Conditioning novel block
design construction
Conditioning Novel Behavior in Porpoises
Behavioral Interpretation
of Memory
David C. Palmer
Experimental analysis vs.
Interpretation
Experimental analysis
Manipulation of independent
variables and study effect on DV
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Interpretation
Explaining a phenomenon using
known principles
Helpful in complex arrangements
that may be impossible to analyze
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Memory?
Storage metaphor
Traditional theories of memory appeal to
experiences stored in “memory banks”, etc.
Then, we recall a memory by retrieving the
experience from our “memory”
Memories are sometimes stored as
“copies”

Memory?
Behavioral view
Memory is a behavioral phenomenon
Memories are stimulus control relations that
survive across time
For example, child learns to name “pencil”:
is then able to name it the next day
Forgetting therefore is the weakening of a
behavioral relation over time

Memory?
Another angle: The behavior of
“remembering” may also be a result of
problem solving
Problem:
Responses are in the repertoire
SDs are present that signal reinforcement is
forthcoming and EO is present
The response is not under direct control of
current stimuli

Memory?
Example: What did you have for
breakfast yesterday?
“Pancakes” is in the repertoire as a tact
 Reinforcement is scheduled for the answer
 But, “pancakes” has not been conditioned
directly to “What did you have for breakfast
yesterday” – not an intraverbal
 To emit the response, two elements must
obtain: 1) Person must get supplementary
stimuli to evoke response, and 2) must
recognize it as correct

Memory?
Exploratory VB – self probes
“What did I do yesterday? Hmm… got up,
took a shower, and then… oh yes, I made
some cereal

Conditioned seeing
Assume that perceptual behavior (seeing) is
conditioned as we emit it and can be evoked
by accompanying stimuli
That is, we may “see” ourselves coming out
of the shower, going to the kitchen, and
getting the cereal

Memory?
Conditioned seeing (cont’d)
Note that conditioned seeing is evoked by
current stimuli that may be associated with
the seeing – “Now what did I do this AM…”
We“see” the kitchen and some of the
stimuli that were present

How do we recognize that it is correct?
We may respond to its strength: “I am sure
that I had cereal”
The conditioned seeing may evoke other
vivid conditioned seeing that is strong to
confirm

