Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis
Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change
Chapter One Study Questions and Notes
1. Describe how human behavior influences our welfare.
A. Behavior influences our welfare by determining what we put into our body such as
food, beverages, medications, and supplements. It also affects our ability to
adequately function in society by determining our level of education/training and what
occupation we have. Behavior impacts our world by the way we use or conserve
natural resources. A final way behavior impacts our welfare is the way we make
decisions, as a collective unit (society), do we make decisions on what is best for the
majority of people and future generations or do we make decisions based on the few
wants and needs presented.
2. Briefly describe the evolution of behavior analysis from its early beginnings to the present.
A. The desire to understand behavior has been around since we first started to see
social groups emerge. People have had a desire to know why people do what they
do with the primary purpose is discover how they can change behavior to achieve a
more desired result. Later in the 19th century the concept of experimental
psychology was developed. This was the first instance of the concept of designing
experiments to understand one’s mind or psyche. William Wund and Edward B.
Tichener were the pioneers in the concept of structuralism. They wanted to
understand the adult way of thinking by creating straightforward, operational terms to
represent different systems of thought. Freud and Jung came along next with
concepts of id, ego, superego (Freud) and extroverted, introverted (Jung). These
“archetypes” were able to be applied to large groups of people and were transferable
over time. Watson then brought forth the idea of methodological behaviorism which
included the observation of behavior with the purpose of shaping behavior. B.F.
Skinner adapted Watson’s theories to explicitly tie behavior to science. This brought
the now commonly held belief that “the behavior of organisms is as subject to the
laws of nature as are other natural phenomena.” This ties some earlier beliefs with
Darwin’s theory of selectionism. They were the first to suggest that behavior is the
result of a preceding event (stimulus) and/or consequences.
B. Edwin G. Boring conducted a meta-analysis of a variety of works to create History of
Experimental Pyschology. B.F. Skinner contributed the concept of “experimental
analysis of behavior,” he did this within both a temporal and a biological context. He
then collaborated with colleagues to extend these analyses to behavior in a social
context. The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis was first published in 1968 and
ABA was coined as a term to mean “an evidence-based method of examining and
changing what people (and other living creatures) say and do.” Holland and Skinner
then began programming instruction with the goal of advancing university students’
conceptual understanding. This included breaking instruction content down into
smaller parts and requiring students to actively participate in class discussions.
Scientists applied ABA to help with people who stutter, psychiatric patients’ adaptive
behaviors, and developmentally delayed children who exhibited a variety of behavior
deficits. These early efforts showed such success that they wanted to expand the
reach of ABA to more behavior challenges that were previously found difficult to
change.
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Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis
Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change
Chapter One Study Questions and Notes
C. Another area of behavior analysis is the conceptual analysis of behavior which
“verbally addresses historical, philosophical, theoretical, and methodological issues.
The key point when looking over the history is that thanks to all of the people
mentioned above and many more, the definition remains that ABA is a scientific
method, a technology, and/or a professional approach.
3. Discuss when the behavior of organisms was found to be just as lawful as other natural
phenomenon and amenable to scientific investigation.
A. John B. Watson (1878-1958) used “methodological behaviorism” by assuming that
behavior obeyed certain basic laws/principles. Skinner followed Watson but was
more economical in his perspective by endorsing the notion that the behavior of
organisms is the subject matter of science.
4. List and describe the philosophical concepts on which applied behavior analysis (ABA) is
based.
A. Determinism: Doctrine that acts of the will, occurrences in nature, or social or
psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural
laws.
B. Empiricism: Derived from or guided by experience or experiment
C. Parsimony: The simplest theory that fits the facts of a problem is the one that should
be selected.
D. Scientific Method: A method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant
data are gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from these data, and the
hypothesis or question is empirically tested.
5. Describe how ABA consists of (a) scientific method, (b) technology, and © professional
approach.
A. Scientific method: the aim is to identify the variables that lawfully and meaningfully
influence behavior in real-world settings. It quantitatively describes and functionally
addresses socially important behavioral challenges. The behaviors chosen are
important and immediately beneficial to individuals and/or society.
B. Technology: increasing behavior, teaching and maintaining behavior, making
behavior sensitive to environmental events, generalizing or expanding the breadth of
performance to new stimuli, and reducing maladaptive, counterproductive behavior.
Before any treatment is deemed to produce a particular result reliably it must
demonstrate that outcome in the form of multiple replications either across different
behaviors within the same individual or across different individuals or groups.
