Behavior Modification II ABC Complexities Lecture 11 ABCs

Behavior Modification II: ABC Complexities Lecture 11

ABCs of Behavior 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 ~ n

Contingencies of Reinforcement 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 ~ n

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

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

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

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

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

Antecedents: Prompts 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 ~ n

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

Behaviors 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 ~ n

Behaviors: Chaining 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 ~ n

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

Generalization & Discrimination Stimulus (SD) 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 ~ n

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