Principles of Behavior Modification Note Set 2 Gary L. Cates, Ph.D., N.C.S.P.

Principles of Behavior Modification

Note Set 2

Gary L. Cates, Ph.D., N.C.S.P.

Applied Research Methods

Single Case Designs

Terms

• Independent Variable: What is manipulated• Dependent Variable: What is measured (Always Y

Axis)• Confounding Variable: Unintended independent

variable that affects interpretations• Internal Validity: Extent to which IV unambiguously

affects DV (i.e. no confounds)• External Validity: Extent to which Results generalize

Why Evaluate Interventions?

• To determine if our practices are effective• To determine if our practices are as efficient as

another practice• To provide support with regard to resistance• To learn something about the person/behavior• To learn something about the intervention• To ensure honest service delivery with integrity

How do I Evaluate Interventions?

• Verbal reports

• Annual tests

• Pre-test (baseline) Post-Test (after some intervention)

• Repeated measurement of behavior over time

What Do the Letters and Numbers Mean?

• A = Baseline

• B = Treatment

• C = Treatment 2 etc.

• 1 = first level of treatment

• 2 = second level of treatment etc.

0

5

10

15

2 0

2 5

3 0

3 5

4 0

0 5 10 15 2 0 2 5

S E S S I O N

A B A C C 2

A-B Design

Case Study Design

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SESSIONS

Dig

its

Co

rrec

t P

er M

inu

te

Baseline

Calvin

Explict Timing

A-B-A design

What happens when you take the treatment away?

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SESSIONS

Dig

its

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rrec

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er M

inu

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Baseline Explicit TimingBaseline

Calvin

A-B-A-B

Let’s Put the Treatment Back Please?

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SESSIONS

Dig

its

Co

rrec

t P

er M

inu

te

Baseline Explicit Timing Baseline

Calvin

Explict Timing

B-C-B-C

Let’s not spend so much time in baseline alright?

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SESSIONS

Rat

e o

f A

ccu

rate

Res

po

nse

s

Ana

PeerComputerPeer Computer

Multiple Baseline Design

Across: Behaviors, therapists, settings

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SESSIONS

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ER

OF

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SComputerPeer ComputerPeer

Ana

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SESSIONS

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ComputerPeer ComputerPeer

Becky

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SESSIONS

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ComputerPeer Computer Peer

Crystal

Peer

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SESSIONS

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IMB

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ComputerPeer ComputerPeer

Christy

Peer

Changing Criterion Design

Let’s change it a little at a time

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SESSIONS

PE

RC

EN

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OM

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UR

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D IN

40% 60% 80% 70% 80%

Martin

Baseline

Alternating Treatments Design

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SESSIONS

LEA

RN

ING

RA

TE Drill

ISP

High-P

Wesly

Data Interpretation

• Replication demonstrations

• Overlapping data points

• Immediacy, stability, trend

• Effect size

• Description of procedures

• Reliability in response measurement

• Consistency with previous data and theory

Behavioral Assessment and Functional Analysis

General Phases of a Treatment Program

• Intake Phase (5 reasons)

- Should I take this case?

- Explain Policies

- Screen for crisis

- Diagnose client (I don’t do this – only two reasons for me to do so)

- Choose “Target” behaviors

General Phases of a Treatment Program

• Baseline Phase- To understand possible controlling variables

• Treatment Phase- Collecting data during the treatment to monitor it closely√ Not just a pre-test (baseline) and post-test (follow-up)

• Follow-up Phase- Determine if progress made is maintained.√ Are the changes somewhat permanent?

Sources of Information for baseline assessment

• Indirect Assessment Procedures

-Interviews

- Questionnaires: Life history, self-report, survey, third-party checklists and rating scales.– Role Playing– Information from other professionals– Client Self-monitoring: Journals etc.


• Direct Assessment

- Direct observation of behavior and collect data

- Most projects in this class


• Experimental Analysis Procedures – Manipulate the environment and assess the

effects on behavior

Why Collect Data?

• Decide if the behavior warrants your help.• Identify best treatment strategy:

Reinforcers• Determining IV effectiveness• May facilitate modification of behavior

itself: Self feedback, R+• May facilitate modifiers to adhere and

implement procedures

Behavioral Assessment Versus Traditional Assessment

• Specific Behavior not Ambiguous syndrome or disorder

• Repeated Measurement

• Can be linked to treatment

• Refocuses treatment on behavior not person

• Evaluate intervention efficacy

Direct Behavior Assessment

Let’s watch some video

• You’re a psychologist.

• Use your skills up to this point to give me the best psychological profile of the target child in the video.

Characteristics of Behavior to be recorded

• Topography: Shape or form of behavior


• Amount

- Frequency: How many times?

- Rate: How many times per unit of time?

- Duration: How long?


• Amount

- Frequency: How many times?

- Rate: How many times per unit of time?

- Duration: How long?


• Intensity– Sound measurement– Rating Scales


• Latency

e.g. time between being asked a question and responding


• Quality– Rating scales

Methods for Recording Behavior

• Continuous: Recording every instance of a behavior – Talley Marks

Methods for Recording Behavior

• Interval recording: Recording based on equal time intervals

Interval Recording Methods

• Partial-Interval Recording: Record yes or no once per 10 seconds

• If it happens at least once in that 10 seconds.

• Whole-interval Recording: Record yes or no once per 10 seconds

• only if it happened the whole interval.

• Time-sampling: Record yes or no for a single 10 second interval about once an hour.

• Momentary Time Sampling: Record yes or no once per 10 seconds

• Only if the behavior occurs right at the 10 second mark.

X = Occurred Behavior occurred 60% of the observed intervals

X X X X X X

Let’s watch the video again

• This time take data using either– Rate measurement– Frequency recording– Partial interval recording– Whole interval recording

What did you come up with?

• Rate?

• Frequency?

• Partial?

• Whole?

• Which way was best for this situation?

Assessing the Accuracy of Observations

• Interobserver Reliability (IOR)

• 2 Independent observers record for a session and compare accuracy

Calculating IOR

Number of agreements______________ X 100% Number of Agreements + Disagreements

X X X X X X

X X X X X X

IOR = (6/6+4) X100% = (6/10) X 100%

= (.6) X 100%

= 60% Not Good! Usually want 90% or higher.

Your turn

• What is your reliability with another person recording data the same way that you recorded?

Functional Assessment

What was going on with the child’s behavior?

• What caused it?

• What was maintaining it?

Functional Assessment

• Determining what the antecedents and consequences are for a give behavior

• Focuses on maintenance not cause!

Approaches to Functional Assessment

• Questionnaire: Have others tell you what happens• Observational Assessment: Watch and describe A-

B-C’s• Experimental Functional Analysis: Do a test of

hypothesis

I usually do a bit of all three of the above

Functions of Behavior

• Tangible Reinforcement

• Attention

• Escape

• Physical Stimulation (internal or external)

• Respondent? Not clear

• Medical Causes: Rapid Onset and no association with A-D

Example of Functional Analysis: Talking out in class

Potential Function Test ConditionTangible R+ Access Contingent upon

talking outAttention Reprimand Contingent

upon talking outEscape Contingent upon talking out

after demandSelf-Stimulation Leave isolated in room

(Ignore/Alone)Control Condition Play with attention and no

demands

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SESSIONS

RA

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LK

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OU

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IOR

Attention

Tangible R+ Escape

Toy Play

What is the primary function of Behavior?

Chapter 4: Conditioned Reinforcement

What is the difference?

• Unconditioned Reinforcer: Stimuli reinforcing without conditioning (i.e. learning)

- e.g., food, water, sex

- AKA Unlearned or primary reinforcers

• Conditioned Reinforcers: Stimuli that are reinforcers due to experience (i.e., learning)– e. g., money, tokens, clothes, Praise

Back-up Reinforcers

• Tokens

• Money

• Points

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Conditioned Reinforcement

• Strength of Back up reinforcer

• Variety of Backup Reinforcers

• Schedule of Pairing with Backup Reinforcer

• Extinction of the Conditioned Reinforcer

Pitfalls of Conditioned Reinforcement

• Making punishers Reinforcers– Who likes to get spanked?

• Extinction of Conditioned Reinforcement– Chucky Cheese prizes for adults?

Extinction

Extinction

• The removal of a reinforcer from a previously reinforced behavior which causes the behavior to decrease

Example: Extinction

A B C

Behavior Withhold Behavior

Occurs Reinforcement Stops

Example: Extinction

A B C

Turn on No light Stop turning

light switch on light switch

Extinction Burst

– Temporary increase in responding as a result of the introduction of extinction.

– Sometimes a change in topography may occur.

Example: Extinction Burst

A B C

Turn on No Light Turn on/off

light switch light switch

Repeatedly

and then Stop or do a new

behavior

Extinction Examples

• Vending Machine

• Head banging

* What does this suggest about ignoring behavior?

Your Turn

• Come up with an example of how Reinforcement has been withheld from your behavior and what followed. Share with your peers.

Spontaneous Recovery

• Temporary recovery of an extinguished behavior that follows the initial treatment session.

– An extinguished Behavior will come back, but usually less intense and shorter duration.

• √ Must wait out the storms

Factors that influence the Effectiveness of Extinction

Controlling reinforcers– e.g. Accidental reinforcement

The Setting in which Extinction is Carried out– e.g. Tantrums in Wal*Mart

Rules– E.g. Make use of our capabilities

The schedule of reinforcement– The thinner the schedule the more resistance to extinction

Extinction Burst• e.g. Tantrums

Differential Consequences

Differential Reinforcement

• Definition: Reinforcing one set of responses and extinguishing another set of responses.

Example: Differential Reinforcement

A B C

No R+ Appropriate Behavior R+

No R+ Inappropriate Behavior No R+

Example: Differential Reinforcement

A B C

No M&M Raise hand M&M

No M&M Shout out answer No M&M

Your Turn

Think up an example where your behavior has been differentially reinforced and share with your peers.

5 Major Types ofDifferential Reinforcement

1. Differential Reinforcement of Other (or Zero) Behavior (DRO):

– Reinforce any other behavior except the target behavior

• Example: Not head banging & Head banging

• Example: Talking out versus not talking out


2. Differential Reinforcement of Alternate Behavior (DRA):

– Reinforce a single specific behavior that is not the target behavior

• Example: Chewing gum versus Smoking


3. Differential Reinforcement of an Incompatible Behavior (DRI):

– Reinforce a specific behavior that when emitted can not allow the target response.

• Example: Finger stretching & OCD


Differential Reinforcement of Low rates of Behavior (DRL):

– Reinforce a lower rate of behavior as compared to a baseline.

• Example: Head banging revisited

- Spaced Responding – Must restart interval if too often


Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Behavior (DRH):

– Reinforce a higher rate of behavior as compared to baseline.

• Example: Multiplication facts

Differential Reinforcement Effect

• One behavior always increases. Another usually (i.e. almost always) decreases.

Creativity: A Differential Reinforcement effect?

A B C

No R+ Emit Behavior No R+

(Extinction)

No R+ Change Topography R+

(DRA/O)

Example: DRO & Art Creativity

A B C

No $ Paint a picture No $

No $ Splatter Paint $

Example: DRO & Snow Creativity

A B C

No attention make No attention

snow man

No attention make Attention (DRO)an igloo

Creativity in Dolphins?

A B C

No Jump out of water No Dead

dead fish fish

No dead Jump and twist Dead

fish fish

Pitfalls of and Considerations to be made when using DR-Schedules

• Potential to decrease appropriate behavior too much.

• Takes practice to choose the right DR-Schedule. DR?, DRI? DRL?

• Must remember to fade slowly

Principles of Behavior Modification Note Set 2 Gary L. Cates, Ph.D., N.C.S.P.

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