PSYC 502 – Applied Behavior Analysis
Summer 2016
Instructor: Tiffany Kodak
Email: kodak@uwm.edu
Office: 238E Garland Hall
Course Dates: May 31, 2016- July 9, 2016
Course Description
This advanced undergraduate course is designed to provide an introduction to and survey of
topics in applications and research methods in behavior analysis. Topics to be covered include:
(a) a review of basic learning principles, (b) single-subject research methods, and (c) applications
of ABA across a range of populations, settings, and behaviors. The class is covered in two
portions, which are described in more detail below. The first portion of the course is the content
portion. This material will be presented via the assigned readings and quizzes across a series of
modules and student learning will be assessed by frequent module quizzes and cumulative
exams. The second portion of the course is the laboratory portion. The purpose of the laboratory
portion is to provide students with hands on opportunities to use the principles and procedures
covered in the content portion of the course. Students will upload frequent updates on their
projects via the D2L Dropbox and will comment upon others projects using discussion boards.
Content Portion Format: This class will be taught in an online learning environment. The
primary content of the course is sequenced in a series of modules. In each module, the instructor
has prepared PowerPoint slides to accompany the content students will read in the textbook. It is
recommended that each student read the assigned book chapter and then review the PowerPoint
slides. Following these readings, students should complete the flashcard quiz associated with
each module until they reach mastery level performance. The number of items in each flashcard
quiz is five questions. After mastery of the flashcard quizzes, students will complete a module by
then taking the module assessment quiz; this quiz is timed and may only be attempted once.
Upon completion of the module assessment quiz, students are then to move on to the next
module. After completion of every 2 to 4 modules, students will complete a cumulative test,
which also may be attempted only once. Thus, through much of the course content, students will
advance at his or her pace. Students who do not complete all class activities by the conclusion of
the course (Saturday, July 9 by 12:00pm, [noon]) will receive 0 credit for all incomplete
assignments.
Laboratory Portion Format: In order to gain experience in this subject matter, each enrolled
student will identify one behavior of importance in their life that they would like to see increased
or decreased. For instance, students may wish to study longer, call their parents more frequently,
eat more vegetables or help their roommate not leave out their dirty dishes. Students are asked to
not address any dangerous or illicit behaviors as part of this project (please no reports of drug
usage or other illegal behaviors), nor address any issues related to their love life. Although the
remainder of the course is self-paced, students will have to complete laboratory assignments by
certain due dates to receive credit for laboratory participation. Throughout the semester, students
will measure and graphically depict their target behavior, identify an intervention to modify this
behavior, and evaluate their intervention using an experimental design covered in the class.
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Summer 2016
Throughout the process, students will submit intermediate steps of the ongoing project and
receive commentary from the other students in the course as well as the instructor. The final
product of this activity will be a written lab report, described more fully below. The schedule of
assignments is provided in the Laboratory Activities and Due Dates section of this syllabus (pg.
7).
Course Materials
Required Text: Miltenberger, R. G. (2014). Behavior modification: Principles and procedures
(6th ed). Boston: Cenage Learning.
Grading
Grades will be determined based upon (a) completion of flashcard quizzes, (b) scores on each
module quiz, (c) completion of cumulative examinations, (d) completion of lab related activities,
and (e) submission of the lab report.
Module Flashcard Quizzes: The module flashcards are designed to help students learn the
definitions of common terms from each of the module and to rehearse with that material prior to
each module assessment quiz. Students should review the module flashcards on the text book
website to review the definitions of different terms from the module prior to attempting to
complete the module flash card quiz. Definitions for key words on the website are also located at
the end of the each assigned chapter in the text book. Students should continue to practice the
module flashcard quizzes until they reach a score of 100% correct on the quiz. Students will have
as many attempts as necessary to reach this score; the number of attempts necessary will be
determined by the amount of preparation the student engaged in prior to beginning the quizzes.
