Definition of Behavior

Chapter 2

Definition of Behavior

· “The behavior of an organism is that portion of an organism’s _________________ with the ____________________ that is characterized by detectable displacement in space through time of some part of the organism and that results in _________________ _________________ in at least one aspect of the environment” (Johnston & Pennypacker, 1980, 1993a)

Behavior of an Organism

• Portion of the organism’s interaction with the ____________________

• _______________________ in space through time

– Temporal _________________

– Temporal extent

– ________________________

• Results in a ____________________ _______________ in some aspect of the environment

Behavior or Response

• Behavior in reference to a larger set of _________________ __________ _______________ sharing certain

– _____________________ characteristics

– Functions

• Response

– Specific ____________________ of behavior

Descriptions of Behavior
Structural and functional

• Response _______________________

– Form

– Physical characteristics

• __________________

– Effects of behavior on ____________________

Response Class

• A group of responses with the _________________ _________________

– Each ____________________ in the group produces the same effect on the environment

Repertoire

• All ______________________ a person can do

• Set or collection of _______________________ ______________ ________________ a person has learned that are relevant to a particular setting or tasks

– _________________________ with respect to language skills, academic tasks, everyday routines, recreation, & __________________ ________________ _________________

Environment

• All behavior occurs within an ____________________ __________________

• ______________________ cannot be emitted in an environmental void or vacuum

• Johnston & Pennypacker (1993a) definition

• Complex, dynamic universe of events that differ from ________________ ________________ _________________

• Stimulus

- “an ____________________ _________________ that affects an organism through its receptor cells” (Michael, 2004, p. 7)

Description of Stimulus Events

• ______________________

– Physical features

• Temporally

– Occur with respect to a __________________ ______________ _________________

• Functionally

– Effects on behavior

Stimulus Class

• Any group of ___________________ sharing a _______________________ ________________ of common elements in one or more of these dimensions

– Formal dimensions of stimuli

– Temporal ______________________ of stimuli

– Behavioral functions of _______________________ ___________________

Formal Dimensions of Stimuli

• Descriptions, measurements, ______________________

– Based on size, color, ________________________, etc.

• Stimuli can be

– Social

– _______________________

– Temporal Locus of Stimuli

• _______________________ is affected by stimulus changes that

– occur prior to (_____________________)

– Immediately after the behavior (_______________________)

• Antecedent

– Environmental conditions or stimulus changes that exist or occur _______________ ____________ the behavior

• Play a critical part in ___________________ and ____________________

• Learners do not need to be aware of antecedents for antecedents to __________________ ___________________

• ___________________________

– Stimulus change that follows a behavior of interest

• Especially those that are _____________________

• Relevant to current __________________________ states

• Influence on ______________________ behavior

– Other consequences have little effect

Temporal Locus of Stimuli – Big Idea

• Consequences ______________________ ___________________ the antecedent conditions to determine what is learned

– True, whether or not individual is aware of or systematically plans the ______________________

• It’s happening all around us!

_______________________ functions of stimulus changes

• Stimulus changes are best understood through a ____________________ __________________ of their effects on behavior

– ________________________ control

– _____________________, or no apparent effect

Behavioral Functions of Stimulus Changes

• Stimulus changes

– An immediate but _______________________ effect of increasing or decreasing the current ____________________ of the behavior

– A delayed but relatively _______________________ effect in terms of the frequency of that type of behavior in the future (Michael, 1995)

Stimulus Changes: Social & Nonsocial

• See Table 2-1, pg. 28 in text

Respondent Behavior

• Behavior that is elicited by ________________________ ____________________

– _____________________, brought out by the stimulus that ____________________ it

• Something in your eye elicits eye blink (__________________)

• Ready-made behaviors protect against ____________________ stimuli

• _________________________ relations

– Reflex

• _________________________

– Gradually ________________________ response strength

Respondent Conditioning

• Experimental demonstrations of _____________________ ___________________

– Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

– Digestive systems of ____________________

– Animals _______________________ every time lab assistant opened the cage door to feed them

• See Figure 2-1, pg. 31 in text

Operant Behavior

• Any behavior whose future frequency is determined primarily by its __________________ ____________________ ____________________

– Selected

– ____________________

– _______________________ by consequences

• Defined functionally, by its effects

Selection by Consequences

• All forms of life, from single cells to complex cultures, evolve as a result of ___________________ with respect to ___________________ (Pennypacker, 1994, pp. 12 -13)

• _______________________

– Operates during the _____________________ of the individual

• __________________________

– Natural selection in the _______________________of a species

Operant Conditioning

• Process and selective effects of _______________________ on behavior

• “Functional consequence”

