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Antecedent
An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a behavior of interest
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Automaticity (of reinforcement)
Refers to the fact that behavior is modified by its consequences irrespective of the person's awareness.
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Aversive Stimulus
An unpleasant or noxious stimulus
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Behavior
The activity of living organisms
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Behavior Change Tactic
A technologically consistent method for changing behavior derived from one or more principles of behavior, possesses sufficient generality across subjects, settings, and behaviors to warrant its codification and dissemination
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Conditioned Punisher
A previously neutral stimulus change that functions as a punisher because of prior pairing with one or more other punishers; sometimes called secondary or learned punisher
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Conditioned Reflex
A learned stimulus-response functional relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus and the response it elicits.
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Conditioned Reinforcer
A stimulus change that functions as a reinforcer because of prior pairing with one or more other reinforcers; sometimes called secondary or learned reinforcer
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Conditioned Stimulus
A formerly neutral stimulus change that elicits respondent behavior only after it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus or another CS
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Consequence
A stimulus change that follows a behavior of interest
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Contingency
Dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables
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Contingent
Describes reinforcement (or punishment) that is delivered only after the target behavior has occurred
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Deprivation
The state of an organism with respect to how much time has elapsed since it has consumed or contracted a particular type of reinforcer
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Discriminated Operant
An operant that occurs more frequently under some antecedent conditions than under others.
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Discriminative Stimulus
A stimulus in the presence of which responses of some type have been reinforced and in the absence of which the same type of responses have occurred and not been reinforced
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Environment
The conglomerate of real circumstances in which the organism or referenced part of the organism exists
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Establishing Operation
An environmental variable that alters the reinforcing or punishing effectiveness of some stimulus, object, or event and alters the current frequency of all behavior that has been reinforced or punished by that stimulus, object or event
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Extinction
The discontinuing of reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior
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Habituation
A decrease in responsiveness to repeated presentations of a stimulus; most often used to describe a reduction of respondent behavior as a function of repeated presentation of the eliciting stimulus over a short span of time
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Higher Order Conditioning
Development of a conditioned reflex by pairing of a neutral stimulus with a conditioned stimulus. Also called 2ndary conditioning
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History of Reinforcement
An inclusive term referring in general to all of a person's learning experiences and more specifically to past conditioning with respect to particular response classes or aspects of a person's repertoire
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Negative Reinforcement
A stimulus whose termination functions as reinforcement
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Neutral Reinforcement
A stimulus change that does not elicit respondent behavior
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Ontogeny
The history of the development of an individual organism during its lifetime
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Operant Conditioning
Consequences result in an increased or decreased frequency of the same type of behavior under similar motivational and environmental conditions in the future
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Phylogeny
The history of the natural evolution of a species
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Positive Reinforcement
Occurs when a behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that increases the future frequency of the behavior in similar conditions
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Principle of Behavior
A statement describing a functional relation between behavior and one or more of its controlling variables with generality across organisms, species, settings, behaviors, and time
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Punisher
A stimulus change that decreases the future frequency of behavior that immediately precedes it.
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Punishment
Occurs when stimulus change immediately follows a response and decreases the future frequency of that type of behavior in similar conditions
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Reflex
A stimulus-response relation consisting of an antecedent stimulus and the respondent behavior it elicits
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Reinforcement
Occurs when a stimulus change immediately follows a response and increases the future frequency of that type of behavior in similar conditions
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Reinforcer
A stimulus change that increases the future frequency of behavior that immediately precedes it
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Repertoire
All of the behaviors a person can do or a set of behaviors relevant to a particular setting or task
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Respondent Behavior
The response component of a reflex. Behavior that is elicited or induced by antecedent stimuli
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Respondent Conditioning
A stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure in which a neutral stimulus is presented with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response
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Respondent Extinction
The repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus
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Response
A single instance or occurrence of a specific class or type of behavior
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Response Class
A group of responses of varying topography, all of which produce the same effect on the environment
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Satiation
A decrease in the frequency of operant behavior presumed to be the result of continued contact with or consumption of a reinforcer that has followed the behavior
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Selection by Consequences
The fundamental principle underlying operant conditioning.
