Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying 1st Step in identifying and specifying behaviour is to understand the elements of behaviour. Antecedent BehaviourConsequence Broad Behavioural Elements Identifying and Specifying Behaviours

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Specific Behavioural Elements Topography -the form of the behaviour - the physical appearance Amount – divided into frequency (how often) and duration ( how long) Intensity- effectiveness of the behaviour in meeting the goal

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Specific Behavioural Elements Stimulus control- conditions under which the behaviour typically occurs, or is absent Latency – time elapsing from the stimulus to the response Qualityarbitrary judgment that one of the above elements is significant in terms of meeting the goal of the behaviour

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Identifying and Specifying Behaviours 2nd step is developing clarity in understanding behaviour is to be able to communicate it to others clearly and with specificity.

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Behaviours vs Constructs Pinpoint - Construct - Also called a summary label Evaluates or judges the quality of certain behaviours They are broad descriptive terms that are open to interpretation Accurate identification of a behaviour is called pinpointing

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Accurate Pinpointing Is aggressive to others construct Acts rudely to other peopleconstruct Plays with children his own age Pinpointed behaviour Should exercise more self control Construct Kicks peersPinpointed behaviour

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Pinpointing Behaviour The Stranger Test Anyone who does not know the client can accurately interpret the behaviour in the same way as you do

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Types of Behaviours that we describe Maladaptive Behaviour The behaviour we hope to change Target BehaviourAdaptive behaviour we hope to introduce

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Identifying and Specifying Behaviours 3 rd Step is to identify the behaviour as maladaptive “any behaviour that interferes with the physical emotional, social or academic well being of the person or another” Maladaptive Behaviour So What Test – is the behaviour maladaptive? If the behaviour doesn’t change so what!!

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Causes of Maladaptive Behaviour Problems Behaviours maintained by the attention from others Behaviours maintained by self stimulation Behaviours maintained by environmental consequences (external reinforcement) Behaviours maintained by escape or avoidance Elicited behaviours – respondent or reflexive behaviours ( aggression???)

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying 4 th Step –Once the maladaptive behaviour is identified we replace it with an adaptive behaviour (target behaviour) Identifying and Specifying Behaviours

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying 5 th Step – Is the target behaviour active or passive? The Dead Man’s Test ensures that we replace a maladaptive behaviour not just eliminate it. Behaviour therapy suggests that behaviour occurs for a purpose. To simply strive to have the behaviour not happen we do not address the motivation and often other maladaptive behaviours emerge to replace it Identifying and Specifying Behaviours Select a behaviour that a Dead man cannot do.

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Dead Man Test Exercise Client will not swear at house meetings (passive) Client contributes at house meetings without swearing (active) Adolescent will not hit peers or staff (P) Adolescent will interact with peers and staff without hitting (A) Child will not throw tantrums when consequenced (P) Child accepts consequences without a tantrum (A) Be careful of stating target behaviours in the passive

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying 6 th step does the target behaviour help eliminate the maladaptive behaviour? Identifying and Specifying Behaviours Fair Pair – active development of the new target behaviour helps to eliminate the maladaptive behaviour Learning and executing the new behaviour makes it difficult to engage in the old maladaptive behaviour. Client will walk away from teasing rather than hitting.

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Specifying Behaviour Tests to Determining Specificity Stranger Test –Would a stranger know the type of behaviour that you are talking about? So What Test – Is the behaviour maladaptive? Dead Man’s Test – Is the target behaviour expressed in the active tense? Fair Pair – Does the target behaviour help to eliminate the maladaptive behaviour?

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Application of specifying behaviour Performance objectives Therapeutic goals Functional analysis

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Functional Analysis 1. Observe client in maladaptive behaviour 2. Hypothesize as to which antecedent or consequence is influencing the behaviour 3. Test hypothesis by changing antecedent or consequence 4. Assess – hypothesis accurate – Treatment plan Inaccurate – change hypothesis

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Therapeutic Goals Specifying target adaptive behaviour that you can use in programming with disturbed kids

Cognitive / Behavioural – Identifying & Specifying Performance Objectives Refers to behaviour that the client demonstrates that indicates that “change” from maladaptive to adaptive behaviour has occurred Elements1. The adaptive behaviour 2. Conditions under which the behaviour will occur 3. Criteria for student performance