response -Unconditioned means "unlearned" so this type of reflex, the basic reflex, is also called unconditional or unlearned. It requires no prior experience to occur. It is part of the organism's genetic inheritance, which is also known as phylogenic provenance. Unconditioned reflexes appear essentially the same in all members of the species (as long as they do not have related physical or neurological damage, preventing the reflex from occurring).

A response is...

A single instance of behavior -This is definitional in Behavior Analysis. You just need to know this. In English, the term "response" can mean "reaction", for example. But in ABA it is strictly defined as a single instance of behavior. For example, hitting behavior can be exhibited when a person does 10 hits (or does 10 hitting responses).

Which of the following statement is NOT true of a stimulus class

A stimulus class is always based on some common characteristic relating to the physical form of the stimulus -Stimulus classes can be either antecedent stimuli, or consequent stimuli, or sometimes both (for example, "money", as a stimulus, can be presented as an antecedent which evokes some behavior, or can be presented as a reinforcing consequence for some behavior). Stimulus forms may be similar, or a set of stimuli may share a common function -- while their physical forms are very different. For example, if the stimulus class is, "antecedent stimuli which evoke 'laughing' behavior"... you can see that the potential variety of physical forms is nearly infinite - visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory, physical (e.g., tickling), dreaming, etc. But all stimuli in a specific stimulus class have some similar effect on behavior: for example, all red objects, no matter how different they are, can evoke the word, "red" in their presence.

The term conditioned stimulus should only be used when referring to:

A stimulus that is functionally related to respondent behavior -The term conditioned stimulus should only be used when referring to stimuli that are functionally related to respondent behavior. Stimuli that are related to operant behavior, even if they have an effect on behavior due to ontogenic provenance, should not be referred to as conditioned stimuli.

An antecedent is ...

A stimulus which precedes a specified response -This is definitional. An antecedent is a stimulus - not a response - and occurs prior to the response of interest.

Hattie lives near the airport. Planes are on flight paths over her apartment building every day. They make a lot of noise and shake her entire apartment. On the day she moved in, her heart raced the first 2 or 3 times planes passed close overhead, but that soon subsided. She also had difficulty sleeping at night the first few nights. Soon that was also no longer a problem. She is now sleeping fine, and hardly notices when the flight path takes planes over her building. Hattie's change in behavior in relation to the planes passing overhead is an example of:

Adaptation -Adaptation can occur in both respondent and operant situations. Hattie's racing heartbeat is part of an activation syndrome reflex response (respondent) which occurs as a result of the onset of the noise and shaking from the plane going overhead (the unconditioned stimulus). This is an unconditioned reflex. The reduction in her reflex response, after repeated exposures to the US, may have been a form of habituation (if initially, several planes went overhead in a short time frame). But over a longer time frame, she fully adapted to this prolonged environmental condition. The US (plane) no longer triggers a UR (activation). Not only does her reflex response (respondent) cease to occur when a plane goes overhead, but she is no longer disturbed by the noise when she is trying to sleep (which is related to operant classes of behavior). She has adapted to the prolonged conditions in her environment. Desensitization is not a term used for any of these processes; extinction is a consequence, not an antecedent stimulus condition; and a conditioned stimulus elicits a conditioned reflex response, which is not the case here.

Radical behaviorism made the science of behavior complete by extending the analysis to all of the following areas except...

All of these are now included in the science of behavior analysis -There is not much to say here. This is what makes radical behaviorism qualify as "thoroughgoing". Thoughts, emotions, language, and the behavior of the observer are all part and parcel of the analysis

The conditioning of new (conditioned) reflexes always requires the prior existence of:

An unconditioned reflex -A response—stimulus contingency describes a consequential operation, which is not related to respondent conditioning. A CC/CC is involved in 3rd order conditioning only, and is not required for lower order conditioning to occur. Conditioned reflexes develop independent of any motivational variables. However, a conditioned reflex can only develop if there is an unconditioned reflex upon which to build, since the unconditioned response and conditioned response are essentially the same (or very similar) behavior—the only distinction being which stimulus elicits the response: a US, that elicits without prior learning, or a CS that elicits due a process of pairing having occurred.

Anne's financial advisor, Willard, told her that the stock market was a good investment right now because it had begun to behave more predictably in recent months due to improving economic conditions. Which critical attribute of behavior did Willard's statement violate, in terms of his description of the stock market?

Behavior can only be done by a living organism -Stock market price movements are observable, measurable, and involve interaction with the environment, but are not done by a living organism.

Public behavior is...

Behavior which is possible to be observed by two or more individuals -"Anything" includes environmental events, which are not behavior. Private events can happen in a public environment. But private events can ONLY be observed by ONE individual - the individual experiencing the private event. Any behavior which is observable by two or more people, even if special instrumentation is needed, is public.

No matter what type of behaviorism we are concerned with, behaviorists focus primarily on the relation between ________ and ________.

Behavior; the environment -Simply stated, all forms of behaviorism hold as a primary focus the relationship between behavior and the environment.

Which of the following is not a critical attribute of behavior?

