1. 1 Chapter 2 – Methods for Changing Target Behaviors Ps534 Dr. Ken Reeve Caldwell College Post-Bac Program in ABA

2. 2 Reminder…  Many of the terms in this chapter are a review for students who have already taken courses in this program  New students who are not as familiar with these terms will learn about them in more detail in the other classes in the program  For now, a cursory knowledge is sufficient for understanding research design  If needed, consult Behaviorspeak for a definition

3. 3 Review…  TARGET BEHAVIOR = DEPENDENT VARIABLE  METHODS TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR (INTERVENTION) = INDEPENDENT VARIABLE  FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP = degree to which the independent variable affects the dependent variable (and can you isolate this effect!!) –Main focus in research is to determine functional relationship between intervention X and learning outcome Y

4. 4 ABCs of BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS  ANTECEDENT (you are in a particular situation, setting, environment or in the presence of a particular cue or signal)  BEHAVIOR - this is what you do in a particular setting, situation  CONSEQUENCE - when you produce some behavior, some change will occur in the situation - the consequence is important because it either makes the likelihood of your doing that particular behavior again stronger or weaker depending on what the consequence is

5. 5 Reinforcement vs. Punishment “Reinforcer” (Appetitive) Aversive Stimulus PresentPositive Reinforcement Positive Punishment Remove/ Terminate Negative Punishment Negative Reinforcement

6. 6 Premack’s Principle  “more probable (preferred) behaviors will reinforce less probable (less preferred) behaviors”  “less probable behaviors will punish more probable behaviors” –Premack suggests it is possible to describe reinforcing events as actions of the organism rather than as discrete stimuli

7. 7 SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT  these are rules about HOW and WHEN reinforcer follows a R  Most simple schedule:  CONTINUOUS REINFORCEMENT (CRF) - is simplest schedule  involves a 1:1 ratio between R and S R  INTERMITTENT (PARTIAL) SCHEDULES:  these involve cases where reinforcement is delivered only after SOME response or only if response occurs at CERTAIN TIME

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9. 9 SHAPING  means to gradually “mold” behavior by reinforcing it every time it gets closer to a final desired behavior - similar to how we play “hot and cold”

10. 10 PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY REINFORCERS VS. GENERALIZED REINFORCERS  Primary reinforcers are consequences that we need for survival (or we have an in-born love of these things)  Secondary reinforcers are stimuli that we’ve LEARNED to love or need (usually because they are paired with other reinforcers)  Generalized reinforcers are stimuli that we’ve LEARNED to love or need that can be traded in for MANY other reinforcers

11. 11 DIFFERENTIAL REINFORCEMENET OF OTHER VS. ALTERNATIVE VS. INCOMPATIBLE BEHAVIOR  If we reinforce behavior that is NOT the target behavior, then the target behavior usually drops in occurrence  DRO = reinforce any behavior that is NOT the target  DRA = reinforce a specific behavior that is more adaptive than the target  DRI = reinforce a behavior that makes it impossible to do the target