All forms of operant behavior are selected, shaped and maintained by their consequences during an individual's lifetime
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Stimulus
A change in an organism’s environment (internal or external) that induces a measurable response
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Stimulus Class
A group of stimuli that share specified common elements along formal, temporal, and/or functional dimensions
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Stimulus Control
A situation in which the frequency, latency, duration, or amplitude of a behavior is altered by the presence or absence of an antecedent stimulus
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Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing
A procedure in which two stimuli are presented at the same time, usually repeatedly for a number of trails, which often results in one stimulus acquiring the function of the other stimulus
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Three-Term Contingency
Encompasses the temporal and possibly dependent relations among an antecedent stimulus, behavior, and consequences
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Unconditioned Stimulus
A stimulus change that elicits respondent behavior without any prior learning
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Unconditioned Reinforcer
A stimulus change that increases the frequency of any behavior that immediately precedes it irrespective of the organism's learning history with the stimulus
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Unconditioned Punisher
A stimulus change that decreases the frequency of any behavior that immediately precedes it irrespective of the organism's learning history
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ABA Design
A three phase experimental design consisting of an initial baseline phase, an intervention phase, and a return to baseline conditions
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Abative Effect
A decrease in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in reinforcing effectiveness by the same EO
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Abolishing Operation
An EO that decreases the reinforcing effectiveness of a stimuli, object, or event
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Alternating Treatments Design
An experimental design in which two or more conditions are presented in rapidly alternating succession independent of the level of responding
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Antecedent Intervention
A behavior change strategy that manipulates contingency-dependent antecedent stimuli
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Applied Behavior Analysis
The science in which tactics derived from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior and experimentation is used to identify the variables responsible for the improvement of behavior
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Ascending Baseline
A data path that shows an increasing trend in the response measure over time
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Aversive Stimulus
An unpleasant or noxious stimulus
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BAB Design
A three phase experiemntal design that begins with the treatment condition, treatment is withdrawn, and then the treatment is reintroduced
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Backward Chaining
A teaching procedure in which a trainer completes all but the last behavior in a chain which is preformed by the learner, who then receives reinforcement for completing the chain
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Baseline
A condition of an experiment in which the independent variable is not present
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Behavior Chain
A sequence of responses in which each response produces a stimulus change that functions as conditioned reinforcement for that response and as a discriminative stimulus for the next response in the chain
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Behavior Trap
An interrelated community of contingencies of reinforcement that can be especially powerful, producing substantial and long-lasting behavior changes
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Behavioral Momentum (High-Probability Request Sequence)
A metaphor to describe a rate of responding and its resistance to change following an alteration in reinforcement conditions
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Celeration
The change in rate of responding over time
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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
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Conditioned Motivation Operation (CMO)
A motivating operation whose value-altering effect depends on a learning history
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Cumulative Record
A type of graph on which the cumulative number of responses emitted is represented on the vertical axis
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Dependent Variable
The variable in an experiment that is measured to determine if it changes as a result of manipulations of the independent variable
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Descending Baseline
A data path that shows a decreasing trend in the response measure over time
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Differential Reinforcement
Reinforcing only those responses within a response class that meet specific criteria along some dimensions and placing all other responses in the class on extinction
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Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)
A procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for a behavior that serves as a desirable alternative to the behavior targeted for reduction
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Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI)
A procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is delivered for a behavior that is topographically incompatible with the behavior targeted for reduction
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Differential Reinforcement of low rates (DRL)
A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement follows each occurrence of the target behavior that is separated from the previous response by a minimum inter-response time or is contingent on the number of responses within a period of time not exceeding a predetermined criterion
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Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)
A procedure for decreasing problem behavior in which reinforcement is contingent on the absence of the problem behavior during or at specific times
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Discrete Trial
Any operant whose response rate is controlled by a given opportunity to emit the response
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DRI/DRA Reversal Technique
An experimental technique that demonstrates the effects of reinforcement; it uses DRI/DRA as a control condition instead of a no-reinforcement condition
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DRO Reversal Technique
An experimental technique for demonstrating the effects of reinforcement by using DRO as a control condition instead of a no-reinforcement condition