Can be either observable or unobservable -Movement is always involved (even if it is movement at a neurological level), only living organisms can do it, it must be measurable, and it MUST be observable by at least one organism (for private events, only the person doing the behavior observes it).

Which of the following is an example of a response cycle

Carl's "screams" begin when he starts to vocalize above conversational level, continue as he yells, and end when he has stopped vocalizing for 30 seconds -A response cycle describes the beginning, middle, and end of a response. Burping, and yelling "cheese" are quick responses that do not lend themselves to the definition of a response cycle (with a clear beginning, middle and end). Lucinda's tantrums are simply described in general. But Carl's screams are defined by describing the beginning, middle, and end of a single response.

In preparation for the Olympics, Abebe increased his rate of running miles per week from 50 per week to 100 per week over a period of 4 weeks. This change represents the dimensional quantity of:

Celeration -You must distinguish between rate and celeration here, since celeration represents a change in rate. Duration is how long a behavior lasts, and latency is the time between a stimulus and a response. But celeration is about a changing rate, expressed as acceleration.

The degree to which two events are adjacent, instead of dependent upon each other, refers to the concept of:

Contiguity -The degree to which events are adjacent (next to each other) in time or space is considered the degree of contiguity between those events. In behavior analysis, we focus mainly on temporal contiguity (i.e., nearness in time), especially when discussing pairing operations and consequential operations. On the other hand, Contingencies describe a dependency between events, and are usually framed as an "if-then" statement of that dependent relationship.

Science is concerned mainly with gathering and organizing information about the world by means of:

Description, prediction and control -In science, the goal is to describe the phenomenon of interest, predict aspects of its occurrence, and if possible, control it along some parameter through the systematic manipulation of independent variables, which have a functional relationship with that parameter. Description and prediction are important, but only through obtaining control can science establish a clear relationship between the dependent variable (in behavior analysis, the behavior) and the independent variable (the environmental manipulation).

The universe is lawful. This statement best describes which of the philosophical assumptions of behavior analysis?

Determinism -This is definitional. Determinism holds that the universe is an orderly place, and relationships between events exist. Therefore the universe is lawful; that is, laws that govern the workings of the world exist, and can be discovered. Events are determined by these laws.

Carelle, Gregor, and Lilly publish regularly in JABA and other journals regarding their data-based work on techniques for training, monitoring, and providing feedback to direct service staff. They obtained improvements in staff job performance. Which goal of science does the publication and dissemination of Carelle, Gregor, and Lilly's findings demonstrate?

Development of a practical technology -Here we see science used to develop techniques, and procedures to have an impact in the world. These techniques do allow for prediction and control, but the publication of these techniques represents the development of a practical technology.

You measure the amount of time Jose takes to chew and swallow a bite of sashimi. You are measuring the dimensional quantity of:

Duration -Duration is how long a response (chewing) lasts from beginning (food enters mouth) to end (swallows). That is a response cycle by the way.

The function of the response differs from the form of the response in that the function is determined by the response's

Effect on the environment -Function has nothing to do with what happens in the "mind" of the individual, whether it comes from a hypothesized internal source termed as "intent", "reason", or "cognition". Function is simply defined as what the behavior gets - or more correctly, the effect the behavior has on the environment.

When a doctor hits the tendon below the knee cap with a rubber hammer it will strongly, consistently, and reliably evoke kicking of the leg. In other words, hitting the patellar tendon with a rubber hammer will:

Elicit kicking of the leg -Elicit is defined as "to strongly, consistently and reliably evoke". The term elicit is used exclusively for respondent functional relations, when the antecedent stimulus has a direct and powerful behavior altering effect on a reflex response. On the other hand, the term evoke can be used for either respondents or operants.

To strongly, consistently, and reliably evoke is to _______, which is a term used for __________ conditioning

Elicit; only respondent -Elicit is the strongest form of "evoke". Elicitation is very reliable, but is not absolute - it is not 100% (for example, there is habituation!). The term elicit is used exclusively in describing respondents.

Moss runs a functional analysis experiment as follows: For 20 minutes, she provides immediate social attention whenever Reeve makes a fist-to-face contact ("Reeve, don't hit yourself!"). Then for the next 20 minutes, she gives no attention, but remains on the other side of the room. She repeats this process and finds that Reeve tends to hit himself more during those 20 minute periods when she provides attention following his hits. Moss then repeats this experiment, but this time she has her assistant, Carrie, run the experiment. They get the same finding. This process most clearly represents which assumption of behavior analysis?

Empiricism -Here you see experimentation followed by replication, the two elements of empiricism. There is nothing here about conclusions drawn (parsimony), or conclusions needing revision due to new information (philosophic doubt). Critical analysis is not an assumption of behavior analysis.

All of the following are types of selectionism except:

Environmental selection -All types of selection involve the environment, but "environmental selection" does not form a special category. Natural selection is environmental selection of species characteristics; operant selection is environmental selection of an individual's behavior; cultural selection is environmental selection of cultural practices.

Which of the following are identified as the two elements of empiricism?

