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Applied Behavioral Analysis Macheo Payne Lincoln Child Center 2011 New Hire Orientation
Applied Behavioral Analysis
Macheo Payne
Lincoln Child Center
2011
New Hire Orientation
New Hire Orientation
What is ABA?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the science of controlling and predicting human behavior. Behavior analysts reject the use of hypothetical constructs[1] and focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the environment. By functionally assessing the relationship between a targeted behavior and the environment, the methods of ABA can be used to change that behavior. Research in applied behavior analysis ranges from behavioral intervention methods to basic research which investigates the rules by which humans adapt and maintain behavior.
Training Goals
•Overview of ABA
•Cover general tenents of ABA
•Generate questions, comments, reflections
New Hire Orientation
New Hire Orientation
What is Behavior?
•Behavior is the activity of living organisms. Human behavior is the entire gamut of what people do including thinking and feeling.[27] Behavior can be determined by applying the Dead Man's test:
•"If a dead man can do it, it ain't behavior. And if a dead man can't do it, then it is behavior"[28]
•Behavior is that portion of an organism's interaction with its environment that is characterized by detectable displacement in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of the environment.[29] Often, the term behavior is used to reference a larger class of responses that share physical dimensions or function. In this instance, the term response indicates a single instance of that behavior.[30] If a group of responses have the same function, this group can be classified as a response class. Finally, when discussing a person's collection of behavior, repertoire is used. It can either pertain specifically to a set of response classes that are relevant to a particular situation, or it can refer to every behavior that a person can do.
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Respondent Conditioning
• All organisms respond in predictable ways to certain stimuli. These stimulus-response relations are called reflexes. The response component of the reflex is called respondent behavior. It is defined as behavior which is elicited by antecedent stimuli. Respondent conditioning (also called Classical Conditioning) is learning in which new stimuli acquire the ability to elicit respondents. This is done through stimulus-stimulus pairing, for example, the stimulus (smell of food) can elicit a person's salivation. By pairing that stimulus (smell) with another stimulus (hunger), the second stimulus can obtain the function
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Environment•The environment is the entire constellation of circumstances in which an organism exists.[32] This includes events both inside and outside of an organism, but only real physical events are included. The environment consists of stimuli. A stimulus is an "energy change that affects an organism through its receptor cells."[32]
•A stimulus can be described:
•Formally by its physical features.
•Temporally by when they occur in respect to the behavior.
•Functionally by their effect on behavior.
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Reinforcement
Reinforcement is the most important principle of behavior[33] and a key element of most behavior change programs.[34] It is the process by which behavior is strengthened, if a behavior is followed closely in time by a stimulus and this results in an increase in the future frequency of that behavior. The addition of a stimulus following an event that serves as a reinforcer is termed positive reinforcement. If the removal of an event serves as a reinforcer, this is termed negative reinforcement.[35] There are multiple schedules of reinforcement that affect the future probability of behavior.
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Risk Factors
• Punishment is a process by which a consequence immediately follows a behavior which decreases the future frequency of that behavior. Like reinforcement, a stimulus can be added (positive punishment) or removed (negative punishment). Broadly, there are three types of punishment: presentation of aversive stimuli, response cost and time out.[36] Punishment in practice can often result in unwanted side effects, and has as such been used only after reinforcement-only procedures have failed to work. Unwanted side effects can include the increase in other unwanted behavior as well as a decrease in desired behaviors.[37] Some other potential unwanted effects include escape and avoidance, emotional behavior, and can result in behavioral contrast.
New Hire Orientation Extinction
Extinction is the technical term to describe the procedure of withholding/discontinuing reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior, resulting in the decrease of that behavior. The behavior is then set to be extinguished (Cooper, et al.). Extinction procedures are often preferred over punishment procures that are frequently deemed unethical and in many states prohibited. Nonetheless, extinction procedures must be implemented with utmost care by professionals, as they are generally associated with extinction bursts. An extinction burst is the temporary increase in the frequency, intensity, and/or duration of the behavior targeted for extinction. Other characteristics of an extinction burst include a) extinction-produced aggression — the occurrence of an emotional response to an extinction procedure often manifested as aggression; b) extinction-related resistance assertion — the occurrence of attitudes immune to extinction procedures; and c) extinction-induced response variability — the occurrence of novel behaviors that did not typically occur prior to the extinction procedure. These novel behaviors are a core component of shaping procedures.
