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…
In this brief blog article, we will examine the difference between accuracy, reliability and validity. 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…
In this brief blog article, we will examine the difference between frequency and rate. 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…