Experimentation and replication -This one is definitional. Empiricism is observation, description, and quantification, done through the two processes of experimentation and replication of the experiment.

In science, _____ is the basic strategy for gathering new information, while _______ is the strategy by which this information is deemed believable.

Experimentation; replication -Experiments find out new things, but only by replicating those experiments and obtaining the same (or very similar) results can conclusions begin to become believable. Philosophic doubt holds that new data may make us change our view on things, while parsimony holds that the simplest explanation is usually correct.

During your observation, Jose took a total of 30 bites of sashimi. You did not measure how long you watched him for. Which dimensional quantity does this number, "30", represent?

Frequency -This question requires you to distinguish between frequency and rate. If you knew the length of time of your observation, you could calculate the rate (bites of sashimi per minute, for example). But here, you have no information about the time it took him to eat those 30 bites, so all you can report is the raw number of bites: the frequency. Frequency is a simple count of responses, with no reference to the time period over which those responses occurred.

A behavior repeats 15 times. The number 15 represents which dimensional quantity?

Frequency -Frequency is the dimensional quantity associated with the fundamental property of repeatability. Latency is the quantity that measures time between a stimulus and the point in time (temporal locus) when the response starts. Temporal extent is the fundamental property that allows us to measure the dimensional quantity of duration

The science of behavior analysis studies the ________ between behavior and ___________.

Functional relationship; the environment -This is definitional. Mental processes do not enter into the picture. Causal relationships is too strong a term; functional relationship is a better term.

In the science of behavior analysis, which of the following is NOT a determinant of behavior?

Future environmental events -Time does not run backwards. What happens in the future cannot cause what happens in the present. Behavior is therefore determined by the past, and the present, but NOT the future (even if that future is promised to be some kind of reinforcer). What WILL (supposedly) happen does not affect what IS happening. Genetic and organic variables have a clear impact on behavior as well. Can a person without eyesight read a page of regular print? No, no matter how much you try to teach it. But that person may be able to learn to read braille, which constitutes a different environment from typeset print.

A fly finds the odor of rotting meat very appealing and attractive. Yum, time for dinner! Humans on the other hand find the odor of rotting meat very disgusting and repulsive. Yuk, throw that thing out! Which determinant of behavior does this difference most clearly represent?

Genetic/phylogenic factors -The fly and human have very different genetic make-ups, and while rotting meat is tasty food for the fly, it is poison for the human. Thus the fly is drawn in by the odor, while the human is repelled. If you answered "environmental factors", this is incorrect because for both the human and the fly, the environment, that is, the presence of rotting meat, is the same. The thing that makes the difference is found in the genetic inheritance of the two different species.

Skinner's philosophy of the science of behavior analysis:

Radical behaviorism -Although all the other answers were derived from Skinner's work, the overriding philosophy of his work in behavioral science is known as Radical Behaviorism.

Dr. Rotula is giving young Patel a physical exam. She uses a rubber hammer to strike the tendon just below Patel's kneecap, and Patel's leg kicks out with some force. The doctor does this again and the leg kicks again, only less intensely. Patel gets excited by this and asks the doctor to do this again and again, but after the 5th hit, the leg just barely kicks when Dr. Rotula hits the tendon with the hammer. The reduction of the leg kick (in response to the hammer strike on the tendon just below the knee) is an example of:

Habituation -The reduction of the patellar tendon reflex as a result of repeated impacts on the tendon (just below the kneecap) is a classic example of habituation. Adaption means "adjustment" (and is not the same word as adaptation, which refers to a different phenomenon discussed in this unit). De-sensitization, is used in the context of behavioral science as part of a longer term, systematic desensitization, a clinical procedure. Learning is a semi-permanent change in behavior as a result of experience, but the reduction in the strength of the patellar tendon reflex is an unlearned, temporary phenomenon.

The temporary reduction in a reflex response, due to repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus (either the US or the CS) in a short period of time, is known as

Habituation -Habituation occurs when a reflex response shows a reduction in strength. An stimulus is repeatedly presented over a short period of time and it elicits progressively weaker responses. In punishment a stimulus is presented after the response, not before; Attenuation is a reduction in the intensity (along some physical dimension) of the eliciting stimulus, not a reduction in the response. Reflex degradation is a made-up term that only sounds kind-of right.

You are working with a child who has suffered physical abuse in his home. Every time you pass immediately behind the child when he is seated, he flinches and produces a mild grunt. What is the most likely cause of his flinching behavior?

He has a history of being hit by adults passing nearby, so his flinch is a conditioned activation reflex response -Respondent behavior is physiological, and reliable physiological responses in the presence of stimuli which do not typically produce those responses often indicate a history of respondent conditioning of some kind.

In the science of behavior analysis, such variables as the "mind", the "will", and the "self" are seen as:

Hypothetical constructs -Behavior analysis rejects such factors as mental constructs, insofar as they appear simply to be various names given to a supposed internal entity which has no existence separate from the behaviors which are used to indirectly intimate its existence. In other words, behavior is thought to be caused by something which has no independent reality and is unnecessary for a clear scientific description and analysis of the phenomenon of behavior.

