BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
Unit 1 - Introduction to Behavior Analysis
Behaviorism - the philosophy that informs the science that studies environmental
events and behavior
Behavior Analysis - the science that studies environmental events and behavior
Applied Behavior Analysis - the application of the science to socially significant
problems
Private Events - An event that no other person can observe
Principle of Public Events - Using public events to explain behavior
Skinner
Environmental Events
4 Attitudes of Science
BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
UNIT 2 – Basic Concepts
Behavior - A statement that specifies exactly what behavior to observe
Response
Operant - behavior is behavior that is affected by its consequences during an
organism’s lifetime
Respondent - behavior is behavior that is elicited by antecedent stimuli
Behavioral Definition  Objective - refers to behavior that can be observed - enviornmental not
private events
o e.g. not ‘angry’ but ‘aggression towards….”
 Clear - reliable and unambiguous
o e.g. can someone else paraphrase it?
 Complete - details what should be included and excluded
o e.g. includes kicking and punching people, excludes aggression
toward property
Approaches to observing
 Self-report - Reporting on your own behavior - After the fact recording –
relying on memory
 Direct observation - Watching what happens -Immediate recording
Antecedents: (stimuli) - Environmental events that precede behavior in time.
Consequences: (stimuli) - Environmental events that follow behavior in time.
3-term contingency
ABC Diagram algorithm
BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
Saw
Recorded
UNIT 3 - Measurement & Visual Analysis
Key Words
Measurement
Dimensions of Behavior
 Frequency – count/number
 Rate – count per unit of time
 Duration – length of time
 Magnitude - amplitude, intensity, or force of a response
Trend - Which way is the data path moving:
 Up (upward)
BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
 Down (downward)
 Stable
Range - the highest and lowest data points (subtract one from the other)
Data point - is a dot on the graph that shows the ‘value’ of the recorded data
Data path - is the line that connects the data points
Divided conditions – Do the points overlap?
Stable conditions - Are the data points moving closer to the data points in adjacent
conditions?
Convincing differences – The data must be Divided and Stable
Causation - did the intervention change the behavior? Are there other
environmental events that may have produced behavior change?
UNIT 4 - Positive Reinforcement
Key Terms
Positive Reinforcement – procedure
Positive Reinforcer – event
Follows
Increases
Unknown
Event
Procedure
BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
UNIT 5 - Reinforcer Effectiveness
Key Terms






Deprivation/deprived <===> Satiation/Satiated
Immediacy <===> Within a minute
Size <===> Worthwhile
Contingency <===> if and only if
None (when none of the principles are violated)
Unknown
Keys to DISC
Deprivation
Immediacy
Size
Contingency
 Hasn’t had it in a long time
 Never gets
 Can’t get enough
 Was important
 Loved
 Really enjoyed
 Right after
 Immediately
 While
 Only gets when
 Never gets it at any other time
 If and only if
UNIT 6 - Negative Reinforcement
Key Words




Negative Reinforcement – procedure
Negative Reinforcer – event
Escape <===> Terminates
Avoidance <===>Prevents
BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
Format
Example
UNIT 7 – Extinction of Everyday Behaviors


Extinction – Procedure in which an event that follows a behavior is stopped and
the rate of the behavior decreases.
Extinction Burst – A temporary increase in the rate of responding as soon as the
extinction procedure begins. (Reinforcer is stopped)
BEHV 2300 – Midterm Review
By Stephen Smetana
Extinction induced Variability - When the behavior no longer results in
reinforcement, the organism may emit other behavior.
Extinguished
Unknown