ABA chapter 2 exam

What makes the analysis and control of human behavior difficult?

"Individual differences in histories of reinforcement and organic impairments" also make the analysis and control of human behavior difficult.

What is a "Behavior Change Tactic?"

A behavior change tactic is a technologically consistent method for changing behavior that has been derived from one or more basic principles of behavior.

Temporal Extent means what?

Temporal Extent refers to the fact that every instance of behavior occurs during some amount of time; one of the three dimensional quantities of behavior from which all behavioral measurements are derived.

What does "temporal locus" refer to?

Temporal locus refers to the fact that every instance of behavior occurs at a certain point in time with respect to other events (i.e., when in time behavior occurs can be measured); often measured in terms of response latency and interresponse time(IRT); one of the three dimensional quantities of behavior from which all behavioral measurements are derived.

What is an empirically complete definition of behavior?

The behavior of an organism's interaction with its environment that is characterized by detectable displacement in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of the environment.

How does the environment influence behavior?

The environment influences behavior primarily by stimulus change, not static stimulus conditions.

What are unconditioned reflexes?

An unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation) are called unconditioned reflexes.

When do Antecedent conditions or stimulus changes exist?

Antecedent conditions or stimulus changes exist or occur prior to the behavior of interest.

When and why are Applied Behavior Analysis" sometimes prevented from conducting an effective analysis of behavior?

Applied Behavior Analysis" are sometimes prevented from conducting an effective analysis of behavior because of practical, logistical, financial, sociopolitical, legal, and/or ethical reasons.

Operant conditioning: 5 rules of it. What are they?

1) Consequences can affect only future behavior. 2) Consequences select response classes, not individual responses. 3) Immediate consequences have the greatest effect. 4) Consequences select any behavior that precedes them. 5) Operant conditioning occurs automatically.

When does a Discriminated operant occur?

A discriminated operant occurs more frequently under some antecedent conditions than it does under others, an outcome called stimulus control.

When does a principle behavior describe a functional relation?

A principle of behavior describes a functional relation between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables that has thorough generality across organisms, species, settings and behaviors.

What is a reflex?

A reflex is a stimulus-response relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus and the respondent behavior it elicits (e.g., bright light-pupil contraction).

What is a response class?

A response class is a "Group of responses of varying topography, all of which produce the same effect on the environment."

What is a stimulus class?

A stimulus class is a group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal, temporal, and/or functional dimensions.

All applied behavior analysis procedures involve what?

All applied behavior analysis procedures involve manipulation of one or more components of the three-term contingency.

Factoid: All healthy members of a given species are born with what?

All healthy members of a given species are born with the same repertoire of unconditioned reflexes.

What exactly is behavior?

Behavior is the activity of living organisms. Human behavior is everything people do, including how they move and what they say, think, and feel.

What are conditioned reflexes?

Conditioned reflexes are the product of respondent conditioning: a stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response.

What are consequences?

Consequences are stimulus changes that follow a behavior of interest.

What is meant by "Environment" ?

Environment is the physical setting and circumstances in which the organism or referenced part of the organism exists.

What is "Extinction"?

Extinction (withholding all reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior) produces a decrease in response frequency to the behavior's prereinforcement level.

Another factoid: Humans are capable of acquiring what?

Humans are capable of acquiring a huge repertoire of behaviors. Response chains and verbal behavior also make human behavior extremely complex.

If a reinforcer (or punisher) is contingent on a particular behavior, the behavior must be?

If a reinforcer (or punisher) is contingent on a particular behavior, the behavior must be emitted for the consequence to occur.

The phrase "portion of the organism's interaction with the environment" specifies what?

It specifies "the necessary and sufficient conditions for the occurrence of behavior as (a) the existence of 2 separate entities, organism and environment, and (b) the existence of a relation between them"

Most stimulus changes that function as reinforcers or punishers can be described as either?