Which of the following statements is NOT true about potentiation:

It can be observed with only one presentation of a US -All of the other statements are true. Potentiation requires several presentations of the US to occur, since it is characterized by an increase in the reflex response over repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus, in a relatively short time.

Who discovered the principles of respondent conditioning?

Ivan P. Pavlov -B. F. Skinner discovered how operant behavior develops through consequential operations and signaling. Charles Darwin studied natural selection. John B. Watson extended the discoveries of Pavlov to humans (specifically, how emotions are learned through respondent conditioning). It was Ivan P. Pavlov who discovered how reflexes are conditioned through pairing.

Which of the following could not be an unconditioned response?

Jumping out of the way of a car -There is no "jumping" reflex, which is elicited without prior learning. To jump out of the way of a car, you have to learn about cars! Toddlers will not jump out of the way! But toddlers will blink when a firecracker explodes, or cough when exposed to smoke, or salivate when given food. Those are unconditioned reflexes.

The following 3 items are about Jose eating sashimi: A plate of sashimi tuna is placed in front of Jose. You measure the amount of time between the plate arriving and the first bite of tuna Jose takes. You are measuring the dimensional quantity of:

Latency -Latency is the time between an antecedent stimulus (plate of tuna arriving) and the start of the target behavior (Jose eating tuna). Rate would be number of bites, IRT would be time between bites, celeration would be change in rate of bites per minute from the beginning of meal to end of meal (he slows down as he gets full).

One dimensional quantity measures the time between a stimulus and a target behavior which follows that stimulus. For example, after a doorbell rings (stimulus), someone then answers the door (target response). This dimensional quantity, the measured time between stimulus and response, is called:

Latency -This is definitional. Temporal locus and temporal extent are both fundamental properties and so are not directly related to any numerical value. IRT is the time between responses, not the time between a stimulus and a response.

A pigeon learns to peck a key to get food. This is an example of how

Learning can occur without words -Consequences are not necessary for learning to occur (for example look at pairing antecedents). Human and animal subjects learn via the same basic principles of learning (although it is true that some processes, such as those seen in rule governance and verbal behavior, are more salient to the analysis of human learning).

Operant selection most directly relates to which of the determinants of behavior?

Learning history -Genetic/phylogenic factors do play a role in behavior, but their role is often indirect, whereas operant selection is a direct result of an individual's learning history. The current environment is important as a determinant of operant behavior, but it is past environmental events, specific consequences which have already happened, which have exerted what we refer to as (environmentally-mediated) operant selection.

Which of the following is a behavior because it passes the dead man's test?

Lucy the dog barked and wagged her tail -"Not following directions" and "lying quietly" can all be done very well by non-living things! Barking and wagging tail, on the other hand, are ACTION verbs which can only be done by a living organism.

Which of the following is not one of the philosophical assumptions of science (and thus, not an assumption of behavior analysis)?

Mechanism -Mechanism is often mistaken for a philosophical assumption since it seems reminiscent of the idea of a "mechanistic universe". However, this is not an assumption of science. Lawfulness of the universe (as indicated by the assumption, "determinism") does not mean mechanistic, but does mean that causal relationships exist, and follow discoverable rules. Thus, one phenomenon can affect another in a way that can be empirically observed, described, and explored via systematic manipulation.

You experience a headache and you rub your temples. This is an example of:

Neither -You have to learn to rub your temples when you experience a headache, so this cannot be an unconditioned reflex. Also, there is no rubbing the temples reflex response.

The King and his family are provided a large table of food. Then the King is presented with various forms of entertainment at court. In terms of the King as the behaver, these events (being provided food, being presented with a show) are all...

Neither public nor private behavior. -Where does is say the King actually does anything? There is no behavior by the King specified here.

"A stimulus that has no effect on a particular reflex response" is the definition of a(n):

Neutral stimulus -A stimulus that has no effect on a particular reflex response is defined as a neutral stimulus, but it can have an effect on other responses. For example, magnification of a light will be a neutral stimulus in relation to salivation, but not in relation to pupil contraction. Unconditioned stimuli (and unconditioned elicitors) elicit an unconditioned reflex response

You have tried unsuccessfully, over many different trials, to make a tonal change from 440 hz to 450 hz, function as a conditioned stimulus. This is a barely perceptible tonal frequency change. The change in tone remains a neutral stimulus change no matter what conditioning techniques you implement. What general rule does this most likely represent?

Not all neutral stimuli can become conditioned stimuli -The change in tone is too minimal to be discriminated easily. The conditioning procedure will not matter. Musical tones can be used - and in some cases even the onset of particular songs can be effective conditioned stimuli. The state of deprivation or satiation tends to be more a phenomenon of operant conditioning, and clearly does not apply here.

A contingency is said to exist when...

One event depends upon another -Unlike contiguity, which is defined as the nearness of events in space or time, contingency means that one event depends upon the occurrence of the other event. A contingency is an "if—then" statement. Immediacy can be important, but that is more a time-based matter relating to contiguity, not contingency. Just because one event follows another that does not mean there is a contingency. If a blue car passes by, and then a red car passes, this does not mean the red car's passing was contingent on the blue car!