Memory?
Main point: to remember is to
provide supplementary stimuli to
yourself using exploratory VB and
conditioned seeing
End
Comps (Faux)
• You are discussing a case with a VE
teacher who is taking her first course in
the ABA sequence at FIT. The issue at
hand is a kid’s tantrums. The teacher
explains the tantrums in the following
way: “He is having these tantrums
because of frustration.”
• What kind of faulty explanation is this?
• Please describe the feedback that you
would provide to her.
You decide to work on the case described above.
The descriptive analysis information suggests that
the tantrums occur because in the past, such
behavior has been followed by attention. Design
an FA that would test this hypothesis.
Critique the following:
“The data shows that the behavior has improved
quite dramatically.”
• You have a client who is taking Valium
for anxiety. The mother has decided
that the drug causes too much
sedation, and immediately terminates
the drug administration.
• What are the main effects of drug?
• Withdrawal syndrome?
• Possible risk events?
• How does Valium work?
Uh Oh…
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Memory
EO
Conditioned seeing
Problem
Emotion
Meaning
Anxiety
Self control (Skinner)
Rate
Epigentics
Punctuated equilibrium
Pairwise FA
Diphtheria
3 levels of selection
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Personality trait
“I wanna be sedated…”
½ life of drug
DOE
FCN
Extinction
COD
Self control (Lab)
Conc superstition
RTE
Spontaneous recovery
Functional equivalence
Operant
Most to least
“Behaviorists Think That We Don’t Have Emotion!
Bad Behaviorists!”
End of Faux Comps #1
Comps (Faux) #2
“Behaviorists Don’t Deal with Thinking!”
• You are working with a teacher who is
teaching the letters of the alphabet. She is
using cards with the letter and a picture of an
item that if spelled out, would start with the
letter in question. For example, the “A” card
has an apple on it, the “B” card has a bat on it,
etc. The kids are responding well to each
card. The teacher asks you one day “Hey I
wonder if the kids are attending to the letter or
the picture of each card?”
• First, explain to her what “attention” means.
• Then, design an experiment that will answer
her question.
• Finally, what EAB study provides the basis for
your experiment?
“Behaviorists Don’t Consider Feelings!”
• You are working with a 40 year old male who
exhibits aggression and property destruction.
There is a behavior program in place to
address the behaviors, and there is a full
complement of medications. One of the meds
is Risperdol.
• What class is the drug?
• You are discussing the med with staff, and
wish to alert them about possible side effects.
What are these?
• What NT is involved?
• You design a Tx package that involves
a DRI schedule in which attention is
delivered for staying on task for a
period of time (e.g., 5 minutes).
• How is the DRI interval set?
• Set up an experiment that would show
the Tx is effective
• Set up an experiment that disentangles
the attention from the contingency
between staying on task and attention
Uh Oh…
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PR 50
Reversal design
Projection
Formal probe
Dependent variable
Verbal summator
Punishment contrast
Conditioned suppression
Creativity source
Projective tests
Operant seeing
Wit
Exact count IOA
Behavior momentum
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Emotional operations
Taste aversion
AO
Tact private events
Inductive reasoning
Values
Correlational study
4 humours
Measure: following directions
Positive contrast
IRT
Constructional approach
Resp extinction
Time delay prompt fading
End Faux Comps #2
Comps (Faux) #3
IOA vs Accuracy
Critique the following:
“The criteria for the experiment was
changed, and it was modified by the
experimenter.”
Elements of program organized by
function…
Critique the following:
“The experimenter re-designed the
study quickly, and then began anew.”
Case #1:
There is a case on which you are consulting. The
client is a 25 year old female who frequently throws
items in the house. The have been many functional
analyses of the behavior over the years, but there are
no conclusive results. However, one hypothesis is
that the behavior produces automatic reinforcement
in the form of the sight/sound of the item hitting the
floor. Design an FA to test this hypothesis. Do not try
and separate the effects of the sight vs the sound of
the item hitting the floor. Only test whether or not that
event, the sight/sound of the item hitting the floor, is
maintaining the behavior.
Explanations:
You are working on a case with another graduate
student in ABA. A particularly difficult situation is
being discussed, and the behavior involves some
elopement. Your friend explains the behavior with
statements such as this: “She is running away to get
some PVC pipes that her neighbor has in his garage.”
Critique this explanation of behavior, and offer an
alternative explanation.
Critique the following:
The data were graphed by the behavior analyst very
precisely.
Factors that influence RTE
Yikes…
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Pattern in FR 50
FI 1’
Holz & Azrin view of pun
Conditioned suppression
Hold responsible
Drug as EO
3 levels of selection
When we give credit
4 facts about drugs
Draw negative contrast
“…I’m in need of some
restraint…”
• Mean count per interval IOA
• Drug as a positive reinf
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Rights
Reinforcement trap
Brief FA
Drug as AO
Behavioral view of drug abuse
Conc FR 50 VI 1’
Pairwise FA
Resurgence
3 characteristics of graphed
data
Relationship
Multiple probe
Endorphin theory of SIB
Siegel morphine tolerance
We feel free when…
The End
Comps (Faux) #4
Case #1
