Behavior Modification II: ABC Complexities Lesson 7

ABCs of Behavior n Antecedents l Occur before behavior l Cue, setting, context n Behavior l Individuals action l Perform or withhold n Consequences l Events that follow behavior l Increases, decreases, or no effect on behavior ~

Contingencies of Reinforcement n Contingency l Relationship of ABCs l One event depends on another n Behavior contingent on… l Antecedents l Consequences l i.e., controlling variables n Complex contingencies l Multiple A, B, and/or Cs ~

Contingencies of Reinforcement n Contingency l Relationship of ABCs l One event depends on another n Behavior contingent on… l Antecedents l Consequences l i.e., controlling variables n Complex contingencies l Multiple A, B, and/or Cs ~

Complex Contingencies n Example: SIB; Answering door l ABCs? n Alternate l antecedents? l behaviors? l consequences? n Importance of functional analysis l May require different treatment ~

Complex Contingencies n Example: smoking l ABCs? n Alternate l antecedents? l behaviors? l consequences? ~

Types of Antecedents n Two main categories l Prerequisites l Stimulus control n Prerequisites l knowledge l skills l resources ~

Antecedents: Stimulus Control n Stimulus Control l Discriminative stimuli l Prompts l Setting events n Discriminative stimuli (S D / S  ) l Signal that indicates likely outcome l RFT or punishment l Traffic light; fire alarm; out of order sign l Stimulus control: S D vs S  ~

Antecedents: Prompts n Specific event l Directly facilitates performance l Instructions, examples, modeling n Examples l teaching computer program l Experimental procedures ~

Antecedents: Prompts n Instructions/Requests l High vs low probability l High then Low   compliance l Holding still during medical procedure n Fading l Gradual removal of prompts l All or some ~

Antecedents: Setting Events n Context, conditions l indirect effects l Motivational; emotional state l Get fired; get a raise n Establishing operation u (type of setting event) l alters effectiveness of consequences l Influences frequency of behavior l Deprivation vs. satiation ~

Behaviors n Target behaviors l To increase or decrease n Shaping l Successive approximations n Chaining l Behaviors  sequence of responses l Break into individual responses l Forward chaining l Backward chaining ~

Behaviors: Chaining n Forward chaining l Start w/ first behavior in sequence l e.g., injections, SPSS n Backward chaining l Start w/ last behavior in sequence l e.g.; learning to put on shirt l Immediate RFT of completed behavior l Needs no explanation of relationships between steps ~

Consequences n Reinforcement l Positive & negative l Strengthen behavior n Punishment l Positive & negative l weaken behavior n Extinction l Absence of S R l reverses behavioral change ~

Generalization & Discrimination n Stimulus S D (S + ) l Generalization & discrimination n Response Generalization l Changes in behaviors other than target behaviors l  smiling   laughing & talking l Physical punishment of B   social behavior;  hostility n Response covariation l Clusters of Bs change together ~

Complexities of Behavior Modification n Require l Careful analysis l Different treatments l Consideration of unintended changes in behavior n Importance of detailed functional analysis ~