Which of the following procedures leads to respondent conditioning?

Pairing -Consequential operations and signaling are operant processes and are not involved in respondent conditioning. Unpairing leads to respondent extinction. Pairing leads to respondent conditioning.

Harry Houdini was attending a séance. A medium was attempting to talk to the dead. The lights started flickering and there was a knocking sound coming from the wall. One of the attendees screamed and said there was a ghost in the room. Harry said the medium was most likely engaging in fraud. Houdini's conclusion exemplifies which scientific assumption?

Parsimony -This is a perfect example of parsimony. Parsimony does not mean that the simplest explanation is always correct, so it leaves room for a complex explanation (such as the idea that there may be truly psychic people - one never knows!). But the simplest explanation is USUALLY correct, and in the case of Houdini's debunking mediums, fraud and hoax are a much simpler explanation than accepting the alternative explanation that everything we understand about how space and time function is wrong, and we can actually talk to the dead.

Marshall is in a workshop. All at the same time, he hears the air conditioner come on, a police siren a block away, a radio playing in the room, birds singing outside the window, and a staff person asking him to stand up. There are many people around him. He has a box of pens on the table in front of him. The room is warm. This is a description of a:

Part of his environmental context -Everything listed in the question is a current environmental occurrence, happening within his range of perception. They constitute at least a part of his environmental context. "Context-response class" and "topographical response stimulus class" are fake terms. Setting events are occurrences or situations, usually somewhat remote in time (past), that can make behavior more or less likely to occur in the present.

That all of our information is both tentative and testable demonstrates:

Philosophic doubt -Whenever you discuss information being tentative you are discussing philosophic doubt.

The genetic determinants are also known as _________ factors, while the organism's learning history is also known as ________ factors.

Phylogenic, ontogenic -The term phylogenic refers to the history of the species, passed on through the genes. Each species has a different genetic inheritance. Flies like different things than us! But each individual also has a learning history all his or her own. The various characteristics of that individualized learning history are known as the ontogenic factors.

Evil Dr. No has Secret Agent James Bond strapped to his lab table. He touches Bond's left elbow with an electrode and Bond winces in pain, as his arm twitches slightly. Each time Dr. No asks Bond a question, and Bond replies with a clever quip, Dr. No touches Bond's left elbow with the electrode (at the same power level each time). Bond's reaction increases after each electrode touch. By the 7th touch of the electrode, Bond shouts in pain and his arm jumps out to full extension. The increase in Bond's reaction to the shock is an example of:

Potentiation -De-habituation is not a real term. A punisher would occur after a target behavior, and here we are looking at the shock happening before Bond's reaction. Sensitization occurs when a stimulus elicits a response, and then a new stimulus, other than the original eliciting stimulus, is presented soon afterwards and elicits a similar response. The 2nd eliciting stimulus shares some physical characteristics with the original eliciting stimulus. But in this question, the eliciting stimulus is always the same - shock.

The truth of particular theories in science can be assessed in terms of their successful practical applications. This best describes the scientific assumption of:

Pragmatism -The application of scientific ideas must work in the real world for those ideas to be considered true.

Julia awoke with a headache. She thought she might be coming down with a cold. These occurrences (her headache and her thought) can best be described as...

Private events -While the headache is an environmental event (a stimulus), the thought is not. The thought is a behavior (not a stimulus). Both are private, so are both considered private events. There is no commonality of form (no topographical response class).

Which of the following is a social science?

Psychology -Both behavior analysis and physiology are natural sciences since they observe and measure natural phenomena directly. Psychology posits hypothetical constructs which can only be indirectly measured, and only observed via indirect methods - mainly by observing behavior which indicates the presence of such constructs as "personality type".

Which of the following is a fundamental property of behavior

Repeatability -A behavior can repeat. Before we came up with a way to count, this was true. Then, once we had a way to count we could measure the dimensional quantity of frequency. Duration and IRT are both measurements of time, so CANNOT be fundamental properties - which existed before a way to measure was developed.

An eye that blinks when air is puffed toward the eye exemplifies a (n):

Respondent relation -The puff of air is an unconditioned stimulus (US) (e.g. elicits a UR due to phylogenic provenance and not the orgasm's prior exposure or experience with the stimulus). Eye blinking is the unconditioned response (UR). That is the puff of air elicits eye blinking. The specific respondent relation is an unconditioned reflex.

When a consequence is dependent upon the occurrence of a particular behavior, this is referred to as a(n)

R—S contingency -First comes the behavior in the form of a specific response (R); then comes the consequential stimulus, (S). Consequences are stimuli that follow behavior. When the consequence is dependent on the behavior, there is a contingency: If (R), then consequence (S).

Each weekend day, Perseus can only get access to his favorite video game, Release the Kraken, by completing three tasks given to him by his father, Zeus. This is the only way Perseus can get access to the game. This exemplifies a(n);

R—S contingency -Perseus must first do specific behavior (R) to get access to the video game (S). This is an "if and only if" statement: If and only if Perseus does the chores given to him by Zeus will he then get access to the video game. "If and only if (R), then (S)".

