EAB 3764: Applied Behavior Analysis
Spring, 2014
General
Tues: Period 6 (12:50)
Thurs: Periods E1-E2 (7:20-9:10)
Larson, Room 330
Section: 5998
http://lss.at.ufl.edu
Instructor
Allison Kurti
Room 81, Psychology
Office Hours: T, 11am, &
by appt
Email: akurti@ufl.edu
Phone: 336-406-3706
Teaching Assistants
Madelyn Upthegrove
Room 81, Psychology
Office Hours: R, 10:40 am
Email:
mupthegrove@ufl.edu
Brianna Laureano
Room 81, Psychology
Office Hours: T 2pm
Email:
bri.laureano@gmail.com
Overview
This course is an introduction to applied behavior analysis, which is a field dedicated to
the application of behavioral principles and procedures to socially relevant behavioral
problems. In the first part of the course we will cover basic principles that determine
why, when, and where behavior occurs. During the second part of the course we will
explore how these principles can be applied to treat a range of behavior problems such
as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, self-injurious behavior, aggressive behavior,
and obsessive-compulsive disorder, to name a few. A central theme of this course is
that complex behavior and psychopathology can be understood using a behavioral,
scientific framework.
My hope is that this course will be challenging, thought provoking, and fun. One of my
main goals is that you will be able to provide informed answers to the following key
questions: How can we think critically about the study of behavior and its broader
implications? What does “thinking critically” mean? How can we understand and treat
complex behavior problems from a scientific and behavioral perspective? How does
course material apply to your own life, and how can it be used to make life better?
Format
We will use a variety of activities to analyze and digest the sometimes complex and
provocative issues raised during this class. We will use class discussion, group-based
activities, and small group discussion. I will also lecture. A behavioral approach to
teaching and learning will be used in this class. You will be provided with study guides
for each unit, quizzed frequently, receive immediate feedback on your performance, and
you will be given opportunities to improve on your prior performance on remedial
quizzes.
University policy on course syllabi
“Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of
Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student
2
who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting
accommodation.”
Reading
The required text is Martin and Pear’s, Behavior Modification: What it is and how to do it,
9th Edition. When there are additional readings, they will be placed in Sakai.
Quizzes and Tests
For each unit, there will be a short quiz based on the study guide. All quizzes will be
worth 10 points. The quiz questions will emphasize the study guides, but other
questions may be included. An important point may emerge during class that is not on
the study guides – and this point will be fair game for the quiz. The format will include
mostly short answer questions, but there will be some true/false, multiple choice, fill in
the blank questions, etc. In the Table below, you can see what each quiz will cover and
approximately when they will occur, but the exact quiz dates are TBD, depending how
quickly we are moving through the material. I will always give you a heads up when a
quiz is coming up: There will be no pop quizzes in this class. Regardless of exactly
when quizzes occur, there will be four before the midterm, and four after the midterm.
Remedials: You will have several opportunities to improve on your prior performance.
During the midterm, you will be able to take one remedial quiz. During the final, you will
have the opportunity to take a second remedial. I will not give make-up quizzes. If
you miss a quiz, the only way to make it up is to take a remedial. Remedials can replace
a missed quiz or a poor grade. Eight quizzes and two remedials are planned. I will
simply use your 8 highest scores to compute your overall grade on quizzes.
The midterm and final will be worth 40 points each. I will give you a study guide for both
tests. The main goals of these tests are to help you integrate, think deeply, and think
critically about the material. I want you to be able to “put it together.” The tests will
contain multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and short answer. They are not
cumulative, but you will see that course material builds on itself; thus, a solid
understanding of material taught early in the semester will help you do well all
throughout the course.
Policies
No use of technology to access social media, text, etc. If you need to leave class early,
please let me know before class starts. If you miss a class, please contact a classmate
for notes. We do not give out class slides, but you can make an arrangement with me
or my teaching assistants to come in and copy the slides should you need to miss class.
All students in the class must treat others with civility and respect and conduct
themselves during class sessions in a way that does not unreasonably interfere with the
opportunity of other students to learn. Failure to comply with this requirement will result
in points being deducted from a student’s grade, up to a maximum of 15 points.
As a side note, please do not start packing up until class has ended. Class will not
go over, so please be respectful by waiting until either I or your classmates are done
talking before packing up.
Revised: 01/08/2014
3
Extra Credit
There will be some opportunities to earn extra credit in this class. One way that you can
do this is by participating in a research study conducted by one of my colleagues (Carla
Strickland-Hughes). The study will primarily involve completing questionnaires online.
Information about this will be provided during the first week of class. If you are not
interested in participating in the study, another way you can earn an equivalent number
of extra credit points is by summarizing a research article from either Journal of the
Experimental Analysis of Behavior or Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (the two
flagship journals of Behavior Analysis). I can provide you with an article if you are
unable to access them or need suggestions. The report should be 1-2 pages, doublespaced, summarizing the purpose, method, and results of the study. You should note
what you personally viewed as strengths or limitations, and/or what you found interesting
about the article. Each of these opportunities is worth four points. Depending how the
class is doing, additional extra credit opportunities might take place in class, but this is
not guaranteed.
For more information about the research study conducted by my colleague Carla, please
write to ASKstudy.ufl@gmail.com
Tests
Regular Quizzes
(10x8)
Midterm
Final
Points
80
Total Points
160
40
40
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
E
Percentages*
93-100
90-93
87-90
83-87
80-83
77-80
70-77
65-70
60-65
<60
*Rounding will not occur in calculating grades.
Revised: 01/08/2014
4
TOPIC
DATE*
READINGS
QUIZZES*
Introduction and Overview
1/7
Historical and Philosophical
Roots
Ch 1, 2
Skinner: About Behaviorism
1/9-1/21
Q1 (1/21)
*No class
on 1/16
Operant causes of behavior I
Primary and conditioned
reinforcers, schedules, extinction.
Substance abuse, depression,
dissociative identity disorder
Operant causes of behavior II
Stimulus control, shaping, escape
and avoidance. High intensity
behavior, substance abuse,
insomnia, OCD
Respondent causes of
behavior
Classical conditioning. Anxiety,
allergies, emotions, enuresis,
sexual disorders
Generalization, Modeling,
Motivation
Social skills, effects of drug and
alcohol, aggression
Mid-term Review Day
Mid-term
Measurement, Design, and
Graphing
Ch 3, 4, 6
1/21-1/28
Q2 (1/30)
Ch 8, 10, 13
1/30-2/6
Q3 (2/11)
Ch 14, 15, 28
2/11-2/13
2/18-2/25
Q4 (2/18)
Ch 16, 18, 19
*No class
2/27
3/11
3/13
Ch 20, 21, 22
3/18-3/25
Functional Assessment
Self-Injurious behavior, chronic
pain, anger, marital discord,
other.
Treatment I: Environmental
therapy
Extinction, Response cost, timeout, differential reinforcement.
Infant sleep disturbance, other
behavior problems
Treatment II: Talk therapy
Verbal processes, rule-governed
behavior, acceptance and
commitment therapy, relationship
problems, depression
Last class - Graduate school
and careers, Final Review
Final
Revised: 01/08/2014
Q5 (3/27)
Ch. 23, Iwata et al. (1982)
3/27-4/1
Q6 (4/3)
Ch 5, 7, 12
4/3-4/10
Q7 (4/15)
Ch 17, 26, 27
4/15-4/17
Q8 (4/22)
4/22
TBD
Final
5
Revised: 01/08/2014