You are working in a vocational training center with
several staff who are charged with implementing a
behavior program. You are interested in treatment
fidelity (or integrity). You have a procedure that you
think will improve fidelity that involves feedback and
incentives. Design an experiment that will test the
efficacy of the treatment on Tx fidelity.
Real life respondent conditioning:
Diagram an example of respondent conditioning
using the relevant terms.
“Why do people get depressed?”
Case #2:
There is a case on which you are consulting. The
client is a 25 year old female who frequently throws
items in the house. The have been many functional
analyses of the behavior over the years, but there are
no conclusive results. However, one hypothesis is
that the behavior produces automatic reinforcement
in the form of the sight/sound of the item hitting the
floor. Design an FA to test this hypothesis. Do not try
and separate the effects of the sight vs the sound of
the item hitting the floor. Only test whether or not that
event, the sight/sound of the item hitting the floor, is
maintaining the behavior.
“Behavior analysts don’t believe in freedom”
I knew this would happen…
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NCR mechanism of effect
Diff between neg pun & ext
Diff between EO and SD
2 repertoires in problem
Program generalization
DRH x 2
Concept formation
Adjusting ratio
Escape/avoid hierarchy
3 characteristics of behavior
Sequence analysis
Independent group
Behavioral analyst
SDP
Reification
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Intrinsic motivation
Anger
Repression
Encourage maintenance
Back chaining
MSWO
PSI
Momentary DRO
Interdependent group
DRL x 2
Reactivity
Systematic replication
Trigger analysis
Nominal fallacy
Divided attention
Design a reinforcer assessment of attention from parent
One of the key concepts in behavior analysis is the
operant. Do the following:
• Give an example of an operant using all 4 terms.
• Give an example of a given response that belongs
to more than one operant.
Sensory defensiveness
“Behavior analysts deny the existence of the mind”
“Behavior analysts can’t explain creative achievements”
The End
Comps (Faux) #5
You are collecting rate data on a problem behavior
(e.g., aggression), and a 2nd observer is also
collecting data. Demonstrate (draw the bins, etc) the
mean count-per-interval method to compute the IOA.
You don’t have to use a large number of intervals, as
5 will suffice.
You are in a discussion of reinforcement. The
discussant informs you that the use of artificial
reinforcers is ill-advised. Indeed, he argues that
reinforcers devalue intrinsic motivation. Your
response to this is…
Behaviorists are all wrong. Their data and
procedures are based on studying rats and pigeons,
for goodness sake!
Mand training:
Therapist holds up a food item and asks “What do
you want?”
Ready, set, go…
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Relationship
Coercion
Tan FT 3’ DRO 1’
Celeration
Latency
Competency based training
Within subject yoking
Transitivity
Task interspersal
Superstitious behavior
Spatial fading
Delayed prompts
Lab example of self control
Response differentiation
Modeling
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Mix FR 50 FI 2’
Pyramid model of training
Staff training: Procedures
Counter control
2 targets of monitoring
How to get maintenance
VT
Between subject yoking
Reflexivity
Metaphor
Stimulus generalization
Simultaneous prompts
Shadowing
Schedule induced behavior
Ratio strain
The End
Comps (Faux) #6
Social Validity
Group contingencies
Ready, set, go…
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Incidental teaching
Atypical anti-pychotics
W/D from alcohol
Pattern of FI
Teach point to A vs B
errorlessly
Differential reinforcement
Behavioral momentum
Functional goals
WIR
Response class co-variation
Intermingle of contingencies
of reinf and survival
Operant seeing
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Chain FR 50 FR 100
Agonist
General case analysis
MDRO
DRH x2
Direct instruction
Contingent effort
Informed consent
Fair pair
Celeration computation
PIR IOA
Permanent product
Analysis vs interpretation
Conditioned seeing
Treatment of self stimulatory behavior
Behavioral interpretation of memory
Assessment of high intensity problem behavior
Techniques of governmental control
The End
Chapter 19: Thinking
Advantages of VB:
Extends senses of listener
Extends action possibilities of
speaker
Chapter 19: Thinking
A full account of VB must include “covert
verbal behavior”:
Covert VB is involved in problem solving,
thinking, etc.
Why is VB sometimes covert?
May avoid punishment
Less effort
Controlling variables may be weak
Chapter 19: Thinking
Thinking:
Is behavior!
Can be overt or covert
Involves speaking and listening
by the same person
Is behavior that produces its own
reinforcement
Chapter 19: Thinking
Example:
Someone tells you that your
client is having some major
tantrums. You observe the
tantrums and engage in some
thinking.
Chapter 19: Thinking
Visualize the tantrums, the
antecedents, and consequences
that you just saw.
Tacts of what you are seeing:
“hmm, the kid was in task…and
the therapist put him in
timeout…”
Chapter 19: Thinking
Intraverbals arise from tacts:
“Now if he is in timeout, maybe
that is reinforcing tantrums”
The intraverbals evoke
visualizations of previous cases
of tantrums in task in which
escape extinction was used
Chapter 19: Thinking
You ask yourself out loud: “Hey,
is there any other evidence of
tantrums that escape tasks with
this kid?”
You respond with: “Yep, I saw a
couple in his classroom”
These behaviors end with “These
tantrums produce escape!”
Chapter 19: Thinking
Main point: Thinking is behavior
and has NO special properties that
set it apart from other behavior.