Which of the following contiguous arrangements will potentially lead to pairing?

S1 - S2 -Pairing occurs when two stimuli occur in close temporal contiguity. S1 - S2 is the only answer where two stimuli are present.

An explosion occurs at an oil refinery, and Dub, an executive at the refinery, experiences an activation reflex response. Once Dub's heart rate slows back to normal, and he has stopped shaking, he stands looking out the window at the fire. His phone suddenly rings, and his heart rate jumps again. His heart rate jumping to the phone ringing is an example of:

Sensitization -Sensitization, following the explosion, is characterized by a lowering of Dub's threshold for a different noise, the phone ringing, to now elicit an activation reflex response. "Fear induced agitation" is not a term from behavior analytic science. Pairing has not occurred here: One stimulus did not immediately precede another, such that it has its function altered by that pairing (in other words, the phone ringing, as a neutral stimulus, did not immediately precede the explosion, an unconditioned stimulus in relation to the activation syndrome). Finally, respondent analysis is mainly focused on physiological responses, and the antecedent stimuli that precede them.

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned response?

Shivering when you see a picture of ice -Rubbing your leg and screaming are not reflex responses, so "conditioned response" cannot apply. Coughing, elicited by an irritant in the throat, occurs without prior learning, so is an unconditioned response. Shivering is an unconditioned reflex response in the presence of cold temperatures, but shivering in response to a picture of ice occurs due to pairing: the visual stimulus in the presence of ice (NS), paired with cold temperatures (US) that elicit shivering (UR); when the picture of ice (CS) elicits shivering, this is an example of a conditioned response.

Which of the following respondent conditioning procedure is most effective?

Short Delay Conditioning -Short delay conditioning is the most effective respondent conditioning procedure, by empirical results. The next effective is long delay, then trace. Finally, sometimes, simultaneous can be effective.

Which of the following is NOT a basic operation of the science of behavior analysis?

Statistical analysis -While directly observe and measure behavior and its relationship to the environment, we do not use statistics. We use visual inspection of graphical displays of data.

Reflex responses have the same form (or very similar form) each time they occur; they conform to the same pattern of responding. Thus, reflex responses are said to be:

Stereotypic -One of the critical attributes of an unconditioned reflex is reflex responses are stereotypic (e.g. highly invariant in form.). Innate means inborn; involuntary means they are under the control of the autonomic nervous system and occur, essentially, automatically.

Functional relationships between environmental events and specific behavior can be revealed with the greatest certainty by doing

Systematic manipulations -Systematic manipulations reveal functional relationships most clearly because when an environmental variable is manipulated, behavior can then be measured to see if it changes in a systematic way in relation to the environmental change. Frequent observations, continuous assessment, and continuous data monitoring does not do this, since environmental changes are not necessarily tracked in relation to behavior changes during those processes.

Raindrops are falling on my head and shoulders. I raise my umbrella and the raindrops stop hitting my head and shoulders. Which of the following best represents this sequence?

S—R—S contingency -First there is an antecedent stimulus condition, the rain hitting me (S1). This is followed by my response, raising the umbrella (R1). This is followed by the rain no longer hitting my head (S2). The dependency is that the rain stops hitting me, dependent upon my raising the umbrella. There is only one response here (not 2). Also, the two environmental events, rain hitting me and rain no longer hitting me, are not in a contingent relationship with each other, so there is no S—S contingency either.

At the beginning of "clicker training", I make sure that I always pair two stimuli (a click sound from a hand clicker, and delivery of a fish treat) whenever I provide fish treats to Phoenix, a dolphin in training. This means that I never do a click without following it with the delivery of a fish treat, and Phoenix never gets a fish treat unless it is preceded by a click. This describes an example of a(n):

S—S contingency -The behaver is the dolphin, Phoenix. The stimuli are specified: a click sound and fish treat. Information about the amount of time between the two stimuli is not provided, nor information about the amount of time between a response and a consequence. Thus this is not about temporal contiguity. But the fact that the fish treat always follows the click, and the click never occurs unless it is followed by a fish, describes a strong contingent relationship between S1 (click) and S2 (fish)

The "nearness of events in time" is also known as:

Temporal contiguity -Contiguity means nearness. Temporal means time. A contingency is an "if-then" statement.

Which of the following would not fall within the subject matter of behavior analysis?

The cognitive-behavioral analysis of mental schemas in an adult with depression. -Behavior analysis includes anything dealing with the functional relationship between behavior and environmental events. This includes assessments, demonstration of basic principles through environmental manipulations, and conceptual analysis. However, behavior analysis does not include the effects of inferred processes (e.g., cognitive schemas), which cannot be measured.

Behavior is:

The interaction of the muscles and the glands of a live organism and the environment -An elicited reaction is a type of behavior, and so is an inappropriate reaction to a situation, but these are not good broad definitions of "behavior". Attitudes are not behavior; they are mentalistic constructs which are subject to vastly different definitions by different people.