C. Professional Approach: governments are requiring that people who advertise to use
ABA undergo and meet requirements by presenting their credentials, passing
examinations covering a breadth of information, demonstrating their ongoing ability to
apply the skills deemed essential, and regularly upgrading their competence through
CE experiences.
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Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis
Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change
Chapter One Study Questions and Notes
6. Define behavior
A. Behavior is what living organisms do, this includes what and how they communicate.
It is a neutral term with no intended connotation.
7. Describe ABA in simple language
A. “Applied behavior analysis is an evidence-based method of examining and changing
what people (and other living creatures) say and do.”
B. This means that ABA uses evidence gathered through experiments completed in a
specific setting and generalize the desired behavior to other real-world settings. The
evidence is gathered through methodical observation and experience and is
immediately helpful to the individual and/or society. The behaviors analyzed should
be socially important and hold practical value.
8. Differentiate between applied and basic behavior analysis.
A. Applied refers to the fact that the behaviors chosen are both important and
immediately helpful to the individual and/or society. It is designed to transfer to the
real-world setting Basic behavior analysis isn’t conducted or easily transferable to
real-world settings. It is conducted in a lab using strict experimental control. Basic
analysis takes much longer to be considered valid and helpful to the individual and/or
society.
9. Briefly describe who protects clients’ rights.
A. Advocates protect client’s rights by “reviewing and approving (or not) the
intervention goals and methods.” The advocates can be part of a peer review
committee who represent client perspectives, or the consumers of ABA services,
their parents, guardians or designated representatives.
10. List four current roles and functions of ABA participants that interest you most.
A. Four current roles and functions of ABA program participants that interest me are as
follows: academic task learning and engagement skills, writing; communicating skills
of typically-developing children and those with delays; equivalent-class formation;
and instruction following.
11. Review and describe each major step or element in Figure 1.1. that ABA professionals tend
to follow.
A. First identify the problem or challenge - this is the where you objectively label and
define what the behavior you wish to change is.
B. Second you assess the physical and social environment - this would involve making
sure the environment has everything necessary prior to continuing this process; it
also involves making sure that everyone who is part of the client’s ‘team’ are
unequivocally on board with the details of the plan
C. Third, you specify goals and objectives. This involves refining the goals and
objectives of the program to sharpen its focus.
i. If you use the constructional approach this means you concentrate on
selecting or designing and pursuing constructive behavior goals through
positive means. (example: positive behavioral support)
D. Then you assess the behavior of concern.
i. Select and apply valid, reliable measures.This is important in order to find out
what circumstances support the behavior in its present form. These
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Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis
Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change
Chapter One Study Questions and Notes
measures are used to allow the gathering of and to record useful data. This
data will be graphed and analyzed to identify the contingencies of
reinforcement.
ii. Functionally assess current behavior. This means identifying reinforcers
(what increases the likelihood that the individual will repeat that particular
behavior given the same situation). You would also explore and identify the
stimuli that presently do or can be arranged to function effectively with the
individual under the circumstances of concern.
E. Identify effective contingencies of reinforcement and generalization. This step is
important because it is how you will identify and objectively define what the
antecedent environment will be, which reinforcer and how often it will occur. Then
you also determine a plan for scaling back the reinforcer in order to encourage
generalization of the preferred behavior (or removal of the undesired behavior).
F. Graph baseline data. This step allows you to definitively determine with what
frequency is the behavior occurring. This is critical in order to show growth.
G. Select or design behavior-change, experimental analytic, and generalization plan
i. Increase
ii. Bring under stimulus control
iii. Shift, expand, or narrow stimulus control
iv. Shape or chain new behavior
v. Prevent or reduce (mis-) behavior
H. Incorporate verbal behavior if appropriate
i. Apply behavior change plan
ii. Continue graphing assessing treatment fidelity, reliability of data collection
iii. Assess for generalization and experimentally analyze results
I. If this succeeds then maintain thin intervention strategies
J. If this does not succeed start over by re-identifying problem or challenge or
select/design a different behavior-change, experimental analytic, and generalization
plan
12. Identify at least 3 of the elements in Figure 1.1 that were used with Harrison (see Box 1.2)
A. Applied - the initial goals they set for Harrison were socially significant behavior such
as escaping non-preferred activities.
B. Behavioral - the behavior chosen (escape) is observable and quantifiable
C. Effective - the behavior intervention plan was effective as demonstrated by his
mother’s report regarding his classes and extracurricular activities.
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