Students who do not attempted the module flashcard quizzes will receive a score of 0; students
who attempt quizzes, but either stop before reaching 100% accuracy will receive a percentage of
5 points equivalent to their highest obtained score (e.g. a score of 50% will result in a score of
2.5). Once opened, there is a time limit of 5 min to complete the flashcard quiz. Each quiz is
made up of 5 short-answer questions. The definition will be provided, and students must provide
in the term that goes with the definition. In the event that a module has fewer than 5 flashcards in
the online materials, the additional questions needed to reach five questions total will be drawn
from flashcards in the previous module. When providing answers to questions in D2L, leave out
any hyphens (e.g., real-time recording should be written as “real time recording” in the answer
space). In the event that a flashcard quiz is malfunctioning, contact your instructor immediately
by email: kodak@uwm.edu.
Module Assessment Quizzes (MAQs): MAQs are designed to assess student learning of each
module. Each MAQ will contain 10 questions, but will be based upon the book chapter and the
module flashcard quizzes. Students will have one attempt to complete each MAQ and this
attempt is time limited at 15 min. The student’s raw score (based upon the percentage of correct
answers) will then be converted to a 10 point scale (e.g., a score of 80% would receive a final
score of 8/10 points).
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Cumulative Examinations: Each examination will be cumulative of the material in class from
the beginning of the class until that point in the course. The material of each cumulative exam
will be weighted more heavily with recent information, but will pull from modules completed up
to that point in the course. Each cumulative examination will be time limited at 45 min. There
are 25 questions in each examinations, and each question is worth one point. The student’s raw
score (based upon the number of correct answers) will then be converted to a percentage (e.g., a
score of 20/25 would receive a final score of 80%).
Lab Assignments Lab assignments will all involve two parts. First, students will present updates
of their projects via the course discussion board by (a) clicking on the Discussions link at the top
of the D2L page, (b) clicking on the topic related to the current assignment, (c) clicking on
compose, (d) adding their name to the subject line, (e) adding a descriptive text to the message
section, (f) selecting the “Pin message” option, (g) selecting the “Subscribe to updates to this
thread option, and, (h) if relevant, attaching a file. This assignment is due by 12:00 PM (noon) of
the day noted on the Laboratory Activities and Due Dates table on page 7 of this syllabus.
However, students are welcome to submit their assignments prior to the due date if the date
conflicts with their schedule. Late assignments will not be accepted.
After posting their own assignment, each student will be required to make a minimum of 3
substantive comments on other students’ projects within the subsequent 48 hour period.
Students are permitted one opportunity to miss making comments on other students’ projects
without losing points. That is, each student will receive one free opportunity to get out of making
comments but still receive full credit. Students do not need to provide a reason for missing
comments on one occasion, but no late comments or missed comments at any other time will be
accepted. Therefore, each student only has one chance to miss making comments without
affecting the student’s grade. If students miss more than one assigned comment time, the student
will receive a 0 for each additional time that comments are not made within 48 hours of the
submission of their assignment. The purpose of these activities is to generate critical discussion
of the decisions that go into developing a research project or designing an intervention. Refer to
example and non-examples of substantive comments at the end of the syllabus. These example
are NOT comments that a student should provide each time the student writes comments, nor
will these exact examples be accepted for credit. Students must comment in a variety of ways,
and comments should be based on the peer’s assignments. The purpose of examples and nonexamples at the end of the syllabus are to help guide students in what is considered a substantive
comment.
For the lab assignments that require students to present data they have collected, students will
graph their data in Microsoft excel, and will upload their excel file to the discussion board. To
assist students with their graphing, a paper published by Dixon (2009) has been posted on the
D2L site. This paper gives step-by-step instructions on creating graphs using Microsoft excel.
The instructor also posted You Tube clips that show various examples of how to create graphs
using Microsoft Excel. However, there may be requirements of the graph developed for class that
are not described by these example videos, and many versions of Excel vary in what the menus
look like. Therefore, students should use the videos as a guide, but they do not describe exact
instructions that meet the requirements for the course. Students may submit their figures using
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alternative graphing programs, but support for the use of those programs cannot be provided by
the class instructor.
Lab Report: The lab report should be prepared in accord with the APA Publication Manual (6th)
Edition. The lab report should contain about 12 to 16 total pages including a title page (1), an
abstract (1), an introduction (2 to 3), a method section (3 to 4), a combined results and discussion
section (3 to 4), references (1) and a figure (1). Please consider these page allocations as guides
rather than criteria. An example of an APA model paper is provided near the end of the syllabus.