Sid is at his cabin in the Rocky Mountains. He looks up at the night sky (without aid of any telescope or binoculars), and sees the stars, the planets, and the Moon. A small meteor strikes the far side of the Moon. The far side of the Moon is always turned away from the Earth and can never be seen from anywhere on Earth. Which of the following is NOT a stimulus in Sid's environment?

The meteor striking the far side of the Moon -Sid sees both the night sky and the Moon, so clearly these are stimuli in his environment. However, he can never see the far side of the Moon from Earth, so even though a meteor strikes there, it is not a stimulus. It is beyond his ability to perceive it, so is not a part of his environment, even though it occurs.

A dimensional quantity is

The quantifiable aspect of a fundamental property -First there exists the fundamental property. It exists before a way to measure it is developed. Then we create a way to measure the property, a way to place some kind of numerical scale across the phenomenon to allow us to quantify it across some dimension. Number counts, measurements of time, length, or weights are all arbitrarily scaled measurement tools which allow us to put numerical values on relative amounts of fundamental properties.

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned stimulus?

The sight of a spider elicits an increase in heart rate -The bright light, the irritant in the nose, and the taste of food do not have to acquire the capacity to elicit their corresponding reflex responses. The sight of a spider, on the other hand, needs to be learned to acquire the capacity to elicit an increase in heart rate, so this is an example of a conditioned stimulus.

A teacher hands out a math worksheet to all of her students. One student answers all of the problems very quickly and turns the worksheet in immediately. The teacher gives him a star on his paper and the student smiles at her, and then looks away shyly. She immediately says to him, "Really excellent work, Mahmoud. You may become a mathematician someday!" Soon, the bell rings and class is over. Later that afternoon he tells his mom about this interaction with his teacher, and his mom gives him a hug. If Mahmoud is the behaver, which of the following would count as a consequence for one of Mahmoud's behaviors?

The teacher saying "Really excellent work" -Only the teacher saying, "Really excellent work" directly follows one of Mahmoud's specified responses - smiling and looking shyly away. The teacher placing the star on the worksheet is the immediate consequence for his doing the problems correctly. Her extended social interaction with him is also a likely consequence of his answering all questions correctly - but her second consequential reaction to him is most likely evoked by his smiling and looking away.

Which of the following is a critical attribute of a functional relationship?

The value of the dependent variable changes in an orderly fashion -This is an important aspect of a functional relationship: the orderly relationship between changes in the Independent variable and the dependent variable. If this was not an orderly relationship, no prediction would be possible, and no clear relationship could thus be identified

People said Billy-bob "had a habit" of cutting himself and taking samples of his own blood. He would put these samples in small vials and keep them in his room. In the presence of certain people (his friends mainly) he would get a lot of attention for this behavior ("Cool man"; "Go Billy-bob, go!"). But when he did this in the presence of other people (especially the adults in his family), they would express horror, and then quickly move away from him (for example: "Arrgh, that is disgusting, William. How can you do that to yourself?", or "Good grief, just stop it will ya?"). Billy-bob liked his adult family members' reactions, especially because they typically resulted in him escaping (or avoiding) prompts to "clean his room" or to "turn down that awful music". Sometimes he would just sit alone his room at night and take a couple of blood samples, just for fun. For Billy-bob, all of these instances of "taking samples of his own blood" constituted a(n)

Topographical response class -Same behavior, different contexts, different outcomes. The psychological diagnoses are not the purview of behavior analysts, and can be left for a future discussion as to their usefulness or accuracy.

When you write a response definition without specifying anything about the antecedent stimuli or consequating stimuli, but simply describe the form of the response, you are describing the _________ of the response.

Topography -Topography means form. A description of the response topography is the description of the response form - what it looks like.

A topographical response class is a collection of...

Two or more responses which share a common/similar form, regardless of their effect on the environment -Members of a topographical response class all look the same or very similar. No response is the exact same as another response—some properties always differ, whether in magnitude, intensity, or along some other parameter (such as a right handed wave versus a left handed wave - both are members of the topographical response class, "hand waves"). However, they may have very different environmental effects, i.e. different functions.

An unconditioned response is always elicited by a

Unconditioned elicitor -An unconditioned response is the response component (i.e. respondent) of an unconditioned reflex. An unconditioned reflex occurs when an unconditioned stimulus elicits an unconditioned response; in this case, the US is referred to as an unconditioned elicitor. A stimulus—stimulus relationship relates to pairing, and response—stimulus relates to a consequential operation, which is not related to respondent conditioning.

A stimulus which elicits a response without prior learning, that is, due to an inherent capacity to do so is called a(n):

Unconditioned stimulus -An unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus which elicits an unconditioned response without prior learning; that is, due to an innate capacity to do so.

In classifying the functions of environmental events, respondent behavior is:

Under the exclusive control of antecedent stimuli -Respondent behavior does not result in changes in the environment (consequences). Operant behavior is maintained by its consequences. Respondent behavior is under the control of antecedent stimuli (e.g. unconditioned stimulus AND conditioned stimulus).

