Tag: ABA TERMS

Planned Activity Check (PLACHECK)

Everyday, I help break down a confusing ABA term and put it in plain English! Whether you are studying for your BCBA exam, explaining ABA to parents or are a student, there is no reason to be so confused over ABA terms. While “behavioral language” is very confusing, these concepts don’t have to be. According to Cooper, Heron and Heward,…

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Free Operant and Discriminated Avoidance

Everyday, I help break down a confusing ABA term and put it in plain English! Whether you are studying for your BCBA exam, explaining ABA to parents or are a student, there is no reason to be so confused over ABA terms. While “behavioral language” is very confusing, these concepts don’t have to be. Today we will discuss avoidance.  Avoidance…

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Component Analysis: Explained

Guest Blog Post by Dr. Katherine May, Ed.D., BCBA When a behavior intervention consists of multiple components (treatment/behavioral package) and the practitioner manipulates each component to see which one is most effective for the client. A component analysis is an experimental design to identify the active elements of a treatment package, the relative contributions of different components in a treatment…

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Tact Extensions: There Are Many Ways To Label Something!

Guest Blog Post by Dr. Katherine May, Ed.D., BCBA Tact Extensions: Once a tact has been established, the tact response can occur under novel stimulus conditions through the process of stimulus generalization. In other words, there are many ways to label one stimuli. Skinner (1957) identifies four different levels of generalization based on the degree to which novel stimuli share…

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What is a behavior trap and how do you use it effectively? (ABA Terms and Definitions) (BCBA Exam Prep)

Guest blog post by Dr. Katherine May, Ed.D., BCBA  Behavior traps are powerful contingencies of reinforcement with four defining features: Clients are “baited” with virtually irresistible reinforcers Only a low effort response already in the clients repertoire is needed to enter the trap Interrelated contingencies of reinforcement inside the trap motivate the student to acquire, extend, and maintain targeted skills…

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Response Class v. Behavior Repertoire (ABA Terms Defined) (BCBA Exam Prep)

Response Class v. Behavior Repertoire  Response class and behavior repertoire are two terms that may appear on your board certified applied behavior analysis (BCBA) qualification exam. They are simple yet often overlooked terms.  Response Class Response class refers to all the behaviors that serve the same function. This is regardless of whether they are perceived to be “good” or “bad.” …

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Properties of a Behavior Which Can Be Measured (BCBA Exam Prep)

What is a behavior? A behavior refers to any interaction between an organism and its environment that changes the environment in some way. For example: Clapping your hands, walking, making dinner, ordering a pizza, sleeping, sneezing.  Anything that a dead person could not do is a behavior.  An inanimate object cannot engage in a behavior. For example, a paper blowing…

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What is parsimony? (BCBA Exam Prep) (ABA Terms Defined)

Parsimony simply means that when conducting a scientific experiment to always choose the most simple explanation. The classic example, “If you hear hoofbeats, think horse — not zebra.” Here are some examples of parsimony in ABA terms.  Every day after school, Joe gets off the bus, walks into the kitchen and cries. His mom gives him a cookie as soon…

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Understanding Baseline Logic and Baseline Data Path Patterns (ABA Terms and Definitions) (BCBA Exam Prep)

Why Conduct Baseline Probes The purpose for conducting baseline probes is to establish a control in an experiment. In order to know whether or not an intervention (independent variable) changed a behavior (dependent variable) you would need a reference as to how often the behavior occurs prior to starting an intervention.   You can learn some other very important things when…

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