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Ethical Codes of Behavior
Statements that provide guidelines for members of professional associations when deciding a course of action or conducting professional duties
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Evocative Effect
An increase in the current frequency of behavior that has been reinforced by the stimulus that is increased in reinforcing effectivness by the same motivating operation
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Exclusion Time-Out
A procedure for implementing time-out in which contingent on the occurrence of a target behavior the person is removed physically from the current environment for a specified period
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Extinction Burst
An increase in the frequency of responding when an extinction procedure is initially implemented
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Fading
A procedure for transferring stimulus control in which features of an antecedent stimulus controlling a behavior are gradually changed to a new stimulus while maintaining the current behavior
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Fixed Interval
A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement is delivered for the first response emitted following the passage of a fixed duration of time since the last response was reinforced
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Fixed Ratio
A schedule of reinforcement requiring a fixed number of responses for reinforcement
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Fixed-Time Schedule
A schedule for the delivery of non-contingent stimuli in which a time interval remains the same from one delivery to the next
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Forward Chaining
A method for teaching behavior chains that begins with the learner being prompted and taught to perform the first behavior in the task analysis; the trainer completes the remaining steps in the chain
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Frequency
A ratio of count per observation time
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Functional Analysis
An analysis of the purposes of problem behavior wherein antecedents and consequences representing those in the person's natural routines are arranged within an experimental design so that their separate effects on problem behavior can be observed and measured
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Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
A systematic method of assessment for obtaining information about the purposes (functions) a problem behavior serves for a person; results are used as a guide to intervention for decreasing problem behavior and increasing appropriate behavior
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Functional Communication Training (FCT)
An antecedent intervention in which an appropriate communicative behavior is taught as a replacement behavior for problem behavior usually evoked by an EO
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Functionally Equivalent
Serving the same function or purpose creating the same consequences
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Generalization
A generic term for a variety of behavioral processes and behavior change outcomes
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High-Probability (high-p) request sequence
An antecedent intervention in which two to five easy tasks with a known history of learner compliance (the high-p requests) are presented in quick succession immediately before requesting the target task (low-p) request
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History of Reinforcement
An inclusive term referring in general to all of a person's learning experiences and, more specifically, to past conditioning with respect to particular response classes or aspects of a person's repertoire
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Imitation
A behavior controlled by any physical movement that serves as a novel model, excluding vocal-verbal behavior, has formal similarity with the model, and immediately follows the occurrence of the model
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Independent Variable
The variable that is systematically manipulated by the researcher in an experiment to see whether changes in the independent variable produce reliable changes in the dependent variable
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Indirect Functional Assessment
Structured interviews, checklists, rating scales, or questionnaires used to obtain information from people who are familiar with the person exhibiting the problem behavior
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Informed Consent
The potential recipient of services or participant gives his explicit permission before any assessment or treatment is provided
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Intermittent schedule of reinforcement (INT)
A contingency of reinforcement in which some but not all occurrences of the behavior produce reinforcement
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Interobserver Agreement (IOA)
The degree to which two or more independent observers report the same observed values after measuring the same events
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Inter-response Time (IRT)
A measure of temporal locus; defined as the elapsed time between two successive repsonses
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Irreversibility
A situation that occurs when the level of responding observed in a previous phase cannot be reproduced even though the experimental conditions are the same as in the earlier phase.
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Magnitude
The force or intensity with which a response is emitted.
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Maintenance
The extent to which the learner continues to perform the target behavior after a portion or all of the intervention has been terminated
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Mand
An elementary verbal operant that is evoked by an MO and followed by specific reinforcement
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Massed Practice
A self-directed behavior change technique in which the person forces himself to perform an undesired behavior repeatedly which sometimes decreases the future frequency of the behavior
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Matching Law
The allocation of responses to choices available on concurrent schedules of reinforcement; rates of responding across choices are distributed in proportions that match the rates of reinforcement received from each choice alternative
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Measurement by permanent product
A method of measuring behavior after it has occurred by recording the effects that the behavior produced on the environment
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Mixed Schedule
A compound schedule of reinforcement consisting of two or more basic schedules of reinforcement that occur in an alternating (usually random) sequence
No discriminative stimuli are correlated with the presence or absence of each element of the schedule and reinforcement is delivered for meeting the response requirements of the element in effect at any time.
