In order for an ABA study to be considered valid it must have all of the following components. At least 1 subject An experiment must have at least one subject. This can be either an individual or group. It can also have multiple participants. Setting An experiment must have at least one setting or place in which the experiment takes…
Applied behavior analysts seek to change socially relevant behavior by manipulating the environment to make a behavior occur more or less often. To do so, applied behavior analysts require two features of a behavior and make two assumptions about a behavior. Features: Behavior is individual In applied behavior analysis (ABA) a feature of behavior is that ALL behavior is individual.…
Experimental control is the degree to which the same intervention can be shown to have a predictable effect on behavior. The point of experimental control is to demonstrate a functional relationship between a behavior (dependent variable) and intervention (independent variable). In applied behavior analysis, (ABA) behaviorists are constantly validating that interventions work by analysis and experimentation. If a behavior change…
Parametric analysis Parametric analysis refers to evaluation the intervention (treatment ) or independent variable in an applied behavior analysis (ABA) study or experimental design There are two ways to describe the independent variable: parametric and nonparametric. If an independent variable is nonparametric- it is either on or off. The easiest way to think of this is a light switch. The…
In this brief article, we will define a behavior chain and explore chaining as a teaching procedure. Behavior Chain A behavior chain is a series of discrete behaviors that are linked together to produce end results. All steps are a discriminative stimulus (sd) for the next behavior in the chain and a conditioned reinforcer for the previous behavior in the…
When a person thinks about punishment, they often think about one person doing something “bad” or “aversive” to another person as a negative consequence for what they did. That is not how punishment is defined in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Punishment is when a behavior results in a consequence that makes it less likely to occur again. For example, if…
In this brief blog article, we will define a contingency contract and provide examples. A contingency contract is a written agreement between two people that specifies a behavior that one person agrees to engage in and a reward that another person agrees to give as a result. When Should You Use a Contingency Contact? You should use a contingency contract…
In this brief blog article, we will explore and define what a data artifact is. A data artifact is something that, “appears to exist because of the way that it is measured” (Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2007). A Data artifact refers to a behavior that looks like it occurs more or less often than it actually occurred as a result…
A superstitious behavior is developed when a behavior is inadvertently reinforced by a behavior that precedes it. In Skinner’s example, pigeons were provided with non-contingent reinforcement in the form of bird seed every fifteen seconds and they developed idiosyncratic behaviors because they the bird seed inadvertently reinforced whatever behavior the pigeon was engaging in prior to getting the food. Most…
In this brief blog article, we will examine the different types of differential reinforcement. This article is useful for registered behavior technicians (RBT) or students who are studying to become board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs). Understanding (Applied Behavior Analysis) ABA terms is critical for both being an effective ABA therapist and passing your BCBA exam. In an effort to help…