Behavior Modification II:
ABC Complexities
Lesson 7
ABCs of Behavior
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Antecedents
l Occur before behavior
l Cue, setting, context
Behavior
l Individuals action
l Perform or withhold
Consequences
l Events that follow behavior
l Increases, decreases, or no effect
on behavior ~
Contingencies of Reinforcement
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Contingency
l Relationship of ABCs
l One event depends on another
Behavior contingent on…
l Antecedents
l Consequences
l i.e., controlling variables
Complex contingencies
l Multiple A, B, and/or Cs ~
Contingencies of Reinforcement
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Contingency
l Relationship of ABCs
l One event depends on another
Behavior contingent on…
l Antecedents
l Consequences
l i.e., controlling variables
Complex contingencies
l Multiple A, B, and/or Cs ~
Complex Contingencies
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Example: SIB; Answering door
l ABCs?
Alternate
l antecedents?
l behaviors?
l consequences?
Importance of functional analysis
l May require different treatment ~
Complex Contingencies
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Example: smoking
l ABCs?
Alternate
l antecedents?
l behaviors?
l consequences? ~
Types of Antecedents
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Two main categories
l Prerequisites
l Stimulus control
Prerequisites
l knowledge
l skills
l resources ~
Antecedents: Stimulus Control
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Stimulus Control
l Discriminative stimuli
l Prompts
l Setting events
Discriminative stimuli (SD/ S)
l Signal that indicates likely outcome
l RFT or punishment
l Traffic light; fire alarm; out of order sign
D vs S ~
l Stimulus control: S
Antecedents: Prompts
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Specific event
l Directly facilitates performance
l Instructions, examples, modeling
Examples
l teaching computer program
l Experimental procedures ~
Antecedents: Prompts
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Instructions/Requests
l High vs low probability
l High then Low   compliance
l Holding still during medical
procedure
Fading
l Gradual removal of prompts
l All or some ~
Antecedents: Setting Events
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Context, conditions
l indirect effects
l Motivational; emotional state
l Get fired; get a raise
Establishing operation
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l
l
l
(type of setting event)
alters effectiveness of consequences
Influences frequency of behavior
Deprivation vs. satiation ~
Behaviors
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Target behaviors
l To increase or decrease
Shaping
l Successive approximations
Chaining
l Behaviors  sequence of responses
l Break into individual responses
l Forward chaining
l Backward chaining ~
Behaviors: Chaining
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Forward chaining
l Start w/ first behavior in sequence
l e.g., injections, SPSS
Backward chaining
l Start w/ last behavior in sequence
l e.g.; learning to put on shirt
l Immediate RFT of completed behavior
l Needs no explanation of relationships
between steps ~
Consequences
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Reinforcement
l Positive & negative
l Strengthen behavior
Punishment
l Positive & negative
l weaken behavior
Extinction
R
l Absence of S
l reverses behavioral change ~
Generalization & Discrimination
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Stimulus SD (S+)
l Generalization & discrimination
Response Generalization
l Changes in behaviors other than
target behaviors
l  smiling   laughing & talking
l Physical punishment of B  
social behavior;  hostility
Response covariation
l Clusters of Bs change together ~
Complexities of Behavior Modification
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Require
l Careful analysis
l Different treatments
l Consideration of unintended
changes in behavior
Importance of detailed functional
analysis ~