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• When measuring behavior, there are both dimensions of behavior and quantifiable measures of behavior. In applied behavior analysis, the quantifiable measures are a derivative of the dimensions. These dimensions are repeatability, temporal extent, and temporal locus.[41]
• Repeatability• Response classes occur repeatedly throughout time—ie how many times the behavior occurs.• Count is the number of occurrences in behavior. • Rate/Frequency is the number of instances of behavior per unit of time. • Celeration is the measure of how the rate changes over time. • Temporal extent• This dimension indicates that each instance of behavior occupies some amount of time—ie how long
the behavior occurs.• Duration is the amount of time in which the behavior occurs. • Temporal locus• Each instance of behavior occurs at a specific point in time—ie when the behavior occurs.• Response latency is the measure of elapsed time between the onset of a stimulus and the initiation
of the response. • Interresponse time is the amount of time that occurs between two consecutive instances of a
response class. • Derivative measures• Derivative measures are unrelated to specific dimensions:• Percentage is the ratio formed by combining the same dimensional quantities. • Trials-to-criterion are the number of response opportunities needed to achieve a predetermined
level of performance.
Measuring Behavior
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Prompting
• A prompt is a cue or assistance to encourage the desired response from an individual.[66] Prompts are often categorized into a prompt hierarchy from most intrusive to least intrusive. There is some controversy about what is considered most intrusive: physically intrusive versus hardest prompt to fade (ie. verbal).[67] In an faultless learning approach, prompts are given in a most-to-least sequence and faded systematically to ensure the individual experiences a high level of success.[68] There may be instances in which a least-to-most prompt method is preferred. Prompts are faded systematically and as quickly as possible to avoid prompt dependency. The goal of teaching using prompts would be to fade prompts towards independence, so that no prompts are needed for the individual to perform the desired behavior.[69][70]
• Types of prompts:• Verbal prompts: Utilizing a vocalization to indicate the desired response. • Visual Prompts: a visual cue or picture. • Gestural prompts: Utilizing a physical gesture to indicate the desired response. • Positional prompt: The target item is placed closer to the individual. • Modeling: Modeling the desired response for the student. This type of prompt is best suited for individuals who
learn through imitation and can attend to a model. • Physical prompts: Physically manipulating the individual to produce the desired response. There are many degrees
of physical prompts. The most intrusive being hand-over-hand, and the least intrusive being a slight tap to initiate movement.[71]
• This is not an exhaustive list of all possible prompts. When using prompts to systematically teach a skill, not all prompts need to be used in the hierarchy; prompts are chosen based on which ones are most effective for a particular individual.
Applied Behavior AnalysisWhat is ABA?
• “A scientific approach for discovering environmental variables that reliably influence socially significant behavior and for developing a technology of behavior change that takes practical advantage of those discoveries.”
• Levels of understanding: description – prediction – control
• Exs. Criminal profiling, Disneyland, NASA, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, animal training, kids w/ autism.
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Applied Behavior AnalysisWhat is ABA’s perspective on behavior?
• So many different perspectives! (Common Explanations for Misbehavior)
• All behavior has meaning – it is functional for the person. Our job is to understand what the function is.
• Kids engage in negative behavior because it’s meeting a need of some kind for them – whether attention, escape etc.
• See behavior as communication – teach kids how to communicate and get needs met more appropriately.
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Applied Behavior Analysis1. ABA works to change what?
Not a person or a person’s behavior – rather the environment.
What’s in your environment is everything from your thoughts to physical stimuli. Change to train and shape behavior – make it more likely positive behavior will occur and less likely negative behavior will occur.
Includes self-management of your environment. Physical setting, curriculum, schedule, how we teach, type and delivery of rewards and punishers.
“Behavior analysis is the design of environments that promote appropriate behavior.”
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Applied Behavior Analysis ABA attempts to make problem behaviors
what?
• IRRELEVANT: Organize the environments to reduce likelihood that those conditions are encountered.