Most stimulus changes that function as reinforcers or punishers can be described as either (a) a new stimulus added to the environment, or (b) an already present stimulus removed from the environment.

What is "Negative Punishment" and when does it occur?

Negative punishment occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the withdrawal of a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of the behavior.

When does negative reinforcement occur?

Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the withdrawal of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior.

What does stimulus control refer to?

Stimulus control refers to differential rates of operant responding observed in the presence or absence of antecedent stimuli. Antecedent stimuli acquire the ability to control operant behavior by having been paired with certain consequences in the past.

How can stimulus events be described?

Stimulus events can be described formally (by their physical features), temporally (by when they occur), and functionally (by their effects on behavior).

What is one important function of motivating operations?

One important function of motivating operations is altering the current value of stimulus changes as reinforcement or punishment. For example, deprivation and satiation are motivating operations that make food more or less effective as reinforcement.

How is Operant behavior selected?

Operant behavior is selected by its consequences.

What does operant conditioning refer to?

Operant conditioning, which encompasses reinforcement and punishment, refers to the process and selective effects of consequences on behavior:

What is higher-order (or secondary) respondent conditioning?

Pairing a neutral stimulus with a conditioned stimulus can also produce a conditioned reflex- a process called higher order (or secondary) respondent conditioning.

When does "Positive Punishment" occur?

Positive Punishment occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of the behavior.

When does positive reinforcement occur?

Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior.

What is "Stimulus"?

Stimulus is "an energy change that affects an organism through its receptor cell."

What is repeatability?

Repeatability refers to the fact that a behavior can occur repeatedly through time (i.e., behavior can be counted); one of the three dimensional quantities of behavior from which all behavioral measurements are derived.

Behavior analysis uses the term "repertoire". What does this mean?

Repertoire is sometimes used to refer to all of the behaviors that a person can do. More often the term denotes a set or collection of knowledge and skills a person has learned that are relevant to particular settings or tasks.

How is respondent behavior elicited?

Respondent behavior is elicited by antecedent stimuli.

When does respondent extinction occur?

Respondent extinction occurs when a conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus until the conditioned stimulus no longer elicits the conditioned response.

What is response?

Response is a single instance or occurrence of a specific class or type of behavior. Technical definition: an "action of an organism's effector. An effector is an organ at end of an efferent nerve fiber that is specialized for altering its environment mechanically, chemically, or in terms of other energy charges."

What is response topography?

Response topography refers to the physical shape or form of behavior. For example, the hand and finger movements used to open a bag of peanuts can be described by their topographical elements. However, careful observation will reveal that the topography differs somewhat each time a person opens a bag of snacks.

What is ontogeny and phylogeny?

Selection of behavior by consequences operates during the lifetime of the individual organism (ontogeny) and is conceptual parallel to Darwin's natural selection in the evolutionary history of a species (phylogeny).

What effects do stimulus changes have on behavior?

Stimulus changes can have one or both of two basic effects on behavior: (a) an immediate but temporary effect of increasing or decreasing the current frequency of the behavior, and/or (b) a delayed but relatively permanent effect in terms of the frequency of that type of behavior in the future.

Why do stimulus changes function as conditioned reinforcers?

Stimulus changes function as conditioned reinforcers and punishers do so because of previous pairing with other reinforcers or punishers.

What is aversive stimulus?

The term aversive stimulus is often used to refer to stimulus conditions whose termination functions as reinforcement.

What is the three-term contingency?

The three-term contingency--antecedent, behavior, and consequence--- is the basic unit of analysis in the analysis of operant behavior.

The variables that govern human behavior are often highly complex. Many behaviors have how many causes?

The variables that govern human behavior are often highly complex. Many behaviors have "multiple" causes.

Tell me something about unconditioned reinforcers.

Unconditioned reinforcers and punishers function irrespective of any prior learning history.

Tell us more about Operant behavior and how it takes form.

Unlike respondent behavior, whose topography and basic functions are predetermined, operant behavior can take a virtually unlimited range of forms.