1. Applied Behavior Modification Mgr. Dana Fajmonová Mgr. Michal Osuský

2. Basic Information Time: Monday 18:30 – 19:50 Room: J2080 (Jinonice building) Credits: ??? SUSO Materials, information: dl.cuni.cz Contact: dana.fajmonova@gmail.com, michal.osusky@gmail.comdana.fajmonova@gmail.com michal.osusky@gmail.com Consultations: via email, on request Language: English (take it as a challenge)

3. Course requirements 3 assignments: ▫field observation ▫behavioral change of your own behavior ▫behavioral change of somebody else´s behavior ▫Progressive deadlines  middle of course – min. 1 assignment ▫App: 600 words Final test – basic terms and application Voucher – 1 wikipedia article

4. Why did we decide to teach this course? It’s applied! ▫Strong connection between science and everyday life Strong impact ▫Knowledge that gives you tools for influencing yourself, your environment High explanatory value ▫Basic behavioral patterns are everywhere around us – you will see!

5. Objectives of the course After you finish the course, you will: ▫Understand the basic terms related to behavior and its modification ▫Be more sensitive in observing, understanding and interpreting behavior ▫Be able to apply the tools of BM, e.i. change your or others’ behavior

6. Ethical considerations Is this stuff ethical? Discussion. Yes, if: ▫No manipulation (influencing other behavior without his awareness and for the manipulators benefit) ▫Changes of others behavior should be for their personal good sake. ▫Encourage the person whose behavior is to be changed to participate in the design of the intervention

7. Building up your knowledge and skills Complex techniques Techniques used for changing behavior – reinforcement, shaping, punishment, etc. Applied behavior analysisTheories of learningBehaviorism - assumptions

8. Complex techniques Self-management ▫Task management tools, coaching techniques, self-development, changing habits, avoiding clinical symptoms Interaction (groups) ▫changing interactions in relationships, family Systems ▫performance management, organizational behavior management, token economies

9. Behavior analysis The science of behavior change The study of functional relations between behavior and environmental events. Does not study internal, drives, motives, unconscious conflicts Studies behavior and events in person´s surroundings that precede and follow behavior and their effect.

10. Applied behavior analysis Science of applying experimentally derived principles of behavior to improve socially significant behavior. ABA takes what we know about behavior and uses it to bring about positive change (Applied). Behaviors are defined in observable and measurable terms in order to assess change over time (Behavior). The behavior is analyzed within the environment to determine what factors are influencing the behavior (Analysis).

11. What is behavior? Anything a person does that can be observed. RESPONDENT reflexive behavior, influenced by events that precede it OPERANT influenced by events that follow a behavior OVERT observed by others COVERT - observed only by person performing it – feelings, thinking

12. Problematic Behavior Examples of behavioral problems? What would be the solution? Is there a pattern? What you want to change on yourself? What you want to change on somebody else?

13. ABC Model AntecedentsBehaviorConsequences

14. Behaviorism Philosophy of psychology based on the proposition that all things that organisms do — including acting, thinking and feeling — can and should be regarded as behaviors. Behaviors as such can be described scientifically without recourse either to internal physiological events or to hypothetical constructs such as the mind.

15. Intermezzo Joke about (radical)behaviorists: 2 behaviorists make love. One of them says: “That was fine for you. How was it for me?”

16. Basic assumptions Behavior is lawful: no random phenomenon, it has order and sense. Explaining behavior consists of identifying functional relations between behavior and physical events. Thoughts and feelings do not explain behavior but they are part of behavior to be explained.

17. Main researchers Pavlov – classical conditioning (wasn´t officially behaviorist) - dogs (around 1900) John Watson - official founder of behaviorism, coined the term behaviorism in 1912 Manifesto Thorndike – Law of effect - cats Skinner – operant conditioning – rats, pigeons

18. What is Watson famous for Little Albert 12 infants quote „Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select – doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so have the advocates of the contrary and they have been doing it for many thousands of years“. [Behaviorism (1930), p. 82]

19. What’s next Behavioral assessment / methods

20. Two main theories of learning Classical conditioning (Pavlov) Operant conditioning (Skinner)