Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Key Terms & Concepts

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

Key Terms and Concepts

ABA

Definition: Strives for accurate, reliable, and data-based interventions.

7 Dimensions of ABA

Applied: Focuses on socially significant behaviors.
Behavioral: Observes and measures the behavior of interest.
Analytic: Demonstrates a functional relationship between the intervention and behavior change.
Technological: Procedures are described clearly and precisely.
Conceptually Systematic: Interventions are based on behavioral principles.
Effective: Produces clinically significant behavior change.
Generalized: Behavior change occurs across different settings, people, and time.

Basic Concepts

Behavior: Any activity of a living organism.
Environment: Events or conditions that affect a person's behavior.
ABC:
    Antecedent: Event that occurs before the behavior.
    Behavior: The action or response that follows the antecedent.
    Consequence: The result or outcome of the behavior.

Measurement

Frequency: The total count of a target behavior.
Rate: The total count of a target behavior divided by the total amount of time.
Duration: The total amount of time a behavior occurs (from onset to offset) divided by the total number of occurrences.
Latency: The time between an instruction and the response.
IRT (Interresponse Time): The time between two successive responses.
Discontinuous Measurement: Records an estimate of behavior based on a specific sampling method.
    Partial Interval Recording: Records if the behavior occurred at any time during the interval (tends to overestimate).
    Whole Interval Recording: Records if the behavior occurred during the entire interval (tends to underestimate).
    Momentary Time Sampling: Records if the behavior is occurring at the end of the interval (can overestimate or underestimate).
Permanent Product: Measures the outcome or result of a behavior (e.g., number of correct answers on a test).

Line Graph Components

X-axis: Horizontal axis; represents time or measurement occasions.
Y-axis: Vertical axis; represents the behavior being measured.
Baseline: Data collected before an intervention is implemented.

Reinforcement and Punishment

Reinforcement: A consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.
Positive Reinforcement: Adding a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
Negative Reinforcement: Removing a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
Punishment: A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.
Positive Punishment: Adding a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
Negative Punishment: Removing a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

Types of Reinforcers

Unconditioned Reinforcement: Unlearned reinforcers (e.g., food, water, sleep).
Conditioned Reinforcement: Learned reinforcers (e.g., money, praise, tokens).

Schedules of Reinforcement

Continuous Reinforcement (CRF): Reinforcing every instance of the target behavior.
Intermittent Reinforcement: Reinforcing some, but not all, instances of the target behavior.
    Fixed Ratio (FR): Reinforcement after a fixed number of responses.
    Variable Ratio (VR): Reinforcement after an average number of responses.
    Fixed Interval (FI): Reinforcement for the first response after a fixed amount of time.
    Variable Interval (VI): Reinforcement for the first response after an average amount of time.