• INEFFICIENT: Efficiency is the result of the combined effects of:
(a) Physical effort required for person to perform the behavior
(b) # of times person must perform the behavior before he/she is reinforced (schedule of reinforcement)
(c) Time delay between the first problem behavior and reinforcement.
• INEFFECTIVE: Problem behaviors should be ineffective ways of accessing reinforcers. You utilize this principle when putting a behavior “on extinction.”
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Applied Behavior Analysis What is a “positive behavior intervention”
I can use today?
Amazing power of positive reinforcement.
The matching law – what you reinforce most will occur most frequently. Ways to make it more powerful – handout.
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Applied Behavior Analysis Why is it so important to emphasize positive
interventions –
isn’t punishment effective?
Side effects of punishment:
- disrupted relationship
- lack of skill building
- models punishment which is not an intervention student will be able to use
- can make it more difficult to gain compliance the next time
- may create power struggle
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Applied Behavior AnalysisWhat are the different types of behavior?
• Physical movement: sitting still, tapping, looking, making noises
• Mental activity: engagement, focus, thinking, following along, etc.
• Emotional activity: annoyed, frustrated, upset, humorous, pleasant, flat affect, disengaged, etc.
• OR
• Internalized behaviors vs. Externalized behaviors
• Internalized: Quiet, disengaged, nonresponsive, depressed mood, head down, etc.
• Externalized: Talking, moving, engaging with others, actively communicating
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Applied Behavior AnalysisWhat do you want to reinforce?
• Sitting down in chair
• Having materials
• Asking appropriate clarifying questions
• Appropriate participation in class
• Supporting classmates
• Getting refocused
• Staying focused during a disruption
• Etc.
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ABA: Reinforcement Rules1. Timing: Reinforce desired behaviors immediately
AND later
2. Frequency: Reinforce desired behaviors constantly
3. Enthusiasm: Be genuinely appreciative of the incremental steps
4. Eye Contact: Show your undivided attention when you reinforce
5. Describe: Name the desired behavior and why it is important
6. Anticipation: Hype up the reinforcers but don’t use as threat
7. Variety: Switch it up and tailor the reinforcer to the student
New Hire Orientations
ABA: Reinforcement Rules1. Timing: Reinforce desired behaviors immediately
AND later
2. Frequency: Reinforce desired behaviors constantly
3. Enthusiasm: Be genuinely appreciative of the incremental steps
4. Eye Contact: Show your undivided attention when you reinforce
5. Describe: Name the desired behavior and why it is important
6. Anticipation: Hype up the reinforcers but don’t use as threat
7. Variety: Switch it up and tailor the reinforcer to the student
New Hire Orientations
New Hire Orientation
Media ClipsABA with Autism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyCx-OLzgJw
Strength- Based
“All behavior reflects a strength or a hidden strength”
Name some of the hidden strengths that the students exhibit:Manipulative < Creative &
innovativePersistent < ResilientBold < CourageousOutspoken < Honest & transparentSocial < Social capital, teamwork
Transformation
Cultural Capital = Social Capital • Cultural Resiliency competencies 21st century skill set
• Acculturation Critical Analysis
• Navigation of borders Adaptability and Agility
• Cultural Capital (game) Social Capital
• Mouthpiece (spit, gab, game) Teamwork/Networking
• Inter/Intra cultural communication Multi/Bilingual
• Creative self expression Innovation and Imagination
What Do I do With All This?
Look at ALL behaviors differently and you will respond differently.
Resistance, defiance and rebellion are all attempts to gain a sense of power and control.
Our Clients are not victims. They exist and developed into a set of circumstances that adults are responsible for.
Empathy Activity
You should not present yourself to students everyday unless you can do the following.
Imagine the following:
1. Your mother or father going to jail for 20 years.
2. Your sibling being raped or molested by another member of your family- maybe your father or uncle or older brother.
3. Your cousin or closest friend being shot and killed at point blank range.
4. Yourself, having dropped out of school after the 8th grade.
5. Having to sell drugs or your body to buy food and clothes for yourself and siblings.
6. Being told by someone you look up to and respect that you ain’t shit and you ain’t never going to be shit.
Closer to home:
1. Losing your job today
2. Getting broken into and losing all your valuables
3. Losing the closest person in your life
.
Thank You
• Questions?
• Comments?
• Reflections?
• Feedback?