Papers will receive a score up to 30 points. A rubric for scoring is posted on the course D2L site.
Please keep in mind that this project will require you to complete readings outside of those
typically assigned in class. Your instructor is happy to direct you towards relevant literature, but
this process should be ongoing throughout the semester; do not wait until the day before the
paper is due.
Tracking Grades: Scores for the practice quizzes, module assessment quizzes, and cumulative
examinations will be scored automatically upon completion and grades will be available in the
grades section of the D2L page. Grades for the laboratory activities will be entered manually by
the course instructor at least once per week. In the event that the grades are not appearing as they
should, please bring this matter to the attention of the instructor and it will be rectified
immediately.
Final Grades: The total number of points for each activity and the total points available in the
course are posted in the table below
Activity
Module Flashcard Quizzes
Module Assessment Quizzes
Cumulative Assessment
Examinations
Laboratory Activities
Laboratory Discussion
Comments
Final Lab Report
Total points
Points per Item
5
10
Total Items
18
18
Total Available Points
90
180
25
8
200
5
10
50
5
10
50
30
1
30
600
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Final grades will be determined based upon the total number of points accumulated in the class
(600 available) as described below:
Points Earned
564-600
540-565
522-539
504-521
492-503
462-474
444-461
420-443
402-419
384-401
360-383
0-359
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Departmental and University Policies: Information of psychology department policies on
participation by students with disabilities, accommodations for religious observances, academic
conduct, complaint procedures, grade appeal procedures, and other standing procedures (e.g.,
sexual harassment; incompletes) is available in a folder in the main Psychology Department
office (Garland 224). The full University policies are available via the web at:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf.
Time Commitment
The duration of time necessary to be successful in this class will vary from student-to-student.
Below are the minimum expectations for each student in the class. Please keep in mind that
additional time may be necessary for mastery of more complex concepts.
Activity
Reading Class Assignments
Completing Module Flashcard
Quizzes
Completing Module
Assessment Quizzes
Studying for and Completing
Cumulative Assessment
Examinations
Coding and preparing data for
Lab Presentation
Commenting on others lab
Per Activity Expectation
1 hour per Module
45 min per Module
Semester Expectation.
20 hours
15 hours
15 min per Module
5 hours
2 Hours per Examination
16 Hours
1 hour per Assignment
1 hour per Assignment
8 hours
8 hours
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projects
Research related to lab project
Preparing lab report
Totals
NA
N/A
10 hours
15 hours
107 Hours
In sum, you should expect to dedicate about 107 hours across the semester to this course. Again,
more time may be required to prepare effectively for exams, complete the laboratory report, and
complete reading assignments.
Functionality of the Course: If there are any glitches with the course, quizzes, examinations, or
website, please email your instructor, Dr. Kodak at kodak@uwm.edu.
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Module
1
2
3
4
5
6
Topic
Assigned Readings
Introduction to course
Introduction to ABA
Must Complete Cumulative Test 1
Measuring Behavior
Experimental Design
Must Complete Cumulative Test 2
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Syllabus
Miltenberger: Chapter 1
Miltenberger: Chapter 2
Miltenberger: Chapter 3
Miltenberger: Chapter 8
Miltenberger: Chapter 4
Must Complete Cumulative Test 3
7
8
9
Extinction
Stimulus Control
Differential Reinforcement
Miltenberger: Chapter 5
Miltenberger: Chapter 7
Miltenberger: Chapter 15
Must Complete Cumulative Test 4
10
11
12
Shaping
Prompting
Chaining
Miltenberger: Chapter 9
Miltenberger: Chapter 10
Miltenberger: Chapter 11
Must Complete Cumulative Test 5
13
14
Punishment: Basic Processes
Negative Punishment
Miltenberger: Chapter 6
Miltenberger: Chapter 17
Must Complete Cumulative Test 6
15
16
Behavioral Assessment
Antecedent Control Procedures
Miltenberger: Chapter 13
Miltenberger: Chapter 16
Must Complete Cumulative Test 7
17
18
19
Token Economies
Behavioral Skills Training
Miltenberger: Chapter 22
Miltenberger: Chapter 12
Promoting Generalization
Miltenberger: Chapter 19
Must Complete Cumulative Test 8
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Laboratory Activities and Due Dates:
Due Date
Assignment
1.)