Name the process through which respondent extinction occurs.

Unpairing of stimuli -Pairing leads to conditioning, not extinction. Habituation is temporary. Extinction is permanent. Consequating is an operant process, not respondent.

Selectionism is characterized by ________, interaction with _________, and differential replication as a function of the interaction.

Variation; the environment -This is definitional: selectionism follows the stated cyclic sequence: variation, interaction with the environment, and a differential replication of the variation based on the environmental reaction, which strengthens or weakens the variation. While both Skinner and Darwin wrote about selectionism, these men are not characteristics of it. Evolution may be a result of selectionism, but this is not true for all forms of selectionism.

Ali "punched", which consisted of closed-fisted short jabbing strikes. Sometimes he punched objects (e.g., couches), and sometimes he punched people. Sometimes punching resulted in him receiving attention from staff and peers; sometimes it got him out of having to complete tasks (such as chores); and sometimes he did it when he was all alone (punching pillow at night). Thus, even though his various "punching" responses seemed to have different X , they all had a very similar Y .

X = Functions, Y = Topographies -The punching responses got very different outcomes - they had wide ranging effects on Ali's immediate environment. But they were all punches - the same general response form. Thus the functions were different, but the topographies were very similar.

Jack Michael defined a stimulus as, "an energy X that affects an organism thorough its Y .

X = change Y = receptors -A stimulus is always defined as an environmental change, and in order to affect the organism it must be able to stimulate (have an effect upon) one or more of the organism's sensory receptor systems.

The target behavior is "sleeping in bed". The person "sleeps in bed" an average of 8 hours per day, and is awake/out-of-bed an average of 16 hours per day (between periods of sleeping in bed). The number, "8 hours" represents the dimensional quantity X , and the number 16 hours represents the dimensional quantity, Y.

X = duration, Y = IRT -Duration and IRT are like two sides of the same coin. When the behavior is happening, it is in the midst of a duration (X = sleeping in bed = duration); when the behavior is NOT happening, it is in the midst of an IRT (Y = being out of bed = IRT). IRT is time between responses.

Cooper, Heron, and Heward (2007) state that, "Science is a X approach for seeking and Y knowledge about the natural world"

X = systematic Y = organizing -Science can be data-based, and those data may be reliable. But science is neither focused disseminating knowledge nor is it focused on simply verifying knowledge. Science does rely on factual information, but this is not particular to science. But science in general does provide a systematic approach, seeking to organize knowledge about the natural world. This is its broad purpose, and applies to all forms of the scientific method.

You see a bowl of bouillabaisse (French seafood stew) and say "Fish soup!" You see a bowl of cioppino (Italian seafood soup) and you say, "Fish soup!" You see a bowl of yosenabe (Japanese "everything in a pot" soup, usually with a lot of fish) and you say, "Fish soup!" As the behaver in this scenario, your saying, "Fish Soup" in these three circumstances forms a X class, while all of the various bowls of soup taken together form a Y class.

X = topographical response Y = stimulus -What you say is a response. Each time, you say the same thing -- so the topographies are the same. Thus your three responses, saying "fish soup" in different circumstances, form a topographical response class. Each of the bowls of soup is a stimulus, not a response, so together they form a stimulus class.

Which of the following explanations is more likely to be based on a social scientific approach (rather than a natural scientific approach)? Orestes bought his tunics today at the Romana Republic Tunic and Toga Shoppe because: X = He has brand loyalty to Romana Republic clothing Y = All of his Romana Republic tunics have lasted far longer than tunics from either Old Galley clothiers or Pope Urban Outfitters.

X is based in a social science approach -"Brand Loyalty" as an explanation of behavior is a hypothetical construct, as if it is something he has inside him causing his behavior. It is a social science type of invisible driving mechanism. On the other hand, the fact that Orestes had past experience with tunics from all three stores, and the ones which lasted the longest came from Romana Republic, is a testable and measureable set of environmental events, distinct from his behavior of buying tunics today. That is a natural science approach.

Which of the following is/are an example of an unconditioned reflex? X= Books fall off the top shelf causing a loud thud; Neil's heart beat increases quickly. Y= Books fall off the top shelf causing a loud thud; Neil picks them up and puts them back

X only -The loud thud elicits activation reflex (startle, racing heart) without prior learning. As an unconditioned reflex, this would happen to all members of the species. Picking up books is learned behavior, maintained by consequences (past history of praise, or simply a more orderly environment is restored). Consequences mean operants, not reflex responses (respondents).

Identify whether one, both, or neither of the following is a behavior. X = Not answering a question Y = Thinking about the right answer to a question

Y only is an example of behavior -Thinking is a behavior (specific thoughts can be counted). "Not answering" does not pass the dead man's test

Which of the following operations in behavior analysis can ONLY occur before a behavior? X = Pairing Y = Consequating Z = Signaling

Z only -Pairing can occur either before or after a behavior. Consequating can only occur after a behavior. Signaling can only occur before a behavior—it is an antecedent condition that signals something about whether or not a consequence is likely to follow a response.