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Momentary Time Sampling
A measurement method in which the presence or absence of behaviors are recorded at precisely specified time intervals
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Multiple Baseline Design
An experimental design that begins with the concurrent measurement of two or more behaviors in a baseline condition, followed by the application of the treatment variable to one of the behaviors while baseline conditions remain in effect for the other behavior
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Multiple schedule
A compound schedule of reinforcement consisting of two or more basic schedule of reinforcement that occur in an alternating (usually random) requence
A discriminative stimulus is correlated with the presence or absence of each element of the schedule, and reinforcement is delivered for meeting the response requirements of the element in effect at any time
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Multiple Treatment Reversal Design
Any experimental design that uses the experimental methods and logic of the reversal tactic to compare the effects of two or more experimental conditions to baseline and/or one another
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Negative Punishment
A response behavior is followed immediately by the removal of a stimulus (or a decrease in the intensity of the stimulus), that decreasess the future frequency of similar responses under similar conditions
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Neutral Stimulus (NS)
A stimulus change that does not elicit respondent behavior
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Noncontingent Reinforcement (NCR)
A procedure in which stimuli with known reinforcing properties are presented on fixed-time or variable-time schedules completely independent of behavior; often used as an antecedent intervention to reduce problem behavior
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Noncontingent Reinforcement (NCR) Reversal Technique
An experimental control technique that demonstrates the effects of reinforcement by using noncontingent reinforcement as a control condition instead of a no-reinforcement condition
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Non-exclusion Time-Out
A procedure for implementing time-out in which, contingent on the occurrence of the target behavior, the person remains within the setting but does not have access to reinforcement for a specified period
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Normalization
Philosophy and principle - the belief that people with disabilities should, to the maximum extent possible, be physically and socially integrated into the mainstream of society regardless of the degree or type of disability
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Over-correction
A behavior change tactic based on positive punishment in which, contingent on the problem behavior, the learner is required to engage in effortful behavior directly or logically related to fixing the damage caused by the behavior
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Parsimony
The practice of ruling out simple, logical explanations, experimentally or conceptually before considering more complex or abstract explanations
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Partial-Interval Recording
A time sampling method for measuring behavior in which the observation period is divided into a series of brief time intervals
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Planned Activity Check (PLACHECK)
A variation of momentary time sampling in which the observer records whether each person in a group is engaged in the target behavior at specific points in time
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Planned Ignoring
A procedure for implementing time-out in which social reinforcers - usually attention, physical contact, and verbal interaction - are withheld for a brief period contingent on the occurrence of the target behavior
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Positive Practice Overcorrection
A form of over-correction in which, contingent on an occurrence of the target behavior the learner is required to repeat a correct form of the behavior, or a behavior incompatible with the problem behavior, specified number of times
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A behavior is followed immediately by the presentation of a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of the behavior
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Practice Effects
Improvements in performance resulting from opportunities to perform a behavior repeatedly so that baseline measures can be obtained
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Premack Principle
A principle that states that making the opportunity to engage in a high-probability behavior contingent on the occurrence of a low-frequency behavior will function as a reinforcement for the low-frequency behavior
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Ratio Strain
A behavioral effect associated with abrupt increases in ratio requirements when moving from denser to thinner reinforcement schedules
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Recovery from Punishment Procedure
The occurrence of a previously punished type of response without its punishing consequence. This procedure is analogous to the extinction of previously reinforced behavior and has the effect of undoing the effect of the punishment
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Resistance to extinction
The relative frequency with which operant behavior is emitted during extinction
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Response Blocking
A procedure in which the therapist physically intervenes as soon as the learner begins to emit a problem behavior to prevent completion of the targeted behavior.
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Response Cost
The contingent loss of reinforcers producing a decrease of the frequency of behavior, a form of negative punishment
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Reversal Design
Any experimental design in which the researcher attempts to verify the effect of the independent variable by reversing responding to a level obtained in a previous condition; encompasses experimental designs in which the independent variable is withdrawn or reversed in its focus
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Schedule of Reinforcement
A rule specifying the environmental arrangements and response requirements for reinforcement
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Schedule Thinning
Changing a contingency of reinforcement by gradually increasing the response ratio or the extent of the time interval.