Name the dependent variable (behavior) that
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Recommended Modules
1,2
you will attempt to change during the course.
6/6/16
6/8/16
6/10/16
6/13/16
6/17/16
6/21/16
6/24/16
6/30/16
7/6/16
2.) Identify the measurement strategy you will use
to collect data on your target behavior.
3.) Submit outlines of 2 articles related to your
independent variable*
4.) Identify the independent variable (treatment)
you will use to change your behavior.
5.) Identify the single-subject experimental design
you will use to evaluate the effects of your
intervention
6.) Present data you have collected
7.) Present data you have collected
8.) Present data you have collected
9.) Present data you have collected
10.) Submit your Final Lab Report (see page 9-10
of syllabus for a template).
3
None
None
4
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
* The goal of this portion of the project is to identify treatment procedures that are empirically
validated; those that have been demonstrated to change behaviors similar to those you are
targeting. Depending upon the behavior you have chosen, you may easily find articles that have
addressed that behavior or you may have to find applications with other similar classes of
behavior. In any case, these studies should inform your selection of a treatment procedure. That
is, you should choose an intervention that has been proven to be effective. Please do not submit
articles that describe the importance of your dependent variable (behavior). For this assignment,
I don’t need you to tell me why smoking is bad, I need you to tell me what is effective for
helping people quit smoking.
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The following is a template for the written lab report
Introduction
Should be about 1 to 2 pages. Use the first paragraph to establish the importance of your
question. Then highlight research that has addressed this question in the past in the second
paragraph. Provide a summary of at least one study in the third paragraph. State the purpose of
your study in a 4th paragraph.
Method
Participants
Provide details about yourself (e.g., Billy is a 23 male undergraduate student majoring in
psychology). Provide any details about yourself that are relevant to your topic (e.g., He is six
feet tall and weighs 250 lbs. He has reported running sporadically in the past, but has not had a
consistent running routine for the past 2 years). Be sure to highlight if this is a self study.
Setting
Provide details about where the study takes place.
Measurement
Operationally define your dependent measures. Describe the observation duration and
the measurement strategy (e.g., frequency recording, whole interval recording, etc.)
Interobserver Agreement
Describe your method if you did this. If not, at least state that you did not.
Procedures
Subsections. Describe your baseline and intervention conditions in as much detail as
possible. Use of subsections is optional.
Experimental Design
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Results
Use your figure as your guide. Go phase by phase and describe what happened in your
data.
Discussion
Recap your results. What is novel? What is similar to previous research? How does this
contribute to previous findings? What were some limitations of your study? What would you do
differently (i.e., future directions) and what are the next steps?
References
Figure
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Examples and Non-examples of Assignment Comments
A substantive comment tells the peer information about how you are interpreting the project and
offers feedback on how to improve some aspect of the project. Students can ask questions
because something is unclear, make suggestions for points that your peer should consider, offer
suggestions for ways to improve the display (although the instructor’s comments on the graph
are those that the students are expected to follow), ask questions about the intervention or some
phase of the study, ask questions about the experimental design, ask for clarification about other
aspects of the current status of the project, and other related points.
Examples
“I had some trouble interpreting your current graph because there aren’t any axis labels. Please
add the axis labels to the graph.”
“I am not sure what intervention you are using based on the graph. You could make the phase
label for intervention more descriptive so that others can tell what you are doing when they look
at your graph.”
“It looks like your behavior is the same across phases of the graph. Do you have some reasons
why intervention may not be working, and if so, what do you plan to do to change the
intervention to make it work better?”
Non-examples (comments like the ones below will not receive full credit because they are not
considered a substantive comment.)
“Looks good. Keep up the good work.” (Any type of brief praise without additional feedback
will not receive full credit because it is NOT a substantive comment)
“I can’t read your graph. Fix it” (This type of content doesn’t provide information about why you
are unable to interpret the graph. You must provide more detailed feedback to the student so that
the student can make changes to improve the graph based on your feedback).
“I couldn’t open your graph file” (If students are unable to access a file, they should provide
feedback on another peer’s assignment rather than stating that the file was not accessible).
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