ABA SAFMEDS
CHANGING CRITERION DESIGN - An experimental Design in which an initial baseline phase is
followed by a series of treatment phases consisting of successive and gradually changing criteria for
reinforcement or punishment. Experimental control is evidenced by the extent the level of responding
changes to conform to each new criterion.
BEHAVIORAL CUSP - a behavior that has sudden and dramatic consequences that extend well
beyond the idiosyncratic change itself because it exposes the person to new environments, reinforcers,
contingencies, responses, and stimulus controls
ANECDOTAL OBSERVATION - a form of direct, continuous observation in which the observer
records a descriptive, temporally sequenced account of all behavior(s) of interest and the antecedent
conditions and consequences for those behaviors as those events occur in the client's natural
environment
A-B-A DESIGN - Withdrawal design; considerations: end on baseline
A-B-A-B DESIGN - Reversal design; an experiment reintroducing the intervention enables the
replication of treatment effects, which strengthens the demonstration of experimental control.
Considerations: end on intervention phase
ABOLISHING OPERATION - A motivating operation that TEMPORARILY decreases the reinforcing
effectiveness of a stimulus thereby having an ABATIVE EFFECT on behavior
ACCURACY - The extent to which observed values, the data produced by measuring an event,
match the true state, or true values, of the event as it exists in nature
ALTERNATING TREATMENT DESIGN - the rapid alternation of two or more distinct treatments
while their effects on the target behavior are measured
,ANTECDENT - An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a
behavior of interest.
AUTOMATIC REINFORCEMENT - Reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of
others (e.g., scratching an insect bite relieves the itch).
AUTOMATICITY OF REINFORCEMENT - behavior is modified by its consequences irrespective of
the person's awareness
AVERSIVE STIMULUS - an unpleasant or noxious stimulus
AVOIDANCE CONTINGENCY - contingency in which a response prevents or postpones the
presentation of a stimulus-
EX: opening an umbrella prevents presentation of rain
BASELINE LOGIC - the experimental reasoning inherent in single subject experimental designs;
entails three elements: prediction, verification, and replication.
BASELINE - A condition of an experiment in which the independent variable is not present; data
obtained during baseline are the basis for determining the effects of the independent variable/basis of
comparison
a control condition that does not necessarily mean the absence of instruction or treatment, only the
absence of a specific independent variable of experimental interest.
BEHAVIOR - the activity of living organisms, everything that an organism does. " that portion of an
organsim's interaction with its environment that is characterized by detectable displacement in space
through time of some part of the organism and results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of
the environment"
BEHAVIOR CHANGE TACTIC - a consistent method for changing behavior derived from one or more
principles of behavior.
, BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST - a checklist that provides descriptions of specific skills and the conditions
under which each skill should be observed
BEHAVIOR TRAP - An interrelated community of contingencies of reinforcement that can be
especially powerful, producing substantial and long-lasting behavior changes.
BEHAVIORAL TRAP - The phenomenon in which a change in one component of a multiple
schedule that increases or decreases the rate of responding on that component is accompanied by a
change in the response rate in the opposite direction on the other, unaltered component of the
schedule.
BEHAVIORAL MOMENTUM - A metaphor to describe a rate of responding and its resistance to
change following an alteration in reinforcement conditions.
CELERATION - the change (acceleration or deceleration) in rate of responding over time
COMPONENT ANALYSIS - Experimental designs that combine multiple baseline, reversal, and/or
alternating treatment tactics can also provide the basis for comparing the effects of two or more
independent variables
CONDITIONAL PROBABILITY - the likelihood that a target behavior will occur in a given
circumstance
CONDITIONED PUNISHER - A previously neutral stimulus change that functions as a punisher
because of prior pairing with one or more other punishersSometimes called secondary or learned
punishers.
CONDITIONED REFLEX - A learned stimulus-response functional relation
CONDITIONED REINFORCER - stimulus change that functions as a reinforcer b/c of prior pairing
with one or more other reinforcers - aka secondary or learned reinforcer
CHANGING CRITERION DESIGN - An experimental Design in which an initial baseline phase is
followed by a series of treatment phases consisting of successive and gradually changing criteria for
reinforcement or punishment. Experimental control is evidenced by the extent the level of responding
changes to conform to each new criterion.
BEHAVIORAL CUSP - a behavior that has sudden and dramatic consequences that extend well
beyond the idiosyncratic change itself because it exposes the person to new environments, reinforcers,
contingencies, responses, and stimulus controls
ANECDOTAL OBSERVATION - a form of direct, continuous observation in which the observer
records a descriptive, temporally sequenced account of all behavior(s) of interest and the antecedent
conditions and consequences for those behaviors as those events occur in the client's natural
environment
A-B-A DESIGN - Withdrawal design; considerations: end on baseline
A-B-A-B DESIGN - Reversal design; an experiment reintroducing the intervention enables the
replication of treatment effects, which strengthens the demonstration of experimental control.
Considerations: end on intervention phase
ABOLISHING OPERATION - A motivating operation that TEMPORARILY decreases the reinforcing
effectiveness of a stimulus thereby having an ABATIVE EFFECT on behavior
ACCURACY - The extent to which observed values, the data produced by measuring an event,
match the true state, or true values, of the event as it exists in nature
ALTERNATING TREATMENT DESIGN - the rapid alternation of two or more distinct treatments
while their effects on the target behavior are measured
,ANTECDENT - An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a
behavior of interest.
AUTOMATIC REINFORCEMENT - Reinforcement that occurs independent of the social mediation of
others (e.g., scratching an insect bite relieves the itch).
AUTOMATICITY OF REINFORCEMENT - behavior is modified by its consequences irrespective of
the person's awareness
AVERSIVE STIMULUS - an unpleasant or noxious stimulus
AVOIDANCE CONTINGENCY - contingency in which a response prevents or postpones the
presentation of a stimulus-
EX: opening an umbrella prevents presentation of rain
BASELINE LOGIC - the experimental reasoning inherent in single subject experimental designs;
entails three elements: prediction, verification, and replication.
BASELINE - A condition of an experiment in which the independent variable is not present; data
obtained during baseline are the basis for determining the effects of the independent variable/basis of
comparison
a control condition that does not necessarily mean the absence of instruction or treatment, only the
absence of a specific independent variable of experimental interest.
BEHAVIOR - the activity of living organisms, everything that an organism does. " that portion of an
organsim's interaction with its environment that is characterized by detectable displacement in space
through time of some part of the organism and results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of
the environment"
BEHAVIOR CHANGE TACTIC - a consistent method for changing behavior derived from one or more
principles of behavior.
, BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST - a checklist that provides descriptions of specific skills and the conditions
under which each skill should be observed
BEHAVIOR TRAP - An interrelated community of contingencies of reinforcement that can be
especially powerful, producing substantial and long-lasting behavior changes.
BEHAVIORAL TRAP - The phenomenon in which a change in one component of a multiple
schedule that increases or decreases the rate of responding on that component is accompanied by a
change in the response rate in the opposite direction on the other, unaltered component of the
schedule.
BEHAVIORAL MOMENTUM - A metaphor to describe a rate of responding and its resistance to
change following an alteration in reinforcement conditions.
CELERATION - the change (acceleration or deceleration) in rate of responding over time
COMPONENT ANALYSIS - Experimental designs that combine multiple baseline, reversal, and/or
alternating treatment tactics can also provide the basis for comparing the effects of two or more
independent variables
CONDITIONAL PROBABILITY - the likelihood that a target behavior will occur in a given
circumstance
CONDITIONED PUNISHER - A previously neutral stimulus change that functions as a punisher
because of prior pairing with one or more other punishersSometimes called secondary or learned
punishers.
CONDITIONED REFLEX - A learned stimulus-response functional relation
CONDITIONED REINFORCER - stimulus change that functions as a reinforcer b/c of prior pairing
with one or more other reinforcers - aka secondary or learned reinforcer