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Self-control
A person's ability to delay gratification by emitting a response that will produce a larger delayed reward over a response that produces a smaller but immediate reward; A person's behaving in a certain way so as to change a subsequent behavior
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Self-Evaluation
A procedure in which a person compares his performance of a target behavior with a predetermined goal or standard.
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Self-Instruction
Self-generated verbal responses (covert or overt) that function as rules or response prompts for a desired behavior
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Self-Management
The personal application of behavior change tactics that produces a desired change in behavior
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Self-Monitoring
A procedure whereby a person systematically observes his behavior and records the occurrence or non-occurrence of a targeted behavior
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Sensory Extinction
The process by which behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement are placed on extinction by masking or removing the sensory consequence
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Sequence Effects
The effects on a subject's behavior in a given condition that are the result of the subject's experience with a prior condition
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Shaping
Using differential reinforcement to produce a series of gradually changing response classes; Each response class is a successive approximation toward a terminal behavior
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Single-subject Design
A wide variety of research designs that use a form of experimental reasoning called baseline logic to develop the effects of the independent variable on the behavior of individual subjects
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Social Validity
Refers to the extent to which target behaviors are appropriate, intervention procedures are acceptable, and important and significant changes in target and collateral behaviors are produced
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Split-middle line of Progress
A line drawn through a series of graphed data points that shows the overall trend in the data; drawn through the intersections of the vertical and horizontal middles of each half of the charted data and then adjusted up or down so that half of all the data points fall on or above and half fall on or below the line
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Spontaneous Recovery
A behavioral effect associated with extinction in which the behavior suddenly begins to occur after its frequency has decreased to its pre-reinforcement level or stopped entirely
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Stimulus Delta
A stimulus in the presence of which a given behavior has not produced reinforcement in the past
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Systematic desensitization
A behavior therapy treatment for anxieties, fears, and phobias that involves substituting one response, generally muscle relaxation, for the unwanted behavior
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Target Behavior
The response class selected for intervention; can be defined either functionally or topographically
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Task Analysis
The process of breaking a complex skill or series of behaviors into smaller, teachable units, also refers to the results of this process
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Time-out from positive reinforcement
The contingent withdrawal of the opportunity to earn positive reinforcement or the loss of access to positive reinforcers for a specified period of time
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Time-out Ribbon
A procedure for implementing non-exclusion time-out in which a child wears a ribbon or wristband that becomes discriminative for receiving reinforcement
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Time Sampling
A measurement of the presence or absence of behavior within specific time intervals. It is most useful with continuous and high-rate behaviors
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Token Economy
A system whereby participants earn generalized conditioned reinforcers as an immediate consequence for specific behaviors.
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Topography
The physical form or shape of a behavior
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Total-Task Chaining
A variation of forward chaining in which the learner receives training on each behavior in the chain during each session
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Unconditioned Motivating Operation (UMO)
A motivating operation whose value-altering effect does not depend on a learning history
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Variable Ratio (VR)
A schedule of reinforcement requiring a varying number of responses for reinforcement
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Variable-Time Schedule (VT)
A schedule for the delivery of non-contingent stimuli in which the interval of time from one delivery to the next randomly varies around a given time
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Visual Analysis
A systematic approach for interpreting the results of behavioral research and treatment programs that entails visual inspection of graphed data for variability, level, and trend within and between experimental conditions
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Explanatory fiction
A fictitious or hypothetical variable that often takes the form of another name for the observed phenomenon it claims to explain and contributes nothing to a functional account or understanding of the phenomenon. Ex intelligence or cognitive awareness.
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Whole-Interval Recording
A time sampling method for measuring behavior in which the observation period is divided into a series of brief time intervals; at the end of each interval, the observer records whether the target behavior occurred throughout the entire interval
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Private Event
Anything that stimulates only one individual. Usually within the skin, but not always. Four ways to tact them: Public accompaniment, Collateral Responses, Common Properties, Response Reduction
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