– Stimulus change that ____________________ a given behavior in a relatively immediate temporal sequence and alters the ___________________of that type of behavior in the ____________________

• “Strengthen” an _____________________

– Response more ____________________, more frequent (Skinner, 1953, p. 65)

• ________________________ has taken place when

– Operant conditioning consists of an increase in _____________________ ______________________

Type of Stimulus Change

• See Figure 2-2, pg. 37 in text

Operant Conditioning

• Consequences can only affect _______________________ behavior

• Consequences select ___________________ ____________________, no individual responses

• ________________________ consequences have the greatest effect

• Consequences select any behavior

– ______________________ and ________________________ are equal opportunity selectors

– Importance of ____________________ relations

• Operant conditioning occurs ____________________

Reinforcement

• Most important ___________________ _________________ ___________________

• Key element to most _______________________ _________________ programs

Reinforcement - Defined

• If behavior is followed closely in time by a stimulus event and as a result the future frequency of that type of behavior __________________ in similar conditions, _____________________ has taken place

Stimulus Changes Functioning as Reinforcers

• ___________________ Reinforcement (Adding)

– A new stimulus added to the environment (or __________________ in intensity)

• ____________________ Reinforcement (Withdrawing)

– An already present stimulus ____________________ from the environment (or reduced in intensity)

• See Figure 2-2, pg. 37 in text

• See Figure 2-3, pg. 42 in text

Reinforcement – Big Ideas

• Always means an increase in _____________________ _________________

• The modifiers positive (adding) and negative (withdrawing)

– Describe the __________________ of stimulus change operation that best characterizes the consequence

Punishment

• If behavior is followed ___________________ _______________ ________________ by a stimulus event and as a result the future frequency of that type of behavior decreases in similar conditions, _______________________ has taken place

Stimulus Changes Functioning as Punishers

• Positive Punishment (Adding)

– Punishment by _______________________ stimulation

– A _________________ _________________ added to the environment (or increased in intensity)

– Type I

• Negative Punishment (Withdrawing)

– Punishment by contingent withdrawal of a __________________ _________________

– An already present stimulus __________________ from the environment (or reduced in intensity)

– Type II

• See Figure 2-2, pg. 37 in text

• See Figure 2-3, pg. 42 in text

Punishment – Big Ideas

• Always means a ______________________ in response rate

• The modifiers positive (adding) and negative (withdrawing)

– Describe the ____________________ of stimulus change operation that best characterizes the consequence

Principles and Behavior Change Tactics

• Principle of behavior

– Describes a functional relation between _____________________ and one or more of its controlling ________________________ (b = fx)

• Thorough ______________________ across individual organisms, species, settings, behaviors

• Empirical _______________________ inferred from many experiments

• Describe how behavior works

• Reinforcement, punishment, ______________________

• ________________________ _____________________ tactic

– __________________________, technologically consistent method for changing behavior that has been derived from one or more basic principles of behavior

• Sufficient generality across subjects, settings, and/or behaviors to warrant its ________________________ & _______________________

– Technological aspect of ______________________

Principles and Behavior Change Tactics – Big Idea

• Principles

– Describe how behavior ________________________

– Lawful relationship between behavior,

• An immediate consequence, and an ____________________ __________________ of the behavior in the future under similar conditions

• Behavior change tactics

– Are how __________________ __________________ ____________________ put the principles to work to help people learn and use ______________________ ___________________ behaviors

What kinds of stimulus changes function as reinforcers and punishers?

• ___________________________ reinforcement and punishment

– Function irrespective of prior ______________________ _____________________

• __________________________ reinforcers and punishers

– Function as such based on previous pairings with other _____________________ and __________________________

Motivating Operations

• Function

– Alters the current value of _______________________ _____________________ as reinforcement or punishment

• Satiation

• __________________________

Discriminated Operant

• Occurs more frequently under some antecedent conditions than it does under others

• __________________________ _______________________

– _______________________ rates of operant responding observed in the presence or absence of antecedent stimuli

– Due to pairings (antecedent/consequence) in the past, antecedents acquire the ability to _________________________ ____________________ _____________________

Three-Term Contingency

• ____________________(A) – ___________________(B) – ___________________ (C)

– Basic unit of analysis in the analysis of ____________________ _________________

– All ABA procedures involve the _________________________of one or more components of the three-term contingency

The Complexity of Human Behavior

• Highly complex variables governing _________________ ___________________

• Human capabilities

– Large repertoires of __________________ ___________________, verbal behavior

• Analysis of control complicated by

– Individual differences in __________________ _______________ _________________________

– Practical, _______